DANIEL LEE
User Experience Researcher | Musician
A Little About Me
My name is Daniel Lee and I am an energetic mid-career professional, graduate student at the University of Washington Human Centered Design Engineering, and a United States Air Force Veteran with a Bachelor's from the University of Washington Bothell in Community Psychology. Pursuit of knowledge and leaving footprints in this world are two of my life long goals. I aspire above all to help others reach their full potential through understanding and mentorship.
Research Projects
June 29, 2017 - June 30, 2017
Projects in Community Psychology
College campuses remain a polarizing environment for college students; they may feel disenfranchised from the campus community, other students, and faculty. Clubs on campus help combat this disenfranchisement by tying students to the college environment and their social surroundings by creating a sense of community. Clubs form in order to reach out to other students, or strengthen the bond between like-minded students, and therefore, create a sense of belonging.
May 2017 - June 2017
Bilingualism and the Effects on Cognitive Functions in Early Childhood
September 2016 - December 2016
Although a relatively new area of interest, researchers are finding positive correlation between bilingualism and the effect it has within certain cultures. Over the seven literature reviews studied and noted from various authors, a common theme emerged. Bilingualism not only affects the cognitive functions through executive functions, it also provides understanding in the way it works within cultures and affects creativity in profound ways. Majority of the research uncovered studied children under the age of 8, for reasons that cognitive functions are still developing and their exposure to a bilingualism culture is still unraveling.
(Generative and Evaluative) Storefront Redesign
June 6, 2019
When users visit a travel website and land on the storefront, they are either planning, shopping, or booking their next trip. Users spend a lot of time researching destinations and it's time consuming. What if we offered an alternative solution to the current experience, where we help our users discover new destinations based on what's important to them? The storefront redesign efforts were split up into 2 phases. The first phase was evaluating paper prototypes in a blind study with participants. Using insights from that study, the team iterated on a Hi-Fi clickable prototype. Phase 2, we tested 2 variants of that prototype with participants in a usability test, remote moderated.
(Exploratory Research)
Understanding our International COPD and Asthma Patients
July 16, 2020
As the company begins to expand its scope into other countries, the product team must obtain a deeper understanding into the lived experiences of people with asthma and COPD and the healthcare providers who care for them, as well as the cultural and healthcare context within a set of priority countries. Learning about people's perspectives, preferences, needs, and context where they receive or deliver care will allow the product team to take into account cultural and contextual factors as we plan for and begin delivering on deploying our brand at a global scale.
(Generative)
Understanding Workflows of Health Care Professionals and Perceptions on AI/ML Technology
March-April 2021
Health care professionals today are moving at a fast pace, plus trying to keep up with all of the latest technology and resources. Our team looked at ways, both AI/ML technology and non-AI/ML technology to improve their workflow so that they can focus on giving the best patient care. Two studies were conducted with health care professionals in a remote moderated study where I gathered feedback on existing workflows and perceptions/feelings towards AI/ML technology.
Visual Appeal Test of the MGM Brand Colors
August 2021
MGM Resorts International is one of the largest companies in the world where they maintain half of the ownership in Las Vegas and own multiple properties across the globe. In interests of improving the parent brand colors, I conducted a visual appeal test with travelers to determine which of the 2 color treatments presented represented the "look and feel" of MGM Resorts.
Contact me to learn more about my academic and professional research projects
Employment
iFIT
Sr UX Researcher
Sep 2021 - Feb 2022
Bridged the gap between iFIT users and technology through user research. Conducted a survey to understand why free trial users discontinue their membership after the 30-days are up. In the same survey, we also wanted to understand why free iFIT users do not subscribe to an iFIT membership and what the team could do differently to bring them back as paid subscribers.
Aside from the survey, I spent a lot of time working closely with PM's and Design team to understand their goals and research needs.
MGM Resorts
(via Talent Space)
Sr. UX Researcher
July 2021 - September 2021
My main mission at MGM Resorts was to be the lens that magnified the traveler's perspectives through user research. I helped the teams get deeper qualitative insights about their travelers and employees through user experience research. In my short amount of time, I conducted multiple qualitative studies from remote moderated user interviews to field studies to concept value testing with unmoderated testers to help my teams see from the consumer and employee perspective first. I also worked closely with strategic partners to define key objectives to understand their needs to drive business goals. I built a research roadmap that not only aligned with business objectives, but also gave my teams direct visibility into what was coming down the pipeline for potential research studies.
Microsoft
(via Allovus)
Sr. User Researcher
May 2021 - July 2021
I helped the MS Digital Team uncover powerful insights about their users through user interviews. These insights helped expand the footprint beyond one area and into another. This particular study sought to explore needs and pain points with key Microsoft roles ahead of any design concept evaluations.
Google
(via Synergis Creative)
User Researcher
Dec 2020 - May 2021
Analyzed study finings, created detailed reports, and presented to stakeholders.
Assisted senior researchers on larger projects (e.g. participant recruitment, data analysis, etc.)
Conducted heuristic evaluations. In addition, planned, conducted, analyzed, and delivered written reports of the results from usability testing.
Drew compelling recommendations from research insights.
Communicated effectively with a wide range of stakeholders, including overseas collaborators.
Created and maintained a dynamic research roadmap for the team.
Worked collaboratively with cross-functional teams to communicate research findings and share insights.
ResMed(via Collabera)
Sr. User Researcher
February 2020 - Nov 2020
Primary activities included:
Maintain research calendar and study and experimentation plans.
Meet with business owners to understand objectives, review study goals, and hypotheses.
Develop study designs and provide expertise on the best method for capturing behavioral and attitudinal insights.
Prepare screeners, interview guides, script, and tasks.
Work with vendors to screen, recruit, and schedule participants.
Implement studies to capture insights across various moments of user experience.
Conduct exploratory research to identify user problems, work with designers to ensure prototypes meet research needs.
Perform rapid qualitative user testing of prototypes.
Provide empathetic insights into the problem space as experienced by the user.
Ensure visibility and collaboration with other disciplines by bringing them along with research processes and promoting the value of research.
Expedia Group
User Experience Researcher
Sep 2017 - February 2020
Primary activities included:
Built out a research program across multiple spaces.
Identified best or mixed research methods based on research questions, timeline, and resourcing.
Designed research studies that distilled project goals and research questions into well-thought-out research plans.
Adopted new methodologies and identified research tools to drive business success.
Moderated iterative lab tests remotely and in the lab.
Conducted benchmark studies and consulted with various product teams.
Analyzed and consolidated research findings into an actionable story for stakeholders.
Reported out UX Scorecard results to global partners and high-level stakeholders.
Additional activities included:
Worked closely with peers to outline research plans, analyze, and consolidate research findings into a short, concise, actionable story for stakeholders and product teams.
Traveled as needed to support the success of the Innovation Lab.
Contact me to learn more about my employment history and projects
