Design and User Experience Researcher

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Resume

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Experience

Director, User Research, OkCupid

January 2021 - Present

As the manager of a two-person UX Research practice, I direct the research strategy while balancing responsibilities as an IC. I lead generative and tactical studies to support two product teams: Monetization and International Growth. I also manage another researcher, vendor relations and partnerships with cross-departmental stakeholders, including product, design, and data analytics.

Senior User Researcher, OkCupid

August 2018 - December 2020

Hired as the first UX researcher, I led a range of generative and tactical UX studies to establish foundational user insights and support the product teams. I professionalized the UX research practice by developing quality standards and research protocols, such as participant management and UX study guidelines and subsequently trained PMs and designers on these protocols to build their research skills. I also scaled the research team by one FTE and an intern.

User Experience Researcher, Ad Hoc, LLC

August 2017 - August 2018

I worked with government agencies in the healthcare field to improve technologies and products through incorporating UX Research and HCD principles. I conducted generative and tactical UXR studies for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS) to support digital services for hospitals. I also led workshops for government clients and cross-discipline stakeholders to socialize findings and educate the team on HCD.

Design Research Consultant

January 2016 - August 2017

Select Clients

I worked with a range of civic tech NGO clients, including The Engine Room, Cadasta Foundation and Open Knowledge Foundation to conduct user research and create artifacts, such as user personas, white papers and practitioner recommendations aimed at building better digital tools for vulnerable populations. I also developed training materials and facilitated workshops introducing NGO clients to the process of conducting design research, including interviewing and data analysis. Finally, I designed a replicable design research framework for NGO clients to deploy as they developed mobile tools and websites.

Senior Policy Associate, Sunlight Foundation

March 2013 - March 2016

I managed Money, Politics and Transparency (MPT), a project to research and create global policy guidance on the disclosure of campaign finances. I designed outreach and content strategy, including organizing workshops, speaking at OGP Global Summit, International Open Data Conference and working with global stakeholders to gain consensus on policy recommendations. I also conducted trainings/consultations with NGOs to assist them in integrating technology and UX design research into their existing projects and on-going strategy. Finally, I contributed to fundraising proposals, grant reports and tracking organizational metrics.

Methods

Participant observation, Ethnography, Diary studies, Remote and field interviews Usability studies, Unmoderated testing, Participatory design, Stakeholder interviews, Focus groups, Card sorts, Tree testing, Surveys, UX benchmarking, Competitive analysis, Statistical analysis

Education

University of Oxford, MSc., Social Science of the Internet

  • Graduated: August 2017

  • Relevant courses: Digital ethnography, Qualitative Data Analysis, Advanced Statistics, Research methods, Big Data Analytics

  • Dissertation Advisors: Professor Gina Neff, Dr. Scott Hale

  • Honors: Distinction in Statistics

University of Virginia, BA, Philosophy and Russian Language

  • Graduated: May 2012

  • Bachelor of Arts, Russian Language and Literature, Philosophy

  • Honors: Echols Scholar Program, Dean’s List, Intermediate Honors Recipient, Graduate with Distinction

Volunteer

Ethnography Praxis in Industry Conference (EPIC), Paper Committee Co-Chair

QX: Queer User Experience Meetup