Accomplishments
- Created a set of personas for Cambia and trained over 200 employees to use personas and journey maps.
- Managed the consumer experience for Cambia’s first mobile app.
- Patented an apparatus and method to maintain a continuous connection of a cellular device and a sensor network.
- Patented a mobile medication device.
- Conducted contextual research to provide the best possible service for Stephen Hawking who uses an Intel provided computer.
- Featured designer in BusinessWeek, 2006.
- Earned a “Service above Self” award at Intel for stepping up to conduct research when resources were limited.
- Designed, manufactured and sold a line of clothing for people with disabilities.
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.
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.
- Masters of Industrial Design, Georgia Tech; Atlanta, GA
- Bachelor of Arts, Theater/Costume Design, Indiana University; Bloomington, IN
Awards and Recognitions
- Patented an apparatus to maintain a continuous connection of a cellular device and a sensor network.
- Patented a mobile medication device.
- 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.