Design Researcher

EDWARD WILLIAM BENFIELD

*** ***** ******** **, ****** 8, IRELAND

+44-794*-****** ********.******@*****.***

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE .

FREELANCE DESIGN RESEARCHER

Dublin, Ireland and London, United Kingdom September 2017 – present

-Manage research projects in a variety of industries on behalf of Hatch Regeneris, Marks & Spencer, National Geographic and We Made That

-Conduct user interviews, collect data & gather evidence-based user research to inform creative strategies in marketing and urban planning; provide content ideation and logistical expertise in journalism

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE PHOTO PRODUCTION COORDINATOR & EDITORIAL RESEARCHER

Washington, D.C. December 2014 – September 2017

-Produced and managed an average of 25 National Geographic magazine feature stories simultaneously in various phases from pitch to publication

-Carried out a wide variety of qualitative and ethnographic research for our January 2017 Pulitzer-finalist issue on the topic of ‘gender,’ including participant interviews and behavioural studies to guide content strategy

-Developed visual narratives through content ideation, situation proposals, picture research and setting up shoots with varying degrees of difficulty and sensitivity

-Liaised with photo editors and photographers during entire production cycle–story research, budget creation, scheduling and logistics, file management, colour correction, layout/design/copy needs

ART RESEARCH INTERN September 2014 – December 2014

-Researched quantitative data for the ongoing production of maps and graphics for print and digital stories; collaborated with designers and cartographers to help finish projects by short and long-term deadlines

RAINBOW HISTORY PROJECT DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Washington, D.C. July 2015 – September 2017

-Managed photographic collections donated to DC’s LGBT historical society; obtained grant funding to digitize collections and sourced community information about the images

GWU FINE ARTS DEPARTMENT DARKROOM & NEW MEDIA LAB TECHNICIAN

Washington, D.C. September 2011 – May 2014

-Supervised photography students in the digital lab and darkroom; maintained darkroom through quality control of chemicals, enlargers and other equipment

EDUCATION .

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON M.A. DESIGN ANTHROPOLOGY

London, United Kingdom September 2018

- Dissertation: an ethnography on the design of queer space and human experience in London

THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY B.A. INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS AND ANTHROPOLOGY

Washington, D.C. August 2014

-Double major with a concentration in Contemporary Cultures and Societies

-Two semesters overseas in 2013:

oUniversity of Sydney – Sydney, Australia

oSchool for International Training – Buenos Aires, Argentina

SKILLS AND ABILITIES .

- Qualitative, quantitative and online research methods

- User research, usability testing and in-depth interviewing

- Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office

- Spanish proficiency, basic knowledge of Russian and German

- DAM/CMS: Media Grid, AEM, WordPress, Tumblr

- Media editing: iView, Photo Mechanic, LightRoom, Keynote

PORTFOLIO .

Research & Production (National Geographic Magazine Feature Stories)

-I helped produce and research varying aspects for every feature I worked on, but these are a few which I had extensive involvement in planning the photographic coverage

How Muslims, Often Misunderstood, Are Thriving in America

For Black Motorists, a Never-Ending Fear of Being Stopped

How Science is Unlocking the Secrets of Addiction

The New Europeans

-The following stories I worked on as a part of a special issue on gender, for which National Geographic staff were a Finalist for a 2017 Pulitzer Prize in Explanatory Reporting and won a 2018 National Magazine Award for best Single-Topic Issue

How Science Is Helping Us Understand Gender

The Many Ways Society Makes A Man

A Challenge for Girls Today: Moving Beyond ‘How Do I Look?’

By-Lines & Photo Editing

-These are a selection of digital pieces I have pitched, produced and edited

Virgin Islands Source - LGBTQ Community See Losses in Territory, But Reason for Hope

National Geographic - Food Trucks and Photography: So Happy Together

National Geographic - Beyond Marriage: Photos of LGBT Life

National Geographic - A Photographer Infiltrates the Rio Funk Scene

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