Research
I am fundamentally a researcher. I constantly look for answers and try to better understand the world around me. I began my career in public health research with an emphasis on quantitative methods, filling my days with data analysis, survey construction, Likert scales, and skip patterns. As I’ve shifted toward design research, I have adopted more open-ended methods, such as in-depth interviews and card sorting. I love taking part in all kinds of research and relish the challenge of finding the right questions to ask—as specific or general as they need to be—in order to answer the question at hand.
Design Research with Caregivers
MURAL board with insights from VA Caregiver redesign
In the fall of 2019, I started consulting on an ongoing project to redesign the Family Caregivers Training Program for the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. The team was tasked with improving the program’s required curriculum in order to better meet the needs of eligible Caregivers.
We intended to hold in-person interviews with Caregivers in the spring of 2020, but due to the pandemic, we pivoted to an all-Zoom plan instead. We interviewed 13 Caregivers and 8 experts to better understand the challenges faced by those caring for veterans. Among other findings, we learned about the unique needs of aging Caregivers, the necessity of social support, and how little time Caregivers have to spend on their own health.
In my role as human-centered design lead, I trained others on the team in the fundamentals of design research. I also drafted the interview guide for Caregivers, edited the guide for experts, conducted interviews, led synthesis sessions in Miro, and worked with the team to produce a report with the findings. Next step: conducting user testing on the updated print and online curriculum.