UX Researcher

Education

Masters of Science // With Distinction
Information Experience Design, Pratt Institute (2023)
Awards // Excellence in Academic Achievement

Bachelors of Art // Cum Laude
Communication, Simmons University (2015)

Experience

About

UX Researcher

Internal Revenue Service // Brooklyn, NY // November 2024 - Present

Design Research Intern

Signify // Burlington, MA // September 2022 - May 2023

  • Collaborated on a service design project to align the internal sales team on the process of bidding and winning on sales projects in the public sector.
  • Synthesized and analyzed research data generated from interviews, workshops, and desk research to create journey maps resulting in identifying areas of improvement.
  • Conducted desk research and interviews.
  • Crafted personas, user journeys, service overviews, customer insights, pitch templates, and FAQs, all related to the sales cycle.
  • Research resulted in the creation of a digital community board for internal employees to access resources that clarify confusion before, during, and after a sale.
  • Created engagement strategy to encourage use of the community board resulting in a 40% increase in content added by users within 1 month of launch.
  • Assisted in defining KPIs to measure the impact of the product.
  • Created framework to foster user-centered design approach to survey creation for cross functional teams. 
  • Moderated survey workshop with industrial designers. 
  • Collaborated with ux designers to create research plans.

Methods

  • Desk research
  • Interviews
  • In-situ Observation
  • Workshop

UX Researcher

Center For Digital Experiences At Pratt Institute // New York, NY // September 2021 - December 2023

  • Consulted as a researcher on projects for nonprofits seeking to resolve usability issues and understand their users’ needs.
  • Projects included improving information architecture, usability, and ethnographic studies.
  • Met with clients to identify needs and pinpoint research goals to create research plans.
  • Planned, drafted, and piloted a variety of test methodologies to conduct user research based on research goals.
  • Sourced and managed research participants.
  • Conducted qualitative and quantitative user research using methods including moderated and unmoderated usability testing, interviews, surveys, field studies, cart sorting, tree tests, web analytics, eye tracking, diary studies and in-situ observations.
  • Synthesized and analyzed research data to generate insights and recommendations to improve usability.
  • Presented findings and recommendations to clients via reports and presentations.

Methods

  • Moderated & unmoderated usability tests
  • Interviews
  • Card sorts
  • Tree tests
  • Competitive analysis
  • Web analytics (google analytics, hotjar)
  • Eye tracking
  • Heuristic evaluation
  • Workshops
  • In-situ observation
  • Diary studies
  • Surveys
  • Literature reviews
Social Media and Community Manager

Nanlite // New York, NY // July 2022 - September 2022

  • Managed Nanlite USA's social media accounts including instagram, tiktok and facebook.
  • Monitored analytics to optimize posting schedules to increase views and followers.
  • Maintained and created new relationships with influencers to produce content utilizing Nanlite products for social media.

Methods

  • Web analytics
Production Coordinator

B&H Photo // New York, NY // October 2018 - March 2022

  • Liaison for cross functional teams and freelance hires before, during, and after production including: communicating project parameters, delivering physical and digital assets, and communicating project timeline and progress to upper management.
  • Team lead overseeing two content creators.
  • Managed projects and supported all video production tasks including: creating project timelines, tracking purchases, finding locations, hiring talent, managing and tracking budgets, and scheduling shoots and meetings.
  • Managed internal web requests for product websites.
  • Wrote copy for youtube video descriptions.

Methods

  • Interviews
  • Competitive analysis
Post Production Coordinator

A-Line Pictures // New York, NY // October 2017 - November 2017

  • Researched and licensed photographs.
  • Contacted personnel and scheduled ADR sessions.
  • Credit finalization, including contacting department heads, obligation agreements.
  • Gathered and arranged items needed for film delivery.
Assistant Editor

Fourth Floor Productions // Cambridge, MA // May 2015 - September 2017

  • Assistant edited docu-series, feature length documentary, and documentary short.
  • Prepared raw media from shoots for the editor.
  • Scanned, formatted and imported archival stills and moving images to edit software. Created temporary graphics, selects of footage and audio in collaboration with the editor, and provided constructive feedback on cuts, scripts, and visuals.
  • Created and updated cue sheets from cuts (graphics, vfx, archival, music).

Research Methods

Qualitative:
Moderated and unmoderated usability tests, Interviews, Card sort, Tree test, Competitive analysis, Workshops, In-situ observation, Diary studies, Wizard of Oz Testing

Quantitative:
Web analytics, Eye tracking, Surveys, A/B Testing

Inspection Methods: 
Heuristic evaluation, Literature reviews, Desk Research

Skills

Hard Skills

Soft Skills

UX research
Figma, Miro, Mural
Optimal Workshop
HotJar
Google Analytics
Google Forms
UserTesting.com
Copywriting
HTML, CSS
Some SQL
Adobe Acrobat
YouTube Studio
Photoshop, InDesign

Strong written and verbal communication
Collaboration
Self starter
Curious
Open minded

Relevant Courses

Advanced Usability and UX Evaluation
Usability Theory & Practice
Information Architecture and Interaction Design
Practical Ethnography
Writing for Digital Experiences
Speculative Design
Animals and Technology
Conversational Design
Animals and Technology
Programming User Interfaces