RACHEL
SIMIZON
User Experience Researcher
Projects
A mixed-methods approach to learning the students experience fast, by immersing myself in the student experience.
Discovery research on a large, strategically important project at Management Concepts
As a UX team of 1, it's important for me to advocate for UX. Here are the various ways I do that.
A usability test where recruiting difficulties require some flexibility.
Experience
December 2021 - Present
Management Concepts
User Experience Researcher
Company Overview: Management Concepts is a leading provider of training and learning solutions to the Federal Government.
My role: A UX team of one who determines the most effective research, plans, and executes projects.
Company Overview: A global leader in product lifecycle management software.
My Role: I developed workshops about conducing usability evaluations, guided product teams through the entire research process, and created unmoderated tests.
2019-2020
SUNY Oswego Cognitive Science Department
Research Assistant
Performed quantitative research on human search behavior, wrote research material, designed experiments, performed presentations, reviewed literature, and gathered data
Performed a variety of software development tasks including creating a clustering algorithm in Azure ML, worked to improve forecasting methods using machine learning, evaluated user interfaces and made improvements, and added new features using Java
2018-2019
SUNY Oswego
Teaching Assistant
Gave lectures, lead review sessions, held office hours, and performed administrative duties, including grading, tracking attendance, and communicating with students.
Worked on all aspects of the development process including design, documentation, quality assurance, testing, Java development, debugging, and wrote SQL queries
About Me
Hi! My name is Rachel Simizon.
I plan and execute end-to-end research, doing everything from research prioritization, the actual research, and sharing those findings (and ensuring that they are utilized).
I'm adaptive, curious, and a fast-learner.
What I love:
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Solving problems
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Learning
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Data, metrics, and information
If I were a persona, this is what I'd look like!
Education
2020-2021
Rochester Institute of Technology
Masters of Science in Human-Computer Interaction
GPA 3.87
This project-heavy degree explores design methods, observation, evaluation, and implementation of interactive systems from a user-centered approach. I learned a variety of user research methods, design methods, and the cognitive science behind how people use software.
2016-2020
SUNY Oswego
Bachelors of Science in Cognitive Science
Minor in Digital Humanities
GPA 3.75
This degree was an interdisciplinary study of the mind with an emphasis on how people interact with computers. This degree taught me methods from psychology, computer science, linguistics, artificial intelligence, and anthropology that I employ in my current career.
Skills
Tools and Technologies
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Figma
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Miro
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HTML
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CSS
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Java
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Usability Hub
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User Interviews
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Qualitrics
Research
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Usability Testing
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User Interviews
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Persona Creation
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Unmoderated Testing
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Contextual Inquiry
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Heuristic Evaluation
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Survey Design
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Affinity Mapping
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Qualitative Research
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Quantitative Research
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Cognitive walkthrough
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Journey Mapping
Related Skills
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Workshop facilitation
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User-centered Design
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Interaction Design
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Critical Thinking
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Wireframing
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Interpersonal Communication
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Coaching
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Survey Design