Why do you call yourself a Research Strategist?

"It's like a teacher checking homework."
A teacher checks homework at the formative stage to address misunderstandings before summative evaluation. This is similar to UX research where the goal is to ensure that the intended use or function of a product matches user perception; we want to mitigate the chance of user error. A strategist selects methods appropriate to the development phase and available resources of a given project. We can align products to user perception more effectively through strategic research.

Research Assistant

...@Northwestern

I completed an heuristic analysis of an early version of HealthMeasures.net. This led to a paid position coordinating with student volunteers to conduct on-site usability testing, data aggregation, and remote distributed data analysis. I analyzed user task paths and created an interactive prototype in Axure (requires password) based on our findings and my supervisor's discussions with the client.
I coordinated with another RA to conduct interviews with participants who have traumatic brain injury. We conducted interviews after physical therapy. Therapy for the test group included a commercial video-exergame (e.g., Wii Balance Board or XBox Kinect). I catalogued data points for games and mini-games, worked on data visualizations for timing and matching games to patient ability, and then adapted the therapist web interface to mobile views.

Tools & Skills

Tools

Design:
Adobe Creative Suite
Prototype:
Axure, JustInMind, Mockplus
Data Management:
Optimal Sort, Saturate App
Web Development (familiarity):
HTML, CSS, Javascript, Bootstrap
  • Information Architecture
  • Prototyping
  • Responsive Design (Web/iOS/Android)
  • Usability Evaluation and Testing
  • User Experience Design
  • User Interface Design
  • User Research
  • Wireframes