Resume

Experience

Nov 2022 - Present

Senior Design Researcher

Lloyds Banking Group

Edinburgh, Scotland

I lead design research across four teams to ensure we understand our customers (current and prospective) and that our products and services (existing and upcoming) meet their needs and deliver value.

I'm also involved in several working groups dedicated to research enablement and tooling, frameworks and templates, and social mobility.

To date, I have:

Conducted many rounds of usability testing to improve designs. This has improved user experience, conversion rates, and inclusivity.
Conducted strategic research that has supported the development of new propositions and treatment strategies for customers.
Introduced new research playback techniques to other teams to improve engagement with research findings.
Task managed and mentored graduate experience designers.

Jan 2021 - Nov 2022

USER RESEARCHER

Insights

Dundee, Scotland

I led user research for a lean innovation team to discover, define, and validate new products and opportunities that support the human experience and open up new revenue streams.

To do this I sought answers to 4 key questions: (1) What is the problem or user need; (2) What is worth doing; (3) What should we be creating; and, (4) What value does it provide?

In this role, I:

Supported the creation of the innovation process and embedded user research at its core.
Developed materials to engage and educate colleagues on user research.
Managed external validation of pipeline of work.
Led six largescale research projects that culminated in 3 new products with 6-7 figure investments set aside to go to market
Facilitated team culture sessions to define purpose, values, and supporting behaviours.

2016 - 2020

PhD Researcher

University of Dundee

Dundee, Scotland

Led the research on a UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded project exploring computational creativity and bereavement. To do this, I:

Conducted an extensive literature review and discovery interviews to identify user needs and receptiveness
Generated provisional user requirements
Conducted further discovery interviews with mental healthcare practitioners that included a review of the requirements
Collaborated with academic and industry partners and mental health organisations to evaluate two systems that met the requirements with users

By the end of the project, I had:

Completed training in qualitative and quantitative research methods and been awarded a Mental Health First Aid certificate by the National Health Service in Scotland
Gained experience in designing and conducting generative and evaluative research
Identified an innovative means to support those with non-complicated bereavement
Published and presented the results of several studies at international conferences and in journals
Mentored more junior researchers in my group and at other universities

Education

2016 - 2020

PhD in Human computer interaction

University of Dundee

Dundee, Scotland

Investigated the design and use of computationally creative systems to support bereaved people, with a focus on poetry and music.

Research design and implementation: Selected best methods to answer research questions in appropriate timelines.
Exploratory research: Conducted an extensive literature review to provide a solid base to build from. Conducted a series of interview studies to explore stakeholder receptiveness (end user and expert).
Evaluative research: Conducted a series of user evaluation studies of a web app through an online survey, and an iOS app through interviews and psychological scale.
Communicate findings: Presented and published papers at the leading computational creativity conference, with more submitted to academic journals.
Industry Collaboration: Connected with industry contacts at conferences to collaborate on live UX studies for a California based AI start-up.

2015 - 2016

MSc Information Technology with Commendation

University of Aberdeen

Aberdeen, Scotland

I learned to design, develop and administer web applications that meet and exceed customer & user requirements. By the end of the programme I had experience working with a client to develop and deliver a web application that exceeded their requirements.

Primarily we focused on the business and software development life-cycle, information security, database systems and big-data, human-computer interaction, and web development/programming. I learned:

how to plan & develop web applications using Ruby (Sinatra into Rails), PHP, CSS, HTML, and SQL.
how to elicit user needs/problems and evaluate solutions designed to tackle those
how to plan, develop and make use of SQL databases
how to identify and revise clients' software requirements, using agile development practices.

2012 - 2015

MA Archaelogy & History (Hons), 2:1

University of Aberdeen

Aberdeen, Scotland

Developed my research skills, primarily around sources and objectivity, and began explorations into the ethics related to unwanted data collection, curation and display. My dissertation explored the use of narrative (national and personal) and "othering" to encourage the formation of "ideal" citizens and condemn pre-conversion history and traditions.

Focus of study: National and Personal identity and narrative, the ethical considerations of artefacts and human remains, Norse Icelandic and Irish Sagas, Medieval and Renaissance Europe, the Antebellum South & Civil War, and Globalisation.

Archaeology courses covered practical archaeology (fieldwork), archaeological science, and theory & current issues. History courses covered theory and issues surrounding history, the rise & decline of empire, medieval & renaissance Europe, the making of modern Ireland, and the foundations of the USA.