PROJECTS
Below, you'll find a diverse set of projects where I've had a significant impact.
RESEARCH OPERATIONS
Established and grew the research practice
My foray into establishing ResearchOps marked a transformative journey where I not only optimized American Airlines’ research processes but also gained resounding advocacy within our organization. By demonstrating the tangible benefits of a structured research operation, I successfully secured crucial funding for vendors and training, enabling our team to equip themselves with the latest tools and methodologies. This strategic investment facilitated significant advancements, including:
The addition of dedicated researchers who shared our commitment to excellence.
The establishment of a comprehensive training program, leading to a remarkable 500% increase in testing output year-over-year.
The streamlining of our UX research and design process, with a focus on employee satisfaction and adherence to consistent research and design standards.
Through our collective efforts, we solidified our position as a reliable research powerhouse within the organization, trusted to deliver actionable insights and shape strategic decisions. You can find more stories from this journey below.
BENCHMARKING PROGRAM
Demonstrated UX value over time
I spearheaded the establishment of a groundbreaking benchmarking program using UserTesting’s proprietary metric, QXscore, which extended beyond the boundaries of our UX research practice. Through effective communication and the demonstration of its value, QXscore garnered widespread interest and support from stakeholders across the organization. It rapidly evolved into a shared metric, fostering collaboration among cross-functional teams and aligning our efforts with strategic goals.
Our commitment to utilizing QXscore as a unifying measure was acknowledged with the prestigious UserTesting Illumi award for customer-driven evangelism in 2023. QXscore has since become an integral component of our research practice, enabling us to consistently measure and enhance our user experiences, resulting in high-impact outcomes and substantial contributions to our portfolio of successful projects. Click the button below to see an example QXscore presentation given to interested parties.
VENDOR ACQUISITION
Navigated vendor management to my advantage
In my capacity, I procured and oversaw key vendor relationships, including Tobii (specializing in eye-tracking) and UserTesting, to enrich our research capabilities. This strategic selection and management of partnerships provided access to cutting-edge tools and services, thereby enhancing the depth and scope of our research initiatives. Collaboration with renowned vendors deepened our understanding of user behavior, yielded valuable insights, and elevated the quality of our user experiences. These collaborations not only consistently delivered high-impact research outcomes but also empowered our product designers, significantly amplifying our output.
OPTIMIZING SALES FUNNELS
Energized digital flows with human-insights
During my tenure as a dedicated UX researcher, I played a crucial role in infusing human insights into sales funnels, particularly within the booking path. My work involved conducting high-quality research aimed at simplifying fare type naming for better comprehension, performing competitive analyses to gain insights from other airlines' practices, and optimizing the process of sifting through flight options for award bookings. Collectively, the research insights I provided played a pivotal role in shaping a superior and more user-friendly product for our customers. For an illustrative example study, please click the button below.
EMPLOYEE-FACING APPLICATIONS
Impacted operational cost savings
I efficiently delivered a series of cost-saving applications for American Airlines, most notably an employee chat tool that significantly reduced aircraft turnaround time and a baggage information display that led to a substantial decrease in mishandled baggage incidents. These achievements were the result of extensive field studies, involving in-depth conversations with baggage handlers, turn coordinators, and management to identify their operational challenges. Armed with fresh human insights, I collaborated closely with our product designer to conceptualize multiple solutions, rigorously tested various designs with end-users, and ultimately arrived at a final product that not only curbed mishandled baggage incidents but also expedited aircraft turnarounds, delivering substantial cost savings to the operation. Additionally, I played a key role in creating a comprehensive service blueprint for the entire baggage process, which proved invaluable in identifying pain points and charting a clear roadmap for the process revamp.
VIGILANT SPIRIT
Wireframed & tested a new UAV control interface
At the United States Air Force, I led the research and development of Vigilant Spirit, the next-generation unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) interface designed for autonomous airborne conflict resolution. In crafting Vigilant Spirit's user experience, we conducted extensive user research by testing the sense and avoid interfaces with real pilots in Alamogordo, NM. This immersive approach allowed us to gain critical insights into the user experience and interface effectiveness in real-world scenarios. Through multiple iterative cycles, we fine-tuned the UI to ensure it provided pilots with intuitive and user-friendly courses of action. This collaborative effort with pilots on the ground was instrumental in creating an operator control interface that prioritized a seamless and safety-driven UX for unmanned aerial systems. Our efforts have been documented in a published paper, accessible by clicking the button below.