Hinge Health, Remote                                                                                                                                           April 2021  to  Present
 Senior Manager, UX Research
  • Mentor, inspire, and lead a team of UX researchers at various developmental stages.
  • Set the strategy and vision for developing, communicating, and implementing user experience best practices.
  • Research and acquire a suite of tools allowing the team to conduct efficient and effective research.
  • Create trainings and materials for UXR and non-UXR to safely conduct research under the company’s strict PHI guidelines.
  • Prioritize competing initiatives with a focus on outcomes and impact.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
Dexcom, Portland, OR/Remote
UX Research Manager                                                                                                                                               April 2018-March 2021 
  • Work in a cross-disciplinary team to research and strategically identify and define target customers, new products and features to win in the marketplace using the Design Thinking process.
  • Developed methods, techniques and criteria for achieving objectives when managing internal and external agencies and when setting design strategies.
  • Responsible for combining all user + business + technology needs to drive future  portfolio recommendations to the business.
  • Initiated a program for accessible design by facilitating trainings, guidelines and inclusive user testing

Intel (contract via 52LTD), Portland, OR
Lead UX Researcher, New Devices Group                                                                                                        August 2016-June 2017
Inform the design of smart watches and augmented reality products with consumer insights
ReconJet Pro: enterprise smart eyewear

  • Designed and led research for enterprise smart eyewear, working closely with UX design, development, and engineering to integrate research findings into a leading edge product for a new market. 
  • Led field interviews with warehouse workers to provide key design requirements in this challenging environment where noise, temperature, and light all impact the interaction.
 
New Balance RunIQ smartwatch
  • Led final round of UX research on unboxing and validation testing before launch (February, 2017).
  • Partnered with engineering to improve set-up guidance based on confusion shown by research participants.
 
Cambia/Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield, Portland, OR                                                                                          2011-August 2016
Customer Experience Manager (2014-2016), Senior User Researcher (2011-14)
Provide consumer centric insights to create simplified healthcare systems and communications
CX Manager
  • Managed a team of champions across the organization to ensure the voice of the consumer was represented on projects to optimize existing systems including accurate coding and faster Medicare reimbursement.
  • Provided CX leadership for a project designing better disease management to relieve provider network from complex cases. Supplied background on patient and provider experience informing the program design. Providers were not brought in as partners, which ultimately ended the project.
  • Influenced direction for health care financing project by interviewing patients and providers, creating journey maps looking for a model to assist in paying large health bills. The research re-directed the teams efforts after learning that the model was too great a disruption and would not be adopted by most provider offices.
 
Senior User Researcher
  • Shaped framework for UX testing with the digital team resulting in more frequent and reliable user insights.
  • From research design to implementation and analysis, I conducted contextual research with four key stakeholder groups to inform redesign of Regence.com. Partnered with designers to implement key findings.
  • Ran website usability tests in person and with Loop11 and UserTesting.com. Results showed asynchronous, online tools can provide equally valuable insights to in person usability testing. 




third brain studio, llc, Portland OR                                                                                                                             2008-2011
Founder/Chief Experience Officer
Provided research and consulting to discover unmet user needs and create engaging experiences.
Key Clients: Microsoft, Providence Health and Services, Ziba, OMSI, Market Strategies, NeoDyne, SeaGate.
  • Informed final design of Microsoft Wedge keyboard by conducting lab studies and partnering with designers in the US and China to incorporate insights.
  • Collaborated with Ziba designers to create a research kit sent to women taking osteoporosis medication to gather insights on various points of view about the drug which had received negative publicity.
 
Intel Corporation, Portland OR                                                                                                                                                                          2005-2008                                                                  Design Researcher (8/2005-2008), Design Intern (5/05-8/05),
Conducted primary and secondary research to understand new usages and target markets in healthcare.
  • Employed qualitative methods to re-imagine home life for/with seniors by creating simple, smart objects which allow them to stay in their homes longer including medication reminders, pharmacy systems and a “presence lamp.”
 
Georgia Institute of Technology                                                                                                                                                                       2002-2005
Graduate Research Assistant
Thesis: Thera-Network - A Wearable Computing Network to Motivate Exercise in Patients Undergoing Physical Therapy
  • Designed a wearable device, external product and system to motivate and track patients who underwent knee surgery to assist with at home exercises which promote faster healing.
 
Accessible Threads Design Studio, Atlanta GA/Evanston IL                                                                                                      1991-2005                                       Founder/Principal
Consulted on design research and sewn prototypes. Budgeting, branding, and front line client management.
Key Clients: IDEO, Whitmor Manufacturing, SunTech Medical, Trek Bikes.
  • Designed and manufactured a line of accessible clothing for people with disabilities creating functional, fashionable apparel to improve self-image.
  • Conducted research to inform trends for Whitmor manufacturing, providing mood boards for the 3 main design trends.  
  • Collaborated with IDEO and Baxter Pharmaceuticals to design and manufacture a case for medication for hemophiliacs. Managed local, short run manufacturing.
Education
  • Masters of Industrial Design, Georgia Tech; Atlanta, GA
  • Bachelor of Arts, Theater/Costume Design, Indiana University; Bloomington, IN
 
Awards and Recognitions Leadership/Community
  • Volunteer – Dress for Success, 2017
  • Board member - Rose Villa, Senior Living, 2012-2015.
  • Adjunct faculty - Industrial design and design research at Portland Art Institute from 2008-2010.