Susan Stuart
Design & Research
Selected samples
*CONFIDENTIAL/ NEED TO KNOW*: Please do not share work detailed here outside your immediate team.
View the User Research and Strategy Report (research with Biology Professors)
SimBio
SimBio | Role: Lead UX Designer and Researcher
Key project elements: educational software, large platform with many user types
Tasks: scoping/ advisement to senior management on HCD approaches, strategy, heuristic and analytics review, qualitative and quantitative research, report writing, concepting, wireframing, UX writing
(This project is nearing completion and I am not able to show the full specification containing 55 screens and states yet.) SimBio produces software to teach virtual biology labs at the university level. The software uses sophisticated interactive simulations to support an inquiry-driven learning style. SimBio is the U.S./ Canada market leader for online biology learning, with well-respected content, and specializes in the subject areas of Ecology and Environmental Science. The UX challenge for this project was to integrate a disjointed and outdated suite of software components, both desktop and web-based, into one seamless online experience for instructors and students, while improving the usefulness, usability, desirability, and accessibility of the user experience. In-depth user research was conducted with instructors for this project, and Moqups was used as a wireframing tool.
Coffee roasting
Student Project: e-course for learning coffee roasting at home
Rough storyboard in video format and instructional design plan in presentation format. Fictional client is Sweet Maria's green coffee bean supplier.
Project
Restart
The
The Restart Project | Role: UX Researcher and Designer
Key project elements: community platform, global user base, Agile development, CO2 emissions calculator integration
Tasks: scoping/ advisement to senior management on HCD Approaches, strategy, heuristic and analytics review, qual and quant Research, recruitment (minimal), analysis, service design concepting, report writing, wireframing, UX writing
A lean, mobile-first community platform redesign project for a global environmental nonprofit organizing repair events and advocating for the right to repair. Redesigned for greater usefulness and usability, based on audit and research with various types of users. The Restarters.net community member platform integrates a Discourse forum module and a Wiki, but the site very much appeared to be three separate sites with significant navigation and usability challenges. View the current visual design of first round wireframes (final design and implementation still in process).
A somewhat unique approach in my work with iQuanti is the analysis technique of combining quantitative analytics with heuristic UX best practices and a competitive analysis to interpret why users may be behaving the way they do, and how to improve the designs to address these behaviors. I've also completed more straight-forward heuristic analyses and wireframing work for their clients. Below are downloadable samples:
Citicards (heuristic, analytics, and competitive review)
Bloomberg (heuristic, analytics, and competitive review)
Bankers Life (content-heavy wireframes for insurance site)
ChuckECheese (mobile wireframes for pitch work - birthday booking experience)
consumer
reponsive
design
iQuanti | Role: UX Analyst, Designer and Director
Key project elements: behavioral analytics focus, Fortune 500 clients, e-commerce
Tasks: scoping/ advisement on HCD approaches to senior management, strategy, heuristic and analytics review, quant analysis, report writing, wireframing, pitch work
Rapid prototyping for mobile-first pitches and short UX analysis projects for clients such as Citibank, American Express, Toyota, Bloomberg, Bankers Life, JELD-WEN, and ChuckECheese. Successfully pitched in person to Toyota senior management and coached on HCD and accessibility best practices.
Hardware/ software
Becton Dickinson (writing, instructional design, industrial UX, research)
AuthenTec (UX - software and industrial, instructional design) - biometric authentication
Projects integrating HCD for industrial design and software | Roles: UX Designer (Authentic), Information/ Instructional Designer (Becton Dickinson)
(Note: these are +10 yr-old projects)
Includes samples for Wireless Generation (now Amplify) educational software for desktop and mobile, Planet OS open datahub that supports developers in creating their own initiatives using earth science datasets with their API, UNICEF employee experience research integrating systems analysis, and more.