UX Research Portfolio
About Me
I’m a mid-to-senior-level UX researcher with a penchant for complex problem solving, a passion for collaboration, and the patience to deliver results despite constraints and regulations. (I call it my 3 Ps.)
I like nautical adventures. The sea has a peaceful symmetry on most days that can quickly and uncontrollably morph into mayhem (not unlike technology). It’s a fitting metaphor for the user experience.
As you might have gathered, I’m an avid reader and writer — I’ve actually read the books people often claim they’ve read (yes, even Moby Dick)— and I’ve written everything from standup comedy to a novella-length memoir about a difficult time in my life.
My approach to UX research is part journalist (my undergraduate degree), part social scientist (my MA degree), and part educator (my previous career). I also rely on my 4 years of industry experience (plus 2 years of academic research using human participants) and the foundational skills I learned at General Assembly’s User Experience Design Immersive.
Despite my ordinary name, you’re unlikely to encounter a more intriguing person. Please connect with me on LinkedIn — especially if you’re a jobseeker. I always make time to help people who need jobs get jobs.
Top Skills
- User Research & Testing
- Data Analysis & Presentation
- Design Thinking & Strategy
- Creative Problem Solving & Adaptability
- Storytelling & Humor
Featured Articles
NOTE: My most recent UX research projects are not included in my “Professional Case Studies” section below. For an honest explanation, see: My Less Than User Friendly Enterprise UX Research Experience
For a shorter analysis of one of my accomplishments in UX, see: The Joys of Micro-Usability Testing
I’m very passionate about mentoring and prefer jobs that allow me this opportunity: Don’t Just Succeed — Help Others: How Mentoring Adds Value.
Professional Case Studies
The following case studies document my professional UX work. Due to NDAs, I am unable to disclose identifying information for the first two.
An Improved Intranet Experience
Large organizations need large intranets to serve as a single source of truth for their employees and promote collaboration. Nonetheless, these valuable repositories of information are often neglected and/or cluttered with outdated material. I led a months-long initiative to transition a company-wide intranet to updated software (SharePoint Online) while improving its information architecture and search function based on careful research.
My Impact: instituted SUS benchmark surveying, which established quantitative UX metrics for the first time in the organization’s history, increased customer buy-in and satisfaction, established clear usability guidelines for organization-wide products, developed novel approach to facilitating focus groups
My Research Methods: user interviews, surveys, focus groups, design workshops, card sorts, usability testing
My Deliverables: personas, user flows, journey maps, wireframes, improved information architecture, usability recommendations, modified SUS survey
Any large company needs a secure case management system for handling sensitive ethical concerns. The system should also be easily accessible so that employees are not discouraged from raising said concerns. On this months-long project, I worked with a UX designer to improve an existing case management system based on user needs and journeys— going far beyond basic software requirements.
My Impact: improved efficiency and customer satisfaction post-product delivery through user acceptance testing, documented and helped resolve more than 100 software defects, produced more efficient intake and case management processes based on user data
My Research Methods: user interviews, surveys, user analytics monitoring, task analysis, usability testing, user acceptance testing
My Deliverables: personas, journey maps, service blueprints, wireframes, microcopy, email templates, training sessions & curricula, usability testing plan, usability recommendations
The American Dream remains elusive for millions across the country. HomeFree-USA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping low- and middle-income folks build wealth through homeownership. I advised the organization on its website redesign — specifically around UX research methods, marketing strategies, and product development.
My Research Methods: Heuristic evaluation, focus groups
My Deliverables: Proto-persona, content style guide, product roadmap
Bootcamp Case Studies
The following are case studies I completed as part of my coursework for General Assembly in Washington, D.C. in 2019. Although I received support from my instructors (and 2–3 fellow students), each project represents real UX work done for real clients.
No Limit (Re)generation: Serving Children Worldwide
Millions of children worldwide suffer from abuse and neglect, leading to serious mental health concerns. I helped the nonprofit No Limit Generation, which provides free e-learning to child caregivers, strengthen its information architecture, website design, and content strategy.
My Research Methods: heuristic evaluation, comparative analysis, card sort, stakeholder interviews, usability testing
My Deliverables: use cases, journey maps, usability recommendations, improved information architecture, mockups
United in Support of the UN: A (Special) Case Study
Large, international organizations like the United Nations operate with various rules, procedures, and even languages. In order to organize the UN’s internal training modules, I helped develop a secure learning management system for mobile and desktop using design studio sketching and Axure.
My Research Methods: comparative analysis, task analysis, design studio, usability testing
My Deliverables: prototypes, mockups, roadmaps
Mission Possible: Assisting Mission Collaborative in Service Design
Even the most dedicated professionals need help finding their way at times. I tested users, analyzed data, and developed personas for Mission Collaborative, a startup that helps career changers find their passion, to improve their customer journey, website, and learning management system.
My Research Methods: competitive analysis, usability testing, user interviews, surveys
My Deliverables: personas, journey maps, data analysis/visualization, accessibility audit, usability recommendations
Achieving Equity in Fertility: Mobile App Allows Couples to Share Progress
Millions of women in the United States, lack access to basic reproductive healthcare due to high costs and systemic biases. They also lack the necessary social support. For the startup Fertiquity, I designed a mobile app that allows women and their partners to monitor health-related goals.
My Research Methods: competitive analysis, usability testing, user interviews
My Deliverables: user flows, storyboard, wireframes, prototypes
UX Research Artifacts
To help an enterprise client develop better software and internal websites for a variety of users (employees in this case) and use cases, I created a unique concept called a “task analysis map.”
