Hi, I'm Shannon.
Researcher & Designer.
Hello! I'm currently working as a User Experience Specialist at a large aerospace company, where I've spent the last two years. Prior to my current role, I was a participant of the company's Information Technology early career program. In this program I participated in three fast-paced, challenging rotations and learned about project management, data analytics, advanced virtual reality technologies, and more. Read on to learn more about my projects.
InVision, Figma, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe XD, Sketch, Miro, UX/UI Design, Interaction Design, Storyboarding, Wireframing, Prototyping, Virtual Reality (Unity)
NumPy, Pandas, SPSS, RStudio, Qualtrics, Excel, Qualitative Coding, A/B Testing, Card Sorting, Heuristic Evaluation, Usability Testing
Python, HTML/CSS, ASP.NET, MVC Framework, Django, SQL, Git, Visual Studio 2019, IBM Cognos, Dataiku, Agile, Azure DevOps, Atlassian Tool Suite
Redshift Education, Inc.
Court Innovations, Inc.
Reach Consulting Group
Learning, Education, & Design Lab
After volunteering for Special Olympics and working as a camp counselor for adults with special needs, I developed a passion for inclusivity.
I developed a love of technology after taking my first programming class in college. I believe in the power of technology to promote positive changes in the world.
I've combined both passions of mine by pursuing UX Design in the hopes of creating products and interfaces that are inclusive for individuals of all needs.
Boeing's IT Career Foundation Program is an early-career rotational program allowing participants to complete four 6-month rotations within different areas of the business. After working as an IT intern with Boeing in Summer 2019, I joined the company as a full-time employee in September 2020 as an ITCFP participant.
Integrated Project Manager - Global Collaboration Services (Rotation #1): As a Project Manager with the GCS team, I provided US and non-US stakeholders with access to Boeing tools and infrastructure aligned with US export laws and regulations. Additionally, I worked with Boeing subsidiaries to integrate their IT processes and infrastructure to Boeing standard tools. Lastly, I utilized front-end programming languages to develop the team's work intake portal.
Incident Response Specialist - El Segundo Data Analytics (Rotation #2): As an Incident Response Specialist with the ESDA team, I served as the primary focal for customer inquiries and concerns regarding the data analytics tools provided to the Satellite Systems Production Integration team. I also developed the data analytics tools using IBM Cognos and additional data analytics methods. Finally, I developed internal and customer-facing documentation regarding the data analytics tools.
Project Manager/UX Designer - Advanced Virtual Manufacturing (Rotation #3): As a project manager with the Advanced Virtual Manufacturing team, I have participated in the planning and development of a variety of applications for the defense organization. These applications include web applications, AR/VR tools, and 3D modeling solutions to provide digital twins of various Boeing facilities. Additionally, I have organized user testing efforts for a mobile factory application, completed a heuristic evaluation for a factory layout tool developed in Unity, developed user test scripts for an employee training tool, and more. Throughout this rotation, I have improved my Project Management and UX Design skills, specifically pertaining to the AR/VR and 3D model-based engineering spaces.
User Experience Specialist Internship Projects (Summer 2019):
Usability Testing: The Enterprise Services Integration team within Boeing IT is focused on creating and maintaining a web portal housing all of the company's internal service entry points in one convenient location for employees. I conducted usability testing for this portal and devised design recommendations surrounding the portal design and internal service categories. The results of the user testing suggested that Boeing employees categorize internal services differently than how they are currently organized across the company; I utilized these findings to draft a report describing how internal service categories could be structurally reorganized to better meet user expectations.
Use Case Template: I developed and implemented a use case template for twelve enterprise application managers to obtain user stories and allow for informed decision making at the executive level. Additionally, I cultivated design recommendations for the tool where the use case template and resulting user stories are stored.
Card Sorting Tool Development: I developed a card sorting tool first in Microsoft Excel then in Miro to conduct remote user testing for the internal services web portal with employees at Boeing locations across the country.
Although I cannot share my project materials here for proprietary purposes, please reach out to me directly to learn more about my experience as a Boeing intern and ITCFP participant.The Kidney Precision Medicine Project seeks to obtain and study kidney biopsies from patients with Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) or Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) to drive research efforts and develop novel therapies (NIDDK)
Project Summary
To provide researchers around the country with increased ease of access to biopsy data, the team was tasked with creating the design of a data downloader tool to be used by the researchers. The design team conducted user interviews, collaborated with primary stakeholders, and created wireframes to inform the design of the downloader. To view the project report, please click here.
Project Background
Six undergraduate students, all members of the Reach Consulting Group (affiliated with the School of Information at U-M), worked with members of the Kidney Precision Medicine Project, affiliated with Michigan Medicine. The student team worked with KPMP researchers to design a data downloader tool allowing researchers direct access to crucial biopsy data files included in the research efforts. The tool will be used by many different researchers across the nation and the tool will be publicly available.
User Interviews
Through conduting interviews with primary stakeholders (future users of the tool), our group gained an increased understanding of the shortcoming of existing tools available to researchers. The results of our interviews provided insight and goals for the design of our tool. Our interviewees suggested that providing summarized data is the highest priority to researchers, privacy and ethics issues contribute to the inefficiency of obtaining needed data, and other tools are lacking necessary functionalities to conduct research tasks efficiently.
Initial Sketches & Design Choices
After speaking with future users of the tool, our group identified obtaining necessary data with the tool as being similar to an online shopping experience. Therefore, our design decisions were guided by sorting and filtering principles so researchers can access and download necessary files efficiently and with ease.
Mid-Fidelity Wireframes
Feedback provided on our initial sketches indicated that our first sketch, which broke up navigations horizontally and vertically, would provide a positive experience for users. Additionally, our team decided researchers should be able to create an account with the tool for the purpose of saving search presets and "favoriting" file bundles. To design our mid-fidelity prototype, our group gained inspiration from e-commerce websites including Nike & Bath and Body Works. The designs of these websites informed the design of the tool's navigation bars and drop-down menus.
High-Fidelity Designs
After receiving feedback on our mid-fidelity designs, our group decided to condense the search functionality to one page, the bundle size should be indicated visually to users, users must be able to name their bundles, users should receive a warning if previously downloaded files have changed, and altering the name of header labels to meet user expecations.
Future Directions
Through working with the KPMP team, our group gained a better understanding of the purpose of the project as well as the needs of researchers and how their goals are hindered with existing tools. The purpose of the Data Downloader tool is to allow researchers easier access to the files they need as well as understand what files are available. The developers of the tool will be utilizing our team's designs as they create an implement the tool for researchers involved in the Kidney Precision Medicine Project.
My Learning Analytics, or MyLA, provides students with course data visualizations pertaining to resources accessed by students, assignment weighting, and grade distribution. This project is supported by the School of Information, School of Education, and U-M ITS.
Introduction
Throughout my time as a research assistent, I have engaged in statistical analysis and qualitative coding of survey data, conducted interviews with student users, and provided design suggestions that have informed the development of the dashboard. As a result, I have gained proficiency in SPSS, RStudio, Qualtrics, qualitative coding methods, web design, and user testing.
Publications
In the summer of 2021, I collaborated with the MyLA research team to write a research article for Springer's collection entitled "Visualizations and Dashboards for Learning Analytics". Our article provided an overview of MyLA's dashboard process which incorporated principles from learning theory, human-computer interaction, and information visualization. Please see the citation below for more information:
Qualitative Coding of Post-Survey Data
At the conclusion of each semester, I completed a qualitative coding analysis of results from surveys provided to students that utilized MyLA in one or more of their classes. To complete the coding analysis, my colleagues and I generated a coding scheme to apply to students' responses regarding their usage of the dashboard. These findings allowed the team to identify underlying motivations, such as Social Comparison, Competition, Planning, and more. Our coding scheme was informed by self-regulated learning theory and allows the team to draw conclusions from student responses.
Please see below for a sample of the qualiative coding analysis and coding scheme.
User Testing: Assignment Planning View (Summer 2020)
During the summer of 2020, I collaborated with another research assistant to confust user testing for the Assignment Planning View in MyLA. To prepare for the user testing, the MyLA Development Team created a "sandbox environment" with fake data that simulated a college course where the user testing could take place.
Next, we created a list of tasks that we wanted participants to complete in the sandbox environment. The purpose of these tasks was to better understand student expectations of MyLA and where MyLA's design was falling short of those expectations. The user testing protocol included an introductory section describing the purpose of the testing section, a set of tasks for three separate sandbox environments, and a debriefing section. The user testing was conducted with ten student participants and each session was recorded (with informed consent provided by the testing participants).
The results from the user testing sessions suggested several crucial changes that needed to be made to better meet student expectations. Design suggestions included redesigning the view layout to reduce scrolling, using color more consistently, and increasing the size of certain visual elements for clarity. Suggestions to improve understanding of the view included redefining the "Lock Goal" box so that students could better understand its purpose, clarifying the purpose of the "Max possible grade" data, and allowing students to set to set assignment goals before setting course goals.
To summarize, the user testing feedback provided the MyLA team with crucial insights on how the Assignment Planning View could be better designed and developed to meet students' needs. These ideas were discussed by the MyLA team, synthesized into a list of changes that would be implemented, and released in the following major version release of MyLA.
MyLA Logo and Website Design
During the summer of 2020, I designed a logo for MyLA as well as a student-facing website where students can access frequently asked questions regarding MyLA's functionality and utility. To design the website and logo, I utilized Figma.
When creating the website, I made sure to include frequently-asked questions and answers from a student facing perspective as well as statistics indicating how MyLA could help students reach their course goals. I also incorporated our team's demo video and additional resources. Please see below for a low-fidelity and high-fidelity mockup of a portion of the website:
Please click here to visit the completed student-facing website.
While developing the MyLA logo, I created several iterations to capture the purpose of MyLA in a clean, concise design. Please see below for the various iterations of the MyLA logo, all created in Figma (with the last photo being the completed logo):
Events
I attended the Unizin Data Platform (UDP) Hackathon in February, 2020 and utilized RStudio to derive crucial insights from UDP data. The UDP allows universities to store and use learning analytics data with the purpose of creating data analytics dashboards, generating business intelligence, engaging in research efforts, and more.
During the two-day hackathon, I utilized RStudio with anonymized student data to generate potential correlations between student perceptions of learning strategies and Canvas behavior. At the end of the day, I presented my findings to hackathon participants. RStudio and ggplot2 were utilized to generate and visualize data.
Additional Resources
Please see the following links for more information on MyLA and the Unizin Data Platform:
My Learning Analytics (MyLA) Informational Website
Faculty and ITS Team Up To Develop New Student Dashboard
Unizin Data Platform (UDP) Website
Unizin institutions join pilot of learning analytics tools developed by U-M
Unizin October 2020 Hackathon Information
Summary
I can't say thank you enough to Dr. Stephanie Teasley and the entire MyLA research team for including me in the design and development efforts of MyLA for over two years. I truly learned so much about learning theory, data dashboards, and educational technology and had a variety of memorable experiences working with the team. I plan to utilize the skills I gained during my time with the MyLA team in my career to ensure that effective user-centered design practices are incorporated during the development of technological tools.
Matterhorn, a web-based platform created by Court Innovations Inc., allows users to file and resolve their small claims online with local courts utilizing the platform. This decreases courts' expenses for in-person dispute resolution and allows all citizens equal opportunities for justice.
Project Summary
Our team was tasked with redesigning the Matterhorn platform to better meet the needs of American Sign Language users. To meet this goal, our team conducted user research, gained crucial insights from primary and secondary stakeholders, and engaged in an iterative design process to provide a viable and efficient solution. To view our team's final report (PDF), please click here.
Project Background
Our team worked directly with the Franklin County Municipal Court in Columbus, Ohio (a customer of Matterhorn) to improve the accessibility of the online dispute resolution platform for American Sign Language (ASL) users. Matterhorn identified this user group as one whose needs may not be met with the current design of the platform. Therefore, we sought to improve the design of the platform to provide a positive user experience for ASL individuals.
RQ1: How do ASL individuals communicate, both with ASL and non-ASL individuals?
RQ2: What assistive tools do ASL individuals use to help them achieve online goals?
RQ3: What court resources are available to ASL individuals and how do they aid or hinder these individuals in achieving their goals related to legal processes?
RQ4: How does proficiency in English affect ASL users’ court experiences, both online and in-person?
Stakeholder Identification & Competitive Analysis
To provide an efficient solution for the target user group, our grouped engaged in a stakeholder identification process where we identified primary and secondary stakeholders. Additionally, we generated goals for these stakeholders to ensure that our resulting UX requirements incorporated the goals of all stakeholders effectively. We also conducted a competitive analysis to identify market competitors, and found that the Matterhorn platform is unique in the online dispute resolution network. Therefore, it became more imperative to design a solution for ASL users as there are no other existing online dispute resolution platforms in the market.
Heuristic Evaluation
A heuristic evaluation was conducted to increase familiarity with the platform and gain an increased understanding of the current user experience. Collectively, our group identified five unique tasks and five different severity ratings to incorporate into the evaluation process. Our group then identified several usability concerns with the platform that informed our UX requirements and in turn, our high-fidelity designs.
User Interviews & Secondary Interviews
Interviews with both primary and secondary stakeholders were conducted to better understand the needs of the ASL population and common shortcomings on websites and online platforms. Through our interviews, our grouped learned about Video Relay Services (VRS) as a method of communication, the lack of online accomodations for Deaf individuals, and the usage of in-person interpreters. Additionally, our secondary stakeholders included experts on ASL and the needs of the Deaf population. These users informed us that online platforms may not be truly accessible for ASL populations and it should not be assumed that ASL users are proficient in written English.
User Personas
Our team cultivated two personas based on our research findings. Our primary persona is an individual with low English proficiency, and our secondary persona is an individual with high English proficiency.
UX Requirements
UX requirements were identified and prioritized based on our user resarch findings. Results from our research findings suggested that an online platform may not be a viable solution for ASL individuals who have a low proficiency in written English and little experience using web platforms; therefore, the platform must accomodate these users by allowing them to efficiently schedule an in-person mediation session with an interpreter (if necessary).
Initial Sketches & Low-Fidelity Designs
Our initial sketches concerned redesigning the user registration flow and mediation flow to increase cohesiveness and organization. Our low-fidelity designs also included a redesigned home page where users could view a video describing the online mediation process (with English and ASL captions) and schedule an in-person appointment with an interpreter.
High-Fidelity Prototype & Future Directions
Our high-fidelity prototype included improved user interactions, a fully updated user registration and mediation flow, and updated designs based on our design validation study. The updated user registration flow provided visual clarity with the necessary steps being re-ordered for efficiency. Additionally, the negotiation space has been redesigned to visually communicate to users where they are in the mediation process as well as reduce toggling between screens.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our team was unable to conduct in-person interviews with members of the ASL population. Therefore, we recommended that our client reach out to these individuals for in-person feedback when it is safe to do so. Additionally, we recommended that the Matterhorn team engage in community outreach efforts to more closely connect with ASL users to better understand their needs.
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Redshift Education builds project-based learning content in virtual reality with a mission grounded in student-centered learning.
Position Objective
Throughout my time at Redshift, I assessed the project-based learning lessons from the user's perspective. This involved creating lesson storyboards, designing UI elements and lesson interactions, and employing iterative testing methods with user-centered design principles in mind. To view more about the projects I worked on, please click here.
Position Background & Responsibilities
As the UX Designer for Redshift Education, I was primarily responsible for ensuring that each lesson provided a positive user experience for students. The main question guiding my work was "How will users know to do X?" This question guided my work throughout the product development pipeline, extending from initial storyboard to the completed VR lesson. More specifically, my responsibilities included creating sketches of lesson objectives and elements, designing lesson UI elements with the Unity development platform, and communicating collabratively with team members to ensure a user-centered development process.
Creating Lesson Objectives and Voiceover Scripts
After generating lesson objectives collaboratively with the team, I created lesson scripts with detailed information regarding voiceover material, UI element placement, icons, and other lesson features. These documents as well as storyboards informed the developers of how the lesson should look and feel to the user. Below are documents that detail lesson scripts I created at the begining of the development process.
Sketches: Lesson Features and Objectives
Once the lesson scripts were fully completed, I sketched lesson features, icons, and elements for the developers and artists to implement in the VR lesson. I utilized interaction design methods to ensure that necessary actions would be clear to the user to minimize confusion and frustration. Additionally, I received feedback from the team as well as in user testing sessions and modified sketches as necessary based on the feedback.
Designs: Lesson Elements (Using Figma & Unity)
After refining my sketches based on feedback from the team, I designed UI elements and lesson features in Figma as well as Unity. Below are elements that I designed for the lesson-agnostic VR tutorial as well as the lesson-agnostic 2D platform tutorial.
Usability Testing
Throughout the development process, I engaged in usability testing both remotely with students and in-person with alternate users. I recorded my findings and presented them to the team to identify user experience shortcomings and devise solutions to increase clarity of lesson goals. Below are the questions I devised for usability testing sessions, as well as ideas for increased user engagement and feedback throughout the development process. Please note that I cannot share specific usability testing findings here for proprietary purposes.
Independent Projects: Accessibility Report
To assess the usability of Redshift's lessons from multiple user perspectives, I utilized a colorblindness simulator to determine specific pain points for colorblind users and provide effective solutions. I utilized the simulator for all of Redshift's lessons and devised a list of redesign recommendations and suggestions for next steps. Since I am passionate about inclusive design, I shared inclusive design techniques and suggestions with my team to ensure that Redshift's lessons are usable for users of all needs going forward.
Conclusion
Through working in this unique position, I learned how UX principles can be applied in virtual reality settings, how to use technical platforms including Unity for virtual reality development, and how to collaborate cross-functionally in a team to meet deadlines. I truly enjoyed improving my skills as a user experience researcher and designer in this position, and I look forward to applying what I have learned in future opportunities.