As the Manager of UX Research at Evolve, I lead a team of UX Researchers and Product Designers in developing products that are both intuitive and centered around the user. Beyond product development, my role extends to leveraging user research as a strategic tool to enhance all facets of the business. This includes significant collaboration across my team and with other departments, ensuring that insights from user research inform not only our product strategies and roadmaps but also our approach to customer service, marketing, and operational efficiency.I work in close partnership with product managers and business stakeholders to integrate user research thoroughly within our organization. This ensures that insights gained from user research are effectively applied to our design, strategic initiatives, and business operations, fostering a comprehensive understanding of user needs across the company.In my role as a people manager, it's key for me to create an environment where my team feels fully supported and has the freedom to grow. This means ensuring they have a safe space to thrive and innovate, with a strong focus on open communication and mutual respect.

At Evolve, I stepped into a new UX Researcher role to develop our user research strategy. This role was designed from the ground up to better serve our increasing base of homeowners, partners, Evolvers, and guests.My main focus was to establish and embed user research processes within the product development lifecycle. I worked closely with Product Designers and Product Managers setting up research protocols that directly informed our understanding of user needs and expectations. Responsibilities and achievements included:Implementing research strategies that influenced the design and development of user-centric products.Analyzing data to pinpoint user challenges and opportunities, guiding our team's efforts across multiple projects.Integrating both quantitative and qualitative data to refine product direction and make informed design decisions.Simplifying complex research findings into clear, actionable insights for product enhancement.Contributing to the ideation and planning phases of new features, ensuring user needs were at the forefront.Developing a UX research roadmap aligned with customer feedback and business objectives.Planning and conducting research to answer key questions from our product and design teams.Presenting research outcomes to product leaders and stakeholders to inform roadmap prioritization and focus areas.In this foundational role, I helped set the direction for user experience at Evolve, ensuring our products not only met but anticipated the needs of our users as the business scaled.

Lead the discovery process, conduct UX research, plan workshops to consistently provide consumer focused insights in order to deliver MVPs, scalable products, and meaningful consumer experiences.Develop and implement user testing plans based on best practices and product owner objectives.Analyze data (from quantitative and qualitative research) and share actionable insights with cross-functional teams and leadership to help inform design, content and planning processes.Collaborate with product owners, designers, writers, developers to implement product development design, and content optimizations.Stay current with industry best practices, new technologies and trends to apply to projects.

Manage digital product content for apps, brand websites, including DTC, and other digital special projects including ideation, testing, and MVPs.Deliver product and user data analysis providing actionable insights and recommendations for UX, personalization at scale, and communication strategies.Participate in UX research, workshops and demos to provide the best customer and product experience.Develop content plan based on SEO research, user stories, and research trends and work with research experts and legal teams to ensure content meets brand standards.Use agile process to work closely with clients, developers, designers and copywriters using tools like Teams and Azure.

Plan and implement digital communication strategies for owned and paid channels including website, eCRM, social media, digital media, organic and paid search.Manage long and short term digital campaigns and projects including team communication with copywriters, designers, partner agencies and clients.Manage day-to-day website content updates including SEO optimizations.Gather and assess insights to consult on creative decision-making, consumer journey mapping and personalization.Prepare and present reports to clients.Oversee proactive community engagement efforts as a part of retention strategy.

Implement community management and social listening strategies engaging in one-to-one conversations with consumers. Gather data for reports, insights and identifying influencers.Work cross-functionally with Office of Consumer Affairs to align digital content with brand voice.Provide campaign sentiment and trend reports. Assist in digital project management for display media, CMS updates and eCRM. Actively engage in agency wide knowledge sharing including audits on competitive and beacon brands.

My responsibilities included developing and executing the digital marketing strategy for the St. Charles City-County Library District to advance the mission. This included designing and creating compelling and sustainable content for the website, social media, and other projects, including photographing events, development projects, and people; producing video, podcast, and multimedia projects; designing graphics; gathering, analyzing, and reporting data using Google Analytics, and other tools. I worked to foster a clear, consistent, and accurate communications channel via digital media that aligns with other online and print materials produced across the organization.Some (but not all) specific responsibilities included: Work with the Marketing Manager and team to support the District’s multiple branches and General Administrative team with various digital marketing requests, strategy, tactics, tools, and resourcesProvide regular reporting and analytics using all measurable digital content (eblasts, digital ads, website, social media, etc.).Collaborate with and provides direction to web developers, graphic designers, and other appropriate internal and external partners to help facilitate and manage projects based on regular data gathering and analysis. Provide and direct content creation, review, and approval for various websites, email campaigns and digital advertising.Work with the marketing team to create digital content based on online brand strategy.Independently monitor online trends and best practices sharing knowledge with teammates and applying it for the betterment of the District.

Taught English, journalism and photojournalism classes. Within those, I incorporated meaningful technology. In addition, I was the assistant adviser to the award-winning high school journalism program; part of my role is to guide the social media team which covers Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google +, Vine, Tumblr, Storify, and live Tweeting events. In addition, I am the Instruction Web Specialist (IWS) for the school. I maintain the school website and help provide teacher instruction for web-based programs. This position has also allowed me to lead several professional development sessions within my school and district.