Through my time working as a business management consultant and a research assistant, I came into the UX research world with an appreciation for the role of research and user feedback in supporting the success of a project. I have also gained a deep understanding of the ways in which technology and psychological research intersect. This knowledge has been invaluable in helping me to understand the needs of users and to design user-friendly products and interfaces.
In my work as a Business Management Consultant, I worked with large datasets from web analytics and anonymous shoppers to determine actionable conclusions and create presentable visualizations with a focus on finding pain and gain points, user sentiment, CPM and user workload and satisfaction. I conducted studies on user experience for numerous large-scale clients through 5 second testing, tree testing, analytics, SWOT, and competitive analysis. It helped me refine my skills in conducting research, analyzing data, and presenting findings.
In doing a case study on a fictional smart eyeglass product, I got the opportunity to conduct thorough market research, and to design a product with considerations for user experience and market competition, as well as considering ergonomic and technical requirements. The project required me to interview potential users, analyze the data, and create user personas that would be used to guide the design of the product. I was also responsible for identifying the user needs and pain points that needed to be addressed. This was a great opportunity for me to apply my skills in the field of UX research.
As a research assistant for a linguistic study, I had the opportunity to work in academic research.
I had to make use of various research methods such as interviews, concept testing, usability studies in addition to using various programming tools like HTML, CSS, JavaScript. Similar to this, I also worked on a Psychology Case Study focusing on the personality of subjects where I had to collect qualitative and quantitative data using psychological inventories, observations, interviews and surveys. In one of my other projects, I also got the opportunity to create a
questionnaire measure to test a psychological construct I invent. I had to focus on answering the questions like what is the purpose of the measure? what type of questions will be most effective in measuring the construct? How will I ensure the validity and reliability of the measure? Who is the construct meant for? What are the boundaries of the construct? Working on these projects helped me enhance my critical thinking skills which I believe is required in UX in order to create effective measures that accurately assess user needs and behaviors.
Through all of my experiences in academic research, in various projects, and working in design at MQUP and ChampExcel, I’ve built up robust skills in design, research and communication. Now, I’m ready to take on my next challenge in a field I’m passionate about: UX research and design. My past experiences have given me an excellent foundation on which to build my future in UX research and design. I see the opportunity to work as a UX Researcher as a great next step in my career which would allow me to use my existing skills and to grow as a researcher and designer.
