Ruby James Mccafferty Email & Phone Number

Skylight is a digital consultancy using design and technology to help government agencies deliver better public services.

Wellington, Wellington Region, New Zealand

Tasked with improving and modernizing digital justice services (e.g. remote participation for court events, court transcription, soliciting public opinion). Serving internal and external stakeholders, led foundational and evaluative research to develop strategy recommendations for the adoption of 20+ user-centered initiatives using mixed-methods research and service design methodology. Developed design artifacts (e.g. personas, service blueprints, journey maps) using methods such as group and individual interviews, surveys, observation, usability testing, and workshops to break down the current state and imagine the future state.- Educated a team of 6 designers on User Research best practices and embedded research in the 150-person Digital business group by creating guidelines on qualitative and quantitative methods, sharing use cases, and developing objectives and benchmarks for successful research to influence user centricity across organization- Increased efficiency of project handoffs and work intake in the Digital group by researching, designing, and implementing service-centered operating model for 150+ employees by designing and moderating individual/group interviews and leading co-design sessions to understand and build upon the group’s mental models and ways of working- Representative projects include: Court Transcription Service Improvement, Service Definition and Website Rebrand for Judicial Support Team, and Digital Strategy for Courts and Tribunals (see Portfolio for details)

New York, New York, United States

Collaborated with international external moderators, ZS business consultants, and creative associates to uncover major pain points (primarily in the health sector) and provide innovative recommendations to improve the patient and provider experience. Human-centered design methods included workshops, interviews, image association, diary studies, and contextual inquiry.- Managed design and research components for multiple innovation consulting projects budgeted at $500K+; organized cross-functional project teams, supported requests for proposals (RFPs), and communicated and presented findings using vibrant storytelling to director-level clients- Member of team working on Digital Interventions for Rare Disease project; co-developed research plan, drafted protocols, synthesized data collected from 60+ interviews across six international markets, and visualized patient journey to identify key intervention opportunities- Developed and facilitated design thinking and change management workshops for groups of 20+ attendees to improve content development, product development, innovation, and project organization within the organization- Representative projects include: Digital Interventions for Rare Disease, Patient Empathy Cards, Championing Anthropological Research Methods (see Portfolio for details)

Led research activities to improve user experience with service, interface, and utility of hybrid cloud technologies. Created research plans, conducted interviews, implemented surveys and usability testing, and expanded IBM Z’s research tool repository. - After obtaining IBM’s Design Thinking Coach credential, facilitated workshops without support and coached others on good facilitation techniques and ways to implement design thinking in technical and business environments- Led workshops to educate 100+ employees and clients using IBM’s Enterprise Design Thinking framework; guided 20+ teams to develop solutions, improve offerings, organize hiring and management systems, and streamline work processes- Reduced installation time for new hybrid cloud offering by 80%, increased client satisfaction from 1/5 to 4.5/5, and developed objectives and benchmarks for continued improvement by conducting empathy-driven mixed-methods research on highly technical subject matter and creating solutions collaboratively with a team of designers and developers- Co-led IBM’s Northeast Enterprise Design Thinking Chapter (Jan 2021 – Nov 2021) - Guest lecturer at Parsons School of Design; topic: How to be a Designer in a Highly Technical Environment- Recipient of two IBM Awards: IMPACT (2021) and Outstanding Technical Achievement (2020)- Representative projects include: Implementing Archetypes and Personas, Hybrid Cloud Service Improvement, Co-Designed Mainframe Incubator (see Website Portfolio for details)

Poughkeepsie, Ny

Contributed to research activities focused on improving the developer and business client experience when using IBM Z Mainframe computers and hybrid cloud technologies. Supported the Design Research Lead and Team Lead by conducting interviews, completing secondary research, drafting survey questions, analyzing data, and observing clients, as well as supporting design thinking workshop facilitation. Added to IBM’s client research program by successfully recruiting new participants. Collaborated with teams of UX designers, developers, architects, product managers, release managers, etc. to understand user and business needs and deliver insights to drive improvements to user experience and overall product strategy innovation; was often the sole UX design researcher on the team- Guest lecturer at RISD and Marist College; topic: Design Thinking 101: Design in an Enterprise Context

Managed multiple clients' college application portfolios to achieve desired outcomes in college acceptances, communicated progress to parents via Skype and email, edited application essays on a limited timeline, and coached students to articulate their voice through application questions

Evanston, Illinois

Supported overall marketing and communication efforts by creating and editing blog posts and newsletters, seeking out new stories to share, and contributing to the management of social media.Worked with interns and employees to develop pre-event recruitment materials for DFA Summit 2018Developed Social Media Marketing + Storytelling for Summit and beyondOrganized post-Summit communication & celebration

Master Of Arts - Ma, Anthropology

Portfolio-based MA in Anthropology with a focus on Design

Bachelor Of Arts - Ba, Anthropology

Activities and Societies: Design for America, Project Wildcat, Peer Health ExchangeAnthropology Major // Global Health Studies Minor //.

Summer Exchange

Three-week course in sustainable geography, farming, climate change, and energy.

Exchange Program, Public Health And Development

Completed courses in Sociology, Public Health, Cultural Anthropology, and Xhosa Language; fieldwork in Kruger National Park and local.

International Baccalaureate Diploma

Activities and Societies: HIV/AIDS Peer Educators, Wilderness Education, Youth Choir Teacher