user research
I have over a decade of research experience, national and international, 6 years of which have been in digital product design
I created and developed the user research practices at both Thinx Inc and Planned Parenthood
I conduct high impact, high quality research that helps organizations reach their users and understand how to implement user feedback to improve their digital products and strategies
I deliver deep insights and actionable recommendations with cost-effective, consistent methods
If you’re not researching and testing with your users, you’re not doing user-centered design.
my research expertise
Usability Testing
Usability testing is the best way to directly evaluate your designs with your users and uncover issues and areas for improvement. I have a great deal of experience conducting in-person and remote moderated usability tests, unmoderated usability tests, and guerrilla tests.
Co-design Workshops
Co-design workshops can be done internally with stakeholder teams or externally with users. Solving a problem with the people you’re trying to reach always leads to creative insights and solutions. I find them most successful when added to focus groups or usability tests.
Information Architecture Testing
The information architecture (IA) of a digital product refers to the way a product’s info is organized and structured. By conducting Card Sorts and Tree Tests, you can begin to understand your users’ mental models and organize the info so that your users can find what they’re looking for.
User Interviews
User interviewing is a terrific generative research tool that is employed to gather qualitative data quickly. I moderate user interviews in order to understand how users view certain subjects or think through the specific situations that may effect how they interact with your digital product.
A/B and On-Site Testing
On-site testing techniques - such as A/B testing, content evaluations, and site intercepts - are helpful for gathering quantitative data from your users. I employ these tests to capture user behavior and feedback in the moment as users are naturally interacting with the digital product.
Diary Studies and Ethnographies
Users are never using your product in a vacuum, which is why I find it important to understand the world of your users. Ethnographic research such as diary studies and ethnographies help create meaningful digital tools because they build you a vision of the day-to-day life of your user.
Focus Groups
Focus groups allow you to gather thoughts, perceptions, and feelings about subjects from both the individuals and the group. They’re great methods for providing participant-made artifacts to bring back to your team. I have experience preparing and moderating focus groups.
Surveys
Surveys provide quick answers and directional feedback from users; if a question arises in a design sprint, a survey can provide an answer in a few days. I create custom user groups that enable me to identify the specific user demographics for both recruiting and analyzing the survey.
Data and Analytics
Site and app analytics provide invaluable insight into your digital products. I use this type of data for everything from determining design requirements, to identifying an area that requires further testing with users, to validating the performance of design decisions.
engaging with the research
User Personas
I find creating personas from user research a great way to evangelize findings and help myself and the organization better understand our users. Personas help create and maintain empathy for users; they’re living artifacts that evolve alongside your product and your users.
User Requirements
User requirements are how I ensure that user research is carried forward into all stages of design and development. They’re also incredibly useful for gathering stakeholder goals, and creating alignment between teams and between user goals and business goals.
User Flows
Through IA and usability testing you can determine what information you need to present your user and when along their journey to present it. While some users might require a lot of information to make a decision, others won’t. Your product should serve both those users and all in between.
keep discovering
User research underpins every part of user-centered design and effective digital strategies. Learn more about how I carry the voice of the user and leverage user insights throughout my design and strategy processes.