Context:
In order for a luxury travel agency to grow and thrive, it must effectively communicate to new generations of travelers entering the luxury travel market. It must also attract employees looking to grow in their career in travel.
Challenge:
How might we utilize digital strategy and design to attract the right type of client, encourage applicants to the agency, and ensure that actual brand perception is represented across public channels?
My work:
I led the development of the only rebrand in the company’s 35 year history, the launch of a new website, and creation of an intentional marketing strategy.
I began by facilitating collaborative workshops and exercises with agency leadership, long-term advisors, and repeat clients from various demographics. This resulted in a north star design artifact for the new brand, including a brand framework, guidelines, messaging strategy, and company pillars.
To bring the new brand to life visually, I identified and partnered with an agency who specialized in the technology I understood would fit the agency’s needs best. I closely worked across geographies with designers to develop new visual branding, including logos, brand colors, imagery, and graphics.
Strategies employed:
Stakeholder management, branding, web design, information architecture development, brand framework, messaging and communication strategy
Impact:
Over 50% increase in leads generated, with 65% of leads since website launch leading to new business and 15% of new business derived from leads booking multiple trips. 33% increase in applicants, resulting in 5 new associates.
As a Senior Digital Strategist, I amplified the impact of mission-driven organizations through transformational digital solutions.
I led initiatives for both non-profits (like the Natural Resource Defense Council, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Southern Environmental Law Center, and Catholic Relief Services), and government/government-adjacent organizations (like the World Bank’s International Development Association, Tacoma Housing Authority, County Health Rankings and Roadmaps, and the Department of the Interior). The diversity of my clients gave me experience in managing internal and external stakeholders, government funding processes, and the nuances that exist in the environmental, international development, education, and other non-profit sectors.
While the types of clients I worked with was varied, I delivered consistent service and support, collaborating with and educating clients as much as possible throughout our work together. Across my work, I led workshops and stakeholder/audience interviews, synthesized goals and constraints, and collaborated with my colleagues to identify the best possible strategy to solve business challenges. These strategies included service design, UX design, audience research, data analytics and SEO, content strategy, or organizational strategy.
[Incomplete] Client List
Digital Product Design (Web and Mobile):
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Discovery Center
March of Dimes
Natural Resource Defense Council
The World Bank International Development Association
I’m Determined
Yoga Alliance
Southern Environmental Law Center
Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts
AlignMnH
Indianapolis Parks & Recreation
County Health Rankings & Roadmaps
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Between the Numbers
National Council for Mental Wellbeing
American Council of Learned Societies
Service Design, Digital Transformation, or Other Strategy:
Catholic Relief Services
National Gallery of Art
Yoga Alliance
Washington State All Payer Claims Database
East-West Center
Context:
My company identified accessibility as a priority in their 2022 Annual Operating Plan, but faced challenges implementing changes. I was a founding member of the Accessibility Working Group and worked with my group members to identify the primary challenge, evaluate various approaches, and develop a work plan. Given the complex and multi-system nature of the challenge, I proposed utilizing Service Design methodology.
Challenge:
How might we shift the understanding of accessibility and inclusion across our agency so that it is woven into our internal business processes as well as prioritized in the work we produce for clients?
My work:
I co-led our group in conducting in-depth research and discovery activities, including stakeholder interviews and department-level sampling, to develop a thorough understanding of the workflows, relevant tools and technologies, staff, and other considerations involved across both internal and external client-facing processes. Using the research, I developed a Service Blueprint mapping all activities, technologies, touch points, stakeholders, pain points, and areas of opportunity. The research and discovery ultimately led to the identification of patterns of exclusion, pain points, areas of confusion or lack of transparency, and opportunities for improvement.
Strategies employed:
Stakeholder map, current-state blueprint, ecosystem map, stakeholder interviews, qualitative research, research insight development, prioritization framework, brain storming, future state blueprint
Impact:
Our group synthesized the comprehensive service blueprint into a findings and prioritized recommendations report, which was presented to company leadership and used as a guiding post in their rollout of changes at the department level.
Context:
Jordan has a significant refugee population, but is politically stable - making it a perfect setting for large INGOs to innovate on their existing programs. The Department for International Development selected Jordan as the setting to conduct an audit and develop new strategies for their cash transfer program. The WFP and UNHCR make up a large majority of cash transfer facilitators across the globe, but have vastly different transfer processes, introducing confusion and inefficiency into the process for beneficiaries.
Challenge:
How might we better facilitate cash-based interventions to increase access to bank accounts and mobile money as a pathway to greater financial inclusion?
My work:
As an Assessment Officer, I designed and led research with key stakeholders at UNHCR and WFP to understand the current state cash transfer processes each organization was employing. I worked with Data Leads to map out the cash transfer needs across refugee populations throughout Jordan. Once we had an understanding of the current processes and gaps in service, we designed a series of collaborative workshops that brought together decision-makers from the two UN organizations. These activities informed a more streamlined, human-centered future state solution. Once the future state strategy had been developed, I supported Monitoring and Evaluation specialists in the development of sustainable monitoring, data collection, analysis, and reporting strategies.
Strategies employed:
Stakeholder map, current-state blueprint, ecosystem map, stakeholder interviews, qualitative research, research insight development, prioritization framework, journey map, brain storming, future state blueprint
Context:
ACES was the health industry’s first and only Automated Collection and Engagement System for real-time clinical research monitoring.
Challenge:
Develop a software product that is simultaneously easy for patients to use and interact with during a stressful period of their life, but also complies with strict and rigorous FDA clinical trial protocols.
My work:
As the company’s first Product Manager, I led the development of SaaS features throughout product lifecycle, from idea to implementation using Agile methodology and rapid prototyping; designed and led stakeholder research, developed user stories, identified product requirements, and led early UX design. I also utilized market analysis and qualitative research to contribute to business strategy, including developing core values, company value proposition, the development of key messaging themes and the company’s voice and tone, establishing internal communication processes based on stakeholder needs and business goals.
Strategies employed:
Stakeholder interviews, qualitative research, market analysis, research insight development, prioritization framework, brain storming, user stories, wireframing, user testing, UX design.
HackCville is a hub for students pursuing careers in entrepreneurship. HackCville develops the skills, networks, and entrepreneurial ability of talented U.Va. students. We accelerate our students’ ideas, projects, and startups through our experiential programs and tight-knit community.
As founding Alumni Relations and Partnerships Director, I established and curated Wahoowa, an independent network of 900+ entrepreneurial UVA alumni who stay connected within their 9 alumni chapters, mentor students, and welcome recent grads interested in the entrepreneurial space to their cities. In the first two years, I increased membership by 30x and programming by 10x.
Throughout the non-profit’s growth, I wore project management, marketing/communication, programming/event, and fundraising hats. My favorite work was developing new programs and amending existing programs based on student feedback. The experience cemented my passion for empowering youth and connecting them with the resources to help them exercise their creativity.
Context:
Javier is the outcome of an IDEO + Venture for America design challenge I participated in while in VFA’s 8 week training camp.
Javier is a new fitting room experience that brings the ease of e-commerce to in-person shopping. It is an interactive system that can be integrated into any existing dressing room, comprised of responsive hooks, sensors, and a screen that facilitates the natural fitting room experience. Javier not only helps with organization and efficiency, but gives customers access to all the benefits of online shopping and a personalized experience.
Challenge:
How might we improve the experience of buying clothes/shoes?
My work:
Using the “ask, look, try, borrow” approach, we began our discovery phase at the Providence Place Mall and Thayer Street. We interviewed 12 people in person and 55 people through an online survey. Through the data we identified 3 major and consistent pain points and narrowed our guiding question down to ‘how might we improve the organization and efficiency of fitting room experiences?’
Strategies employed:
Stakeholder interviews, qualitative research, research insight development, prioritization framework, brain storming, future state blueprint.
Special Hope Network is a non-profit in Lusaka, Zambia providing education and a safe space for children with intellectual disabilities.
My team and I researched, developed, implemented, and tracked lesson planning and executive function training for Special Hope Network teachers. I amended design thinking and user experience exercises to design and lead workshops for the teachers in adaptive lesson planning, occupational therapy, and more. These interventions led to greater teacher success, and ultimately an increase in student reading, math, and fine/gross motor abilities.
Ashoka is a global organization that identifies and invests in leading social entrepreneurs. Through innovative “changemaker” interventions, Ashoka’s Youth Venture team utilizes storytelling as a tool that develops and exercises key “changemaker” skills for advancing communities with youth innovation and leadership.
My team developed the “Storytelling for Changemaking” curriculum to use creative enterprise and communications skills building in order to activate youth led spaces of innovation, peer to peer collaboration, and empathy. The curriculum has been used in multiple refugee camps in Jordan. The full curriculum can be found at: https://spark.adobe.com/page/LdTRV14NIDnL7/
