My Process

There are plenty of alternatives out there when choosing a usability expert, but few have the skill set and expertise I’ve gained over the past 25 years. Here are a few reasons why people tell me they are glad they chose to work with me.

Experience

• In the two and half decades I have worked in User Experience I have developed deep skills across many methods. This allows me to reach into my bag and pull out the right method (or methods) to match the precise needs of your project.
• Though much of my work is in consumer healthcare and education, I have experience in manufacturing, telephony, financial services and security. I have extensive experience working on products for older adults and particularly enjoy working with this group of people.
• I was a user interface designer for over 15 years and can recommend specific design approaches or refinements to enhance the product’s user friendliness or eliminate usability issues.

Skills

• I understand coding. Before I became a usability expert I worked as a software engineer at GE and Prime Computer for seven years.
• I teach graduate-level courses in usability, user research and user interface design and can mentor you and your team on request
• I can easily communicate and work with people from all age groups and walks of life – from engineers to senior citizens to EMTs.
• I have an MSW from Boston University and spent my 20s as a bi-lingual social worker in Boston and Lawrence, MA. The work was rewarding and fascinating. I carry this same interest in people to this day, which elevates my work in UX.
• My strong interest in market research connects with my work in User Experience. I feel that marketing concepts of positioning and messaging have a place in UX research as well.
• I learned my qualitative research skills by being a member of the QRCA as well as a feature editor of the QRCA VIEWS magazine, a practice-oriented market research journal.

I Love What I Do

• I enjoy the process of helping clients understand their users as human beings.
• I love working with clients with tremendous energy and creativity who have a clear vision of what they want.
• Most of the people I work with are very smart and focused. I love learning from others and applying that knowledge to my work.

My Process

1. Sign NDA; Meet with your team.
2. Discuss product, market, objectives, budget and timeline.
3. Develop a plan for the study.
4. Choose to work solo or bring in trusted colleagues.
5. Collaborate with your team.
6. Listen and fully understand scope of the project.
7. Present a research plan for your review, including project pricing.
8. Begin our collaboration!