Herman-Scheer, Kelton Research (Now Material+), Google, Samsung, Target, Canon, Best Buy, Pfizer, Harley-Davidson, The North Face, New York Life, Kimberly-Clark, Georgia-Pacific, Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper, Gildan, PetSmart, Del Monte, Johnsonville, Tim Hortons, Radio Flyer, Snap-On Tools, The Field Museum, Community Foundations of Southeast Michigan, Art Center College of Design, The International Red Cross, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Accenture / Fjord, Ford Motor Company / Ford Philanthropy, Consumers Energy /The Heat and Warmth Fund

11 years of experience working as a design researcher and consumer insights ethnographer for Fortune 500 and global brands

12 years teaching design research at an R1 urban university; training talent in human-centered design

8 years of experience working as an industrial designer

Expert in mixed methods research design, in-person and virtual

Versatile, managing multiple, diverse research engagements at once

Highly detailed and methodical approach, thoughtfully processing and large qualitative data sets

Providing truly unique insights, and robust and actionable analysis and synthesis

Striving for honesty, depth, meaning, and ethics in the research process and reporting

Specializing in co-creation and participatory design, and passionate about developing new methods

Committed to building cross-disciplinary teams and initiatives

Excellent writing, reporting, and presentation skills

Research: ethnographic research methods; interviewing and participant observation; digital ethnography moderating; focus group moderating; co-creation and participatory design; interview and discussion guide development; analysis and synthesis; report writing and presentation design and delivery; data visualization; scenario development and journey mapping.

Design: concept visualization; rapid product sketching and rendering; presentation design and graphics; storyboarding and scenario development; wireframing and basic UI/UX prototyping; form + space development; color, materials, print and pattern design; model making and prototyping.

Software + Platforms: Adobe Illustrator, In-Design, Photoshop, Procreate, Concepts, Chief Architect, Figma, Fusion 360, Shapr, Vizcom AI, Miro, Mural, D-Scout, Recollective, Indeemo, MS Suite.

Lead qualitative fieldwork to discover insights into product development, consumer behavior, user experience, and brand loyalty, supporting numerous teams across organizations.

Expert in mixed-methods ethnographic research including conducting in-depth interviews, moderating focus groups, co-creation and participatory design sessions, and digital ethnographies (e.g. rapid D-Scout missions, in-depth smart communities, and journaling).

Responsible for developing research protocol including screeners, discussion guides, stimulus, developing new methods and activities, moderating / conducting research, analysis, synthesis and reporting. Participant samples range from 6-60+ per project, across consumer segments, ages and demographics, and expert stakeholders.  

Providing input for recruitment, scoping, and planning.

Sectors range from technology, mobility, consumer products, appliances, apparel, retail, government and financial services, and more.

Research insights are used across teams to inform customer segmentation, marketing and messaging, concept testing / evaluation, brand strategy and loyalty, service and experience design (digital and omnichannel), community engagement initiatives, curricular strategy, and philanthropic funding.

Responsible for a range of reporting deliverables including topline memos, full research reports, presentation decks, data visualizations like scenario and journey maps.

Collaboration and synthesis of research findings across qualitative teams conducting fieldwork in multiple markets, quantitative research teams, and with clients.

Effectively translating raw data into actionable insights and recommendations, as an individual contributor and through collaborative analysis and synthesis sessions.

Bringing creative design methods and activities directly into the research process in participant interviews and participant self-documentation, from free hand sketching to journey mapping and envisioning activities.

Recognized for excellent moderating skills, pushing for unique and unexpected insights, building to clear, well-supported themes, and providing recommendations for both high-level strategy and direct product and service improvements.

Wayne State University | Detroit, MI 

Develop curriculum and instruct in the areas of design research, design process, and experience design. Courses include Ethnographic Research Methods for Designers, Design Process, Design for Urban Mobility, Product Design, and Presentation Design.

Regularly run studio courses and projects where students work directly with industry, community organizations, university research teams, start-ups.

Lead efforts in community engagement, student recruitment, outreach, and mentoring; curricular development; student affairs; DEI committees; university-wide entrepreneurship, innovation and interdisciplinary initiatives related to design thinking and human-centered design; curatorial work; web design and content creation and management for department website.

Speaking engagements as an expert in the discipline, presenting on design thinking, social design, and hybrid careers in design.

Published research on leveraging anthropological methods in human-centered and participatory design for equitable design and development, and the role of design and aesthetics in equitable development.

Ethics training to meet institutional standards for research with human subjects.

Design Makes Change; A Chicago Design Initiative | Chicago, IL

From 2010-2012

Organized and managed interdisciplinary design competitions that addresses social, infrastructural, and environmental issues in underserved neighborhoods in Chicago.

Responsibilities included organization and promotion of both contests, exhibition planning and design, organized a symposium and community design charrette. community and media outreach, managing entries, jury assembly, and fundraising.

The Keds Corporation | Lexington, MA

2005-2008

Designed and developed women’s footwear line for a major international brand, rebuilding brand recognition and growing distribution by designing a wide range of styles with a consistent brand identity.

Responsible for technical and aesthetic design direction; trend boards, sales, and presentation materials; color and material directions; illustrations and technical drawings; trouble shooting construction and manufacturing challenges; and communication with international developers throughout the design and development process.

General Motors Corporation | Warren, MI

(2000-2005)

Conducted up-front societal, generational and cultural archetype research for product portfolio planning and brand strategy.

Worked in pre-production and advanced design studios across the organization.

Responsible for aesthetic/styling, working with engineering package and architectural constraints.

Focus on interior features, storage solutions, and the integration of new technologies to address emerging market segments and evolving societal and design trends.

Wayne State University Detroit, MI. MA in Anthropology

University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago IL. MFA in Industrial Design

Pratt Institute, School of Art & Design Brooklyn, NY. Bachelors of Industrial Design