Résumé

SUMMARY

Dynamic and results-driven UX Research professional with over a decade of experience in user-centered design, research, and strategic leadership. Proven track record of leading research initiatives that drive customer insights and inform product development for multi-billion-dollar enterprises. Expert in managing cross-functional teams, developing research strategies, and implementing user experience improvements across web and mobile platforms.

Demonstrated ability to build and lead diverse research teams, establish research operations, and partner with key stakeholders to achieve business objectives. Strong communicator and collaborator with a passion for leveraging research to drive business growth, enhance user satisfaction, and evangelize the benefits of UX research within the enterprise. Skilled in various research methodologies, data analysis, and translating research findings into actionable insights for product strategy and decision-making.

Experience

Sr Manager, UX Research

February 2021 to August 2024

Cardinal Health, Dublin, Ohio

Led a UX Research team for a $120B annual B2B pharmaceutical distributor, driving customer insights to reimagine the e-commerce experience towards a unified, personalized, and responsive system across web and mobile platforms.
Managed a generative research effort in partnership with internal Sales, recruiting over 100 volunteer participants and collaborating with an external agency to conduct, analyze, and synthesize insights.
Developed an experience metrics strategy based on generative research insights, measuring site feature enhancements against thematic customer pain points.
Established a formative research approach that integrates into design and product development processes, delivering actionable insights to cross-functional teams within Agile sprint cycles.
Hired and developed a diverse research team conducting mixed-methods research within an agile environment, guiding initiatives to mature UXR capabilities and business value.
Built a database of 1,000+ research participants through email, ad campaigns, and Sales team presentations, persuading B2B customers to engage in research for an improved ordering experience.
Established a research operations team to recruit, coordinate, and track research participants, and collaborated with Data Science to build an in-house app for accessing relevant past research data.
Partnered with compliance, legal, and finance teams to establish enterprise contracts for remote research tools and developed a fair incentivizing structure for research participation.
Evangelized the business benefits of UX Research within the enterprise, sharing findings and resulting actionable insights to promote informed decision-making.

Senior UX Researcher

June 2020 to February 2021

Agility Partners / Cardinal Health, Dublin, Ohio

Led primary user research studies in collaboration with business stakeholders and customers to gather user insights and inform product development.
Conducted secondary research using analytics, survey results, and customer service call logs to complement primary research findings.
Translated research data into actionable insights, effectively communicating relevant findings to stakeholders.
Collaborated with cross-functional product teams in an iterative, Agile environment, working alongside design, product, customer support, sales, marketing, and data analytics.
Delivered insights and recommendations to business leaders through compelling presentations, influencing product strategy and decision-making.
Championed the development of a research database, capturing user behaviors, triggers, and other key data points to inform future research and product development.
Evangelized a human-centric design approach, advocating for the integration of research at all phases of the product life cycle to ensure user needs are central to product development.
Facilitated stakeholder workshops to align research objectives with business goals, ensuring that user insights directly informed product strategy and development priorities.

UX Researcher

2018 to 2020

Huntington National Bank, Columbus, Ohio

Led B2C research initiatives using mixed methodologies, including remote and in-person moderated interviews, usability testing, ethnographic studies, and competitive analysis.
Applied user-centered design and research principles, including hypothesis generation, to inform product development and improve user experiences.
Collected and synthesized qualitative and quantitative data, translating findings into actionable insights for design decision-making.
Interpreted user behavior and research data, providing clear insights and recommendations to enhance user experiences.
Developed research artifacts, including plans, screeners, and discussion guides, to ensure effective and focused research efforts.
Produced project deliverables such as journey maps, competitive visualizations, and comprehensive final reports, summarizing research findings.
Presented findings and recommendations to a diverse range of internal stakeholders and workgroups, facilitating informed decision-making and fostering a user-centric culture.

Senior UI/UX Designer

2013 to 2018

Huntington National Bank, Columbus, Ohio

Spearheaded the design of user-centric interfaces with a focus on simplicity, navigation, typography, and color to enhance brand alignment and user experience.
Demonstrated expertise in visual design, crafting high-fidelity designs and production graphics for web and digital experiences that improved interface appeal and usability.
Applied strong knowledge of usability principles and techniques to create intuitive and user-friendly solutions.
Collaborated with development teams to ensure design feasibility, understanding technical constraints and opportunities.
Contributed to cross-functional ideation teams, developing innovative concepts for internal pitches and presentations to deepen customer relationships.
Worked closely with team members to define and establish consistent design patterns across platforms.
Facilitated cross-team collaboration in a mixed Waterfall/Agile environment, ensuring seamless integration of design and development efforts.
Possessed a fundamental understanding of web design principles, including HTML/CSS, to inform design decisions and collaboration with developers.

Digital Design Consultant

2012 to 2013

Fahlgren Mortine Agency, Columbus, Ohio

Delivered digital design solutions for high-profile clients including McDonald's, Colfax, St. Elizabeth's, Landmark Earth Solutions, Columbus Region, and Summa Health, enhancing their online presence and brand identity.
Collaborated closely with clients to understand their digital design needs, ensuring that final deliverables aligned with their business objectives and brand guidelines.
Developed a range of digital assets such as websites, landing pages, email campaigns, and social media graphics, improving user engagement and driving marketing success.
Managed multiple design projects simultaneously, maintaining high-quality standards and meeting tight deadlines to ensure client satisfaction and project success.

Design Manager – Marketing/Advertising

2007 to 2012

McGraw-Hill School Education Group, Columbus, Ohio

Led the design direction and branding for promotional collateral, digital initiatives, exhibit materials, and catalogs, contributing to $2.6 billion in product sales.
Managed a team of design professionals, overseeing hiring, training, mentoring, and performance evaluations to foster talent development and team cohesion.
Established and implemented design requirements, branding guidelines, and departmental processes to ensure consistency and quality across marketing materials.
Enhanced process efficiencies and staff productivity by 24% through strategic workflow optimization.
Achieved significant cost savings of $683,000 by spearheading the redesign and in-house production of 14 catalogs, optimizing resource utilization and reducing external expenses.

Design Manager – Technology

2004 to 2007

McGraw-Hill School Education Group, Columbus, Ohio

Led visual design direction and market-appropriate vision for SEG K-12 interactive digital and e-commerce initiatives, ensuring alignment with educational goals and market trends.
Managed a team of designers and external resources, overseeing hiring, training, coaching, and performance evaluations to build a high-performing and cohesive team.
Established and implemented design requirements, production processes, schedules, and budgets, ensuring efficient project execution and resource allocation.

Rachel Laskowski
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rlaskow3@gmail.com
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