UX Research

Research drives every decision I make — from the first click to the last interaction.

UX research is how I listen, learn, and connect with people before I design for them. Growing up as a military dependent, I learned to observe with empathy and ask thoughtful questions — skills I now use to uncover what users truly need. Research helps me go beyond assumptions to create experiences that are not just usable, but meaningful.

Applying UX Research
via Women of the Lowcountry

Project Goal:
Design a digital scholarship portal to serve high school and college-aged women applying for academic and leadership-based scholarships.

Research Process

1 / Define Goals

Understand the user journey of a first-time applicant
Identify obstacles in current scholarship application platforms

2 / Methods Used

Google Forms surveys with local students
Stakeholder interviews (mentors, organizers)
Competitive analysis of other scholarship platforms
Card sorting to prioritize features

3 / Synthesis

Affinity diagram to group feedback themes
Created personas based on student goals and digital habits
Prioritized accessibility and mobile-first design from feedback

Key Findings

Tools I Used

Students wanted clarity in deadlines and document uploads
Many had unreliable Wi-Fi or mobile-only access
Trust in the platform (security, responsiveness) was crucial

Result:
I redesigned the interface to include:

Clear progress bars
Auto-save functionality
A timeline-based application tracker

Google Forms (surveying applicants)
Miro (affinity mapping)
Figma (prototype testing)
Excel (feature prioritization matrix)

From Insight to Implementation

This wasn’t just a form — it was a gateway to opportunity. UX research helped me uncover what would truly empower the young women using this portal.

Final Reflection

Research helped me design for more than just usability — I designed for trust, confidence, and access.