Portfolio
UX Research and Design Projects
Below is a highlight of key projects that reflect my career in user experience research and design. While I share project essentials—clients, timelines, challenges, methods(*), and outcomes—confidentiality limits detailed process insights.
For a deeper look at my approach, explore my case studies on Wonderscope and the VR Media Experiments, showcasing how I transform insights into impactful experiences.
(*)This portfolio shows much of my pre-pandemic work, often using in-person, low-fidelity, rapid iteration, and cost-effective methods. Nowadays, I deal mostly with high-fidelity, systematic, remote, and unmoderated testing approaches. They all have advantages, and I value the freedom to use the tools that are most appropriate for the situation at hand.
Special Projects|Amazon
Role: Sr. UX Researcher III (L6), Mixed Methods
Project Overview: Amazon’s Special Projects is an incubator within Amazon that works on long-term, bold projects that could revolutionize industries. I am a part of a multidisciplinary product team focused on unmet health needs.
Timeline: October, 2022 - Present
Challenges:
I joined the project midway through the development cycle, requiring rapid immersion to align with existing research and design decisions. The key challenge was maintaining stringent design control to ensure the medical device met all safety and regulatory standards crucial for approval.
Methods:
Design Control Support: Led the team through critical verification and validation stages to confirm that the design output met the specified design input.
Collaborative Research: Partnered with cross-functional teams, including engineering and regulatory departments, to uphold design integrity.
End-to-End Evaluations: Conducted in-person formative evaluations to prepare for a formal summative assessment by a third party.
Remote User Testing: Implemented A/B studies, mixed-methods research, and Rapid Iterative Testing and Evaluation (RITE) for continuous design refinement and actionable insights.
Outcomes:
Enhanced Product Development: Facilitated design compliance, supporting the path to final validation and launch readiness.
Strategic Insights: Delivered user-centered research that guided critical design choices, balancing innovative features with regulatory requirements and user safety.
Increased Efficiency: Reduced the implementation and feedback cycle of usability studies by 50%, accelerating the design iteration process and improving the team's responsiveness to user insights.
Certification: Usability Engineering and IEC 62366-1
Image: The work on this project is restricted. I can share the Gumby Award (2023) I received for staying flexible and creative through the twists and turns of Amazon’s start-up life. The DIY nature of the physical award makes me suspect that it is not Bezos-sanctioned; nonetheless, I am honored by the team's recognition.
Stick Labs
Timeline: June, 2016 - Currently paused
As the founder of Stick Labs, I specialized in qualitative research for emergent technologies (AR and VR), blending formal human-centered design (HCD) with a creative, adaptable approach. Stick Labs was born from an industry need to explore and understand user experiences in 360-degree environments. The next slides shares the stories behind several of these impactful projects.
Image: A strategy illustration from an NRDC project- identifying engagement doorways for an at-home water testing kit experience, exploring tools to connect communities and raise awareness about clean water issues.
X Exhibit Space | Google X
Role: UX Strategy Design, PM
Timeline: October, 2021 to March, 2022
Project Overview: X (formerly Google X) is known for pioneering cutting-edge technology. The team was tasked with designing interactive exhibits for a museum space to engage prospective candidates, policymakers, collaborators, and funding partners.
Challenge:
Conceived toward the end of the Pandemic, this project faced the unique challenge of designing interactive exhibits without the use of touch, a crucial adaptation to pandemic concerns. It would also mark my first experience, not my last, working on a creative endeavor remotely. Despite these constraints, the team—an assembly of exceptional creatives, including a renowned film and television art director—embraced the remote process and pushed the boundaries of what contact-free, engaging experiences could be. *
Methods:
Remote Collaborative Workshops: Facilitated ideation sessions with cross-functional teams, including engineers, designers, and content creators, to brainstorm and prototype exhibit concepts.
High-resolution renderings: A crucial step while working remotely during a pandemic, it allowed for effective communication of the large-scale design and precise visualization of the exhibit engagements.
Outcomes:
Innovative Exhibits: Delivered exhibits that combined cutting-edge technology with intuitive design, enhancing user comprehension and engagement.
Enhanced Process: The project established a collaborative framework for future exhibit development, fostering a culture of integrating user research into high-tech projects.
(*)This project was far from easy and came with many personal and professional lessons. A central theme of the exhibit was embracing ‘failure,’ and in that spirit, I’m proud to include it in my portfolio.
Wonderscope, AR App |WITHIN
Role: UX Research Lead
Timeline: March, 2018 to November, 2019
Project Overview: WITHIN is an innovative leader in VR/AR experiences, and Wonderscope was developed as a voice-activated AR storytelling app for children. I led the user research strategy to ensure the app balanced educational value with fun, guiding the project from initial user insights to impactful design pivots.
Challenges:
The challenge was to create an engaging, voice-activated augmented reality (AR) storytelling experience for children that balanced educational value with fun. This required defining what “healthy screen time” meant and aligning it with the app's interactive features to resonate with both children and parents. The project had to navigate user expectations around AR and voice interaction while ensuring accessibility and ease of use.
Methods:
User-Centered Research Strategy: Developed and implemented a comprehensive research plan involving field research and testing with families in their homes *, as well as structured lab testing with a cohort of families to gather feedback from both children and parents.
Definition of Key Metrics: Defined “healthy screen time” based on user insights to guide app development and ensure the experience met user needs.
Iterative Testing: Conducted usability tests and voice interaction studies to refine the AR experience and ensure it aligned with user expectations.
Outcomes:
Redefined User Experience: Guided the team to shift from a passive reading experience to an interactive, play-based design that resonated strongly with young users.
Improved Engagement: Enhanced the app's features to balance fun with educational content, increasing user engagement and satisfaction.
Industry Recognition: Wonderscope earned significant acclaim, winning a BAFTA Children’s Award in December 2019. It was also featured in New York Magazine, CNET, Vogue, and Common Sense Media, celebrated for its groundbreaking AR storytelling and providing "guilt-free" screen time for children.
(*) Several cycles of in-home testing with new families were conducted before each new release of a story module update. The case study presents the research conducted during conception.
Hocus Focus
Timeline: September 2017 - November, 2017
Hocus Focus: What Magicians can teach VR directors
Hocus Focus explores how techniques used by magicians can inform VR directors in guiding viewer attention within 360-degree experiences. This research delves into the intersection of immersive storytelling and cognitive engagement, providing practical insights for enhancing user experiences in virtual reality.
The findings from this project were shared at prestigious venues including the Sundance Festival, IDFA Labs, IAB UK Engage , Google News Lab UK, and the Göteborg Film Festival. (*)Video provided by IAB UK Engage
Funded by: Gary Hustwits & Jessica Edwards, Film Fist
“Katy is a great collaborator, she’s methodical and always has a unique perspective. She channels a tremendous amount of empathy into explorations of how design affects, and is affected by, human behavior.”
VR Media Experiments | Stanford d.School & National Film Board of Canada (NFB)
Role: Co-led, Researcher / Design strategy / PM
Timeline: February to April 2016 (10-week residency)
Project Overview: Traditional storytelling tools fell short in preparing creators for VR’s immersive nature, posing questions like, “How do we guide an audience that feels compelled to act, and how do we consider their perspective within the experience?” I co-led this project to explore these challenges, examining how audiences perceive their roles in VR and developing frameworks to help creators design more compelling, user-centered narratives.
Challenges:
The project aimed to push the boundaries of VR storytelling by understanding how audiences engage with and interpret their roles in immersive story worlds. One major challenge was learning how to guide user attention effectively and prevent “detective mode,” where users overanalyze minor details instead of following the narrative. The goal was to create storytelling strategies that enhance user presence and emotional connection within VR environments.
Methods:
Experience Prototyping: Developed and used analog, lo-fi prototypes to mimic VR settings and gather early feedback on user behavior and attention.
Field Research and User Testing: Conducted iterative testing sessions with over 40 participants, examining different approaches to narrative flow, visual cues, and auditory prompts to direct user attention.
Collaborative Workshops: Partnered with experts in theater, game design, and immersive media to refine storytelling techniques and explore the nuances of user presence in VR.
Outcomes:
Published Best Practices: Authored “The Storyteller’s Guide to Virtual Reality Audiences,” providing practical guidance for creators looking to build engaging VR narratives. The guide gained substantial visibility, amassing 84K views and an evergreen resource referenced by VR professionals.
Industry Impact: The findings were presented at top universities and film festivals, contributing valuable insights to the growing field of immersive storytelling.
Innovative Frameworks: Established UX methods that maintained narrative focus and user immersion, balancing innovative interaction with user comprehension to create meaningful VR experiences.
Broad Impact: Findings were shared through presentations and talks at venues such as IDFA Labs and the Göteborg Film Festival, contributing to the body of knowledge on immersive media.
IDEO (New York)
Role: Senior Design Researcher
Timeline: May 2014 - May 2015
Challenges:
Following the 2008 financial crisis, wealth management firms faced intense pressure to rebuild trust and strengthen client relationships. This project aimed to redesign advisor-client interactions to enhance client experience and retention amid heightened skepticism. Understanding region-specific client needs and the nuanced advisor-client dynamic was essential to creating more personalized, trustworthy service models.
Methods:
In-Depth Interviews: Coordinated and conducted over 45 interviews across U.S. regions to capture a comprehensive range of client perspectives and advisor dynamics.
User Data Analysis: Analyzed findings to identify strategies to strengthen advisor-client interactions and boost client retention.
Prototype A/B Testing: Led A/B testing of prototype designs, focusing on optimizing user satisfaction and engagement rates.
Research Translation: Translated insights into actionable strategies for the design team, ensuring alignment with client expectations.
Executive Presentations: Presented key findings and recommendations to C-suite stakeholders, facilitating buy-in for strategic design changes.
Outcomes:
Enhanced Client Retention: Identified and recommended improvements that led to a 30% increase in client retention.
Improved Engagement: Achieved a 70% increase in prototype engagement rates through effective A/B testing.
Strategic Redesigns Approved: Secured executive approval for design strategies significantly enhancing client interactions and satisfaction.
Knight Prototype Grant Recipient
Timeline: September 2012 - May, 2013
Project Overview: A geo-location news aggregator- a model for presenting news stories in public spaces that invites collective exploration.
Challenge: Awarded a grant to prototype and test a geo-responsive social news aggregator, a continuation of the John S. Knight Journalism Fellowship* research at Stanford University. Hired a team of best-in-class developers to set up stable data structures and algorithms. Used natural language processing and trained algorithm by categorizing over 10,000 shared news stories- improving API returns from 57% to 70%.
(*)Each year, JSK offers twenty outstanding individuals worldwide the resources to pursue and test their ideas for improving the quality of news and information reaching the public.
LA TIMES
Journalism to UX: Crafting Stories, Creating Impact
“Katy has a creative, innovative mind and people love to be around her. She is always asking ‘what if?’ and isn’t afraid to take on the lion’s share of the work. She’s creative, and also a great doer. And she’s funny. That’s a rare combination in the news business and it’s one of the reasons she is so well respected by her colleagues.”
Role: Video Journalist / UX Designer
Timeline: January, 2008 - January, 2011
Challenge: Hired as members of a new team of online Journalists charged with expanding LATIMES.com audience locally and globally over two years.
Overview: As a video journalist, I researched, shot, edited, and produced documentaries that brought compelling stories to life, sharpening my skills in primary and secondary research, qualitative interviewing, and synthesizing complex information—core to journalism and human-centered design research.
As an interactive designer, I worked with an awe-inspiring team of investigative reporters, photographers, and editors. I adapted embargoed stories for web audiences, making them engaging and understandable for a diverse readership.
This experience strengthened my instincts for creating timely, accessible, people-focused digital experiences and deepened my passion for impactful storytelling—an enthusiasm I now bring to UX research and design.
Outcomes:
Improved Engagement: Increased website traffic by over 100%, contributing to over 32 million monthly unique page views.
Achieved notable awards: Emmy nomination, two Webby Awards, three Webby nominations, OPC Award, and Scripps Howard Foundation Award for outstanding journalism and innovation in digital media.
Video: A clip from the Webby-winning online series ICU. Which showcased the people in Los Angeles who posted Missed Connections on Craigslist. (Guess who Nikki is now? )
Image: Mexico Under Siege awarded by the Scripps Howard judges the Web reporting prize, 2009. The multimedia package featured photo galleries, videos, a searchable archive of stories, an interactive map, and a unique interactive video Q&A blog.
