In 2023, widespread layoffs marked a challenging employment landscape. After experiencing a layoff, Tarryn Lambert & I decided to create Confetti Q&A, a platform addressing various topics in the UX field and tech industry. At Confetti Q&A, we’ll bring you Q&A panels on different topics including navigating a layoff, leveling up as a UX researcher, the intersection of service design & UX, reflections of a design leader, being a woman in tech, and more.Follow us here on LinkedIn to stay up-to-date with future events!

- Formulated a holistic UX strategy to align with broader business objectives by prioritizing research initiatives based on potential impact on users and the business to ensure consistent user-centered design and foster B2B business growth for a company with 600K monthly users who share 1M pieces of monthly data- Generated research-backed cybersecurity user personas through user interviews and segmentation analysis, increasing understanding of different users and driving business success as well as informing cross-functional product decisions, customer communications, marketing efforts, and sales strategies- Spearheaded information architecture project for admin console by conducting stakeholder interviews, card sorts, tree tests, and customer interviews to significantly enhance usability and prepare for future product updates, benefiting a user base of 3K active monthly users- Conducted a foundational research initiative (0→1) to assess the viability of implementing attribute-based access control (ABAC) in commercial sectors, traditionally applied in federal contexts, to shape the upcoming year's business strategy- Designed and facilitated company-wide UX workshops, teaching user interview best practices, problem scoping, empathy mapping, and other techniques to enhance collaborative workflows and foster design thinking- Coordinated and co-managed the Summer 2023 UX internship, overseeing the job description, candidate interviews, and internship planning to mentor and guide the UX intern through a full-cycle UX project- Developed and internally published research templates on FigJam, streamlining synthesis, analysis, and collaboration for the UX and Product teams for efficiency- Actively participated in twice-weekly design critiques and workshops with the UX team, engaging in activities such as sketching (e.g., Crazy 8's) and wireframing

- Provided extensive support to indie game studios, conducting playtesting and usability testing, offering expertise in UI, branding, and art direction- Applied user-centered design principles to enhance the usability and visual appeal of game interfaces, contributing to improved player experiences and overall game quality- Led the design and illustration of diverse assets, including social media graphics, book/magazine cover art, packaging design, and stationery for clients across diverse industries- Collaborated with clients to ensure deliverables aligned with their vision and brand identity, fostering positive feedback and client satisfactionPartial client list: The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Incredible Health, The 100 Day Project, Typecase Industries, Mighty Mole Gardens, AALR (Asian American Literary Review), Basement Games, Games by Grandpa, etc.* Portfolio can be viewed at saharnaderi.com or instagram.com/4percentage

- Developed corporate quality control system repository through prototyping, usability testing, focus groups, stakeholder interviews, and journey maps for ease of use- Created service design frameworks to overhaul all corporate processes for 105 employees through generative research methodologies (such as user interviews) to support company growth- Examined and integrated NASA’s contract-level processes into corporate project management plan using evaluative research methodologies for consistency - Led cross-functional teams to complete certification process over 15 months leading to increase in X3M eligibility to bid federal contracts- Surveyed employees using attitudinal research methodologies and survey tagging to uncover potential process improvement areas

- Executed evaluative research through fake door testing along with usability testing, user surveys, and customer feedback in collaboration with product team to ensure viability and uncover pain points- Developed comprehensive frontstage and backstage service design frameworks, contributing to the streamlined functionality of processes and procedures in an early-stage startup environment- Created, maintained, and updated product’s back-end database of 1000+ available items and related information including pricing, variants, vendors, etc.

- Spearheaded brainstorming sessions and implemented new brand initiatives, contributing to strategic creative direction and business growth roadmap- Orchestrated the design of diverse collateral, including wedding invitations, event posters, and greeting cards, catering to client specifications and deadlines- Conducted interactive and informative letterpress workshops tailored for beginners- Played a key role in refining and updating Typecase Industries' brand guidelines for consistency and adherence- Operated Vandercook letterpress to fulfill wholesale and custom print orders, ensuring precision and quality

- Crafted on-brand social media graphics and landing pages for 40+ client accounts spanning diverse industries as the sole designer in a marketing consulting department- Guided the design of all graphics for client web marketing campaigns, enhancing brand visibility and consistency across digital platforms- Elevated client brand awareness by implementing graphic design trends and leveraging social media expertise to create engaging and targeted ads- Pioneered the design internship program, overseeing the recruitment, management, and training of design interns, contributing to a dynamic and collaborative work environment- Modernized templates used in content calendar creation and social media mapping, streamlining design processes for increased efficiency

- Transformed customer-submitted artwork into print-ready formats, improving quality and adapting it for diverse products- Generated custom design assets for the CustomInk website's design lab, enhancing users' ability for personalized product creation- Addressed customer requests, transforming and combining CustomInk clip art files to deliver unique and personalized designs- Optimized the design process, achieving speeds of 20-30 customer design redraws daily, aligning with business sales and efficiency objectives- Collaborated closely with the Satisfaction Assurance Team, ensuring high customer satisfaction through effective communication and tailored design solutions

- Updated profiles for over 1,000 US and international media contacts in Vocus' proprietary database through desk research, media outlet outreach, and news blog monitoring to ensure comprehensive and current information for client use- Authored daily articles for the inVocus blog, spotlighting noteworthy media movements within the radio industry- Trained US-based and overseas media researchers in best practices for cold-calling media outlets, ensuring accurate updates to Vocus' proprietary database of media contacts

- Conducted user interviews with guests, utilizing Aveda's open-ended questioning technique to identify their specific hair care, skincare, and body care needs- Ensured the maintenance and updating of in-store collateral during each new launch period, aligning with branding guidelines to enhance the overall customer experience- Delivered exceptional customer service by offering personalized consultation and facilitating enjoyable product testing for guests- Consistently surpassed both store and personal goals, establishing a track record as one of the top-selling employees in both the store and district

- Evaluated the success of SK Telecom’s brand in its transition from a local to a global audience in support of globalization plans- Developed a presentation forecasting the success of SK Telecom’s new company structure as the concluding project of my internship- Contributed to SK Telecom’s internal newsletter “SK Insight” by providing art direction, illustration, and copy editing- Filmed an internal news report entirely in Korean, showcasing SK Telecom’s new Experience Center at Incheon Airport, featured in SK Telecom’s daily news show broadcast internally every morning- Conducted team meetings in English to foster improved language comprehension and speaking skills among teammates, directly aligning with SK Telecom’s globalization objectives

- Established, maintained, and managed an extensive ACT! database encompassing over 1000 civil servants and contractors interested in attending the annual PM (Project Management) Challenge conference- Spearheaded the digitization initiative for a library housing documentation dating back to 1967, specifically related to the TDRS satellite, which involved scanning relevant documents, creating metadata schemas for the SharePoint repository, and modernizing the library to enhance document availability- Designed and developed graphic assets for both the PM Challenge conference and the TDRS satellite projects- Provided on-site support and assistance during the annual PM Challenge conference, ensuring seamless execution of the event* this job was located at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center