Bringing San Francisco Innovation to the World

Global Partnerships, Local Roots

Welcome to Dr. G’s Lab! We're here to help you and young folks connect with technology safely and thoughtfully. This is a special place where you and young people can work on tech projects that help kids. We're different because we focus on working closely with youth and you the whole time, taking our time to make sure the stuff we make is safe, thoughtful, and sustainable.

The vision here is all about giving you the best place to create tech for young people. This is done by working directly with you, making rules about how to work with you, and helping you make your tech ideas a reality.

Putting lived experiences at the core of design.

In the lab, we care a lot about making digital stuff that's safe, fair, and kind, especially for young people who might be going through tough times. The point is to understand what you need and make stuff that really helps young people. Whether you're a nonprofit, a startup, or a big group, our team of experts is here to help you make your ideas real, just the way you want them.

User Experience (UX)
Strategy

User personas 

Journey mapping

User Experience (UX)
Research

Usability testing

Market analysis

User Interface (UI) /
UX Design

Experiential design

Wireframes & prototypes

Digital
Products

App design

Web & graphic design

The trauma-informed design process

We acknowledge and respond to the reality that most of us have experienced trauma and continue to experience toxic stress. We also recognize the barriers to entering the tech world as a young person. We created a space to create solutions—for and with young people—to intentionally and thoughtfully research and design solutions.

Our onboarding process is an introduction to our trauma-informed design practice

We work together to develop a needs assessment based on your pain points and goals

We identify a scope of work and a budget based on your timeline and needs

We develop a plan, iterate, and share our deliverables with you - and then repeat as needed!

Traumatic experiences and toxic stress can change our neural pathways, impacting how we make decisions and even what our eyes notice. Dr. G’s Lab offers a new approach, integrating emotional intelligence throughout the research and design process.

About Dr. G

Dr. G’s Lab was founded by Dr. Bre Gentile (Dr. G) in 2021. Dr. G believes that products and services designed for users should be designed with users. She works with users at every stage of the process — every design sprint, every audit, every iteration. 

Dr. G is trained to observe, to interview, and to define emotions and preferences by assessing human aptitude and human behaviors. She’s studied hundreds of users ranging from three to sixty-five years old in lab settings and natural environments. Dr. G has presented and published studies on user experience with chatbots and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and writes for Psychology Today. She has also conducted research in communication competence, psychopathology, and human behavior and motivation.

Dr. G has a PhD and MS in Clinical Psychology from Palo Alto University, an MA in Counseling Psychology from Golden Gate University, and a BA in Psychology from Gonzaga University. A known fact about Dr. G is she’s is passionate about making a positive impact and inspiring others to do the same

Testimonials

  • "Dr. Bre Gentile was a pleasure to work with and so very creative, collaborative, and thoughtful. She listened to our ideas and made them vividly real. She also has an exceptional ability to describe in words our vision back to us more meaningfully and passionately than we could! Thank you Dr. G!"

    — Rachel Gilgoff

  • “We were stuck conceptually in how to present a complex graphic that explains mechanisms associated with adverse childhood experiences – that is, until Bre joined our team. Her flexibility, subject matter expertise, and strong listening skills helped us try out new designs in real time, with all of us bouncing ideas off each other and Bre sketching away on a digital notepad so that we can see our concepts visualized. I’m convinced that we would still be stumbling along, seeking out a meaningful design direction, if Bre hadn’t brought her collaborative and encouraging approach to our team. "

    — Andy Krackov

  • “Bre was great to work with! She had an unwavering positive attitude in working with a complex, difficult graphic. I so appreciated her ability to try lots of changes in real time during a working meeting, so we could see different approaches. And she was always open to new ways of thinking and had the end goal in mind with no attachment to ego.”

    — Krista Kotz

  • "Bre is incredible! I was fortunate that she was willing to collaborate with me to advance understanding and grounding my efforts in the youth experience. She was professional, kind, and fun to talk to. I will definitely reach out to her again for support!"

    — Lynn VanderWielen

  • "Dr. G's design process helps us engage better by encouraging us to bring our truest self to the discussion. This is where the magic happens."

    — Pedro Ramirez

Who We Work With

Let’s Connect!