Shari Thurow Email & Phone Number

New York, United States

Determine how and why people locate and discover content on the Web, within websites, intranets, applications, software, and databases. Specialize in medical, health, and life sciences projects.Conduct exploratory, generative, and summative usability/UX tests. Work in-person and remotely with test participants.Gather data for reports and present actionable findings to stakeholders. Use both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Includes usability/UX testing and ethnographic studies. Methodologies work with artificial intelligence (AI) curation.Present training workshops on the following subjects:- User research (qualitative and quantitative methods)- Usability and user engagement- Accessibility compliance- Information architecture (IA), navigation systems, and labeling systems- User journey maps, empathy maps, ethnographic studies, and user flows- Usability, accessibility, and findability requirements for digital services- Pattern libraries and style guides- Search engine and artificial intelligence (AI) optimization

Contract work for a SaaS company. Delivered actionable insights during content sprints with cross-functional teams, helping them make effective product and design decisions.Developed user and stakeholder personas based on user interviews, ethnographic studies, and generative user testing.Collaborated with stakeholders and sales/marketing teams to manage every aspect of user research:- Recruitment and scheduling- Testing screeners- Synthesizing findings, identifying roadblocks and opportunities for user research- Presenting prioritized recommendationsQuantitative methods include web analytics, key performance indicators (KPIs), keyword research, search analytics, Q&A research, and competitive analysis.The information architecture (IA) was revised via remote and in-person card sorting, tree tests, and first-click tests. Used generative AI to update optimized content. Produced wireframes for the Help/Support section of the website. Mobile and desktop/laptop wireframes included specifications for UX designers and developers.

Short-term government contract for a division of the CDC. Agile work environment. Security & confidentiality clearance.User research for personas/profiles and use cases. Increased task completion by over 65% for consumers and healthcare professionals.Presented user perspectives, behaviors, and goals with data visualizations at weekly stakeholder meetings.Produced low- and high-fidelity wireframes (with specifications), taxonomies, navigation models, flow process diagrams, site/mind maps, guides, and A-Z topic index.Created wireframes that were user-tested, accessible, and search-engine friendly based on qualitative and quantitative user-research methods.Technical analyses included but are not limited to: URL structure, redirect chains, trust factors, metadata, and content inventory (for multiple devices).Collaborated with multi-disciplinary teams (content, design, development, analytics, etc.) and stakeholders to produce ongoing user-research strategies.

Contract for user research and information architecture for one of the company’s largest information portals to:- Eliminate content silos- Increase task completion (KPIs)- Improve site navigation on both mobile and desktop/laptop devicesI enhanced self-service capabilities through improved online forms.Revised architecture results: 100% task completion, over 60% increase in directness, and 100% in user satisfaction.Qualitative and quantitative methods included:- Discovery questionnaire- Initial heuristic review for usability, consistency, search, and trust heuristics- User interviews with ethnographic studies- Screening and recruiting test participants- Initial and follow-up card sorting, tree tests, and first-click tests- Post-test surveys- Taxonomy mind maps for each major section of the portalCreated mobile and laptop wireframes/prototypes with updated navigation system. Wireframes and high-fidelity prototypes included design and technical specifications.- Curated and uncurated contextual navigation- Better archiving system for the blog- More accurate site- and blog-search resultsWorked with multi-disciplinary teams and stakeholders. Produced and maintained user research materials and UX standards.