MDM, Principal Human Centered Design Researcher and Strategist

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Karen Kranz, MDM - Human Centered Design

Chicago, IL 773-***-**** ************@*****.*** linkedin.com/in/karenkranz Principal User Researcher and Strategist

Human-centered design researcher and strategist with 15+ years of experience. Accomplished insights professional and data storyteller proficient in identifying friction-free user experiences, white space opportunities, product positioning, brand architecture, strategic brand and go-to-market planning, product design, and communications. Clients served: Kraft Corporate, ConAgra, McDonald’s Global and US, Domino’s, Burger King, Tim Hortons, Wilson Global Tennis, First Chicago - Private Banking, Trust and Investment Management, Citi Diners Club Personal and Corporate Cards, Mass Mutual, Cricket Wireless, Barton Brands, Safeway, Fort James/Georgia-Pacific Corp., Edward Jones, JPMC Global Technology, Zebra Technologies, Humana, Tupperware, Ciba Vision, Solo Cup PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Principal User Researcher and Strategist, Consultant 06/21 - Current Good Matter

• Direct strategic planning for a sustainability-focused think tank leveraging insight mining and contagious content communications to spark social change

• Foster healthy and productive alignment discussions and workshops while collaborating closely with key stakeholders to ensure alignment early and often

• Discover consumer insights and analyze consumer values and behavior inconsistencies to develop consumer behavior modification strategies and opportunities

• Conduct extensive generational research of existing quantitative data to create a baseline for proprietary studies, continually monitoring behaviors overtime to define product vision and roadmaps

• Design and conduct qualitative consumer studies in Canada and the US to inform product development to elevate and educate consumer behavior

VP UX Researcher – Employee Experience Design, Global Help 11/22 - 03/24 JPMorgan Chase

• Served as a user experience researcher supporting the JPMC Global Technology design team, supporting improving employee productivity and employee retention across JPMC regions

• Dedicated to researching global employee help, enterprise search, and navigation experiences to improve global employee productivity

• Scoped, planned, and executed discovery and evaluative research studies, including analysis, synthesis, and reporting to inform stakeholder decisions

• Identified actionable insights, opportunities, and friction points across domestic and global employee experiences

• Advocated for user needs across business units, functions, and domestic and global regions

• Informed management decisions affecting European, Asian, and US regions, functions, and organizations

• Cultivated relationships with key stakeholders and support functions across the business

• Supported development of global MVP integrated help product to improve new and recent hire employee experience

• Conducted ongoing usability research influencing digital design investment decisions for global employee help experiences Lead Design Researcher and UX Strategist, Consultant 05/20 - 11/22 Clients served: Lafayette-American, Statement Communications, Edward Jones, Publicis Sapient

• Research design and execution - conceptualized, designed, and conducted qualitative and UX research

• Conducted in-depth interviews, usability testing, and design strategy projects, informing and improving user experiences

• Client-facing project leadership, managing client and key stakeholder relationships

• Conducted in-depth interviews with social justice subject matter experts that informed video content development and improved internal and external user experiences

• Designed communications platform strategy for FHN (Financial Health Network) that improved site navigation and elevated brand experience

• Conducted user research dedicated to designing future state financial advisor/client relationship experiences impacting 8 million clients with total assets estimated at $2 trillion

• Analyzed and synthesized data, sharing findings, insights, and recommendations with design teams for improved, frictionless user experiences

• Recommended revised user journeys, flows, and wireframes, improving overall mobile app user experiences an engagement, impacting 40 million users

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Design Researcher and UX Strategy Lead 07/19 - 04/20 Rabinovici & Associates Client - Zebra Technologies

•• Research and strategy lead for Zebra’s entrance into the retail robotics market at the 2020 National Retail Federation show

• Developed successful launch strategy for EMA50, Zebra’s robotic solution designed to turn data into corrective actions to improve retail performance and increase profitability

• Additional research and strategic planning support for LOBs, including scanning and RFID for government and public sectors and warehouse and distribution

• Supported product and marketing managers with customer-centric insights vs. product features VP, Financial Services Industry Strategist 08/18-02/19 Epsilon, division of Alliance Data

• Managed research and strategy development for financial services clients utilizing largest database of 250,000 US customers informing creative campaign development

• Developed marketing communications strategy resulting in winning the TIAA account

• Designed, and executed marketing research for existing and prospective financial services clients, including ProShares and Edward Jones

• Analyzed and synthesized data to identify insights and recommended new customer acquisition strategies

• Authored internal monthly newsletter featuring consumer and industry trends to focus creative teams on salient market developments

Lead Design Researcher and UX Strategist, Consultant 05/16 – 07/18 MEADE, Taproot Foundation

• Qualitative Research and Strategy Lead for Samsung and Molson-Coors user experience and product research

• Designed and analyzed focus group study with field service managers in three markets, exploring effective strategies for marketing and sales

• Strategic planning lead for Taproot Foundation’s Meals on Wheels Chicago brand redesign, addressing donor confusion with competing Meals on Wheels organizations in adjacent geographies Strategic Planning Director, Consultant 11/14-04/16 JWT Toronto Client - Tim Hortons US

• Creative Strategy Lead for Tim Hortons US, positioning the brand for aggressive growth in 15 key US markets

• Developed creative strategies focused on product differentiation and voice of the consumer that significantly improved same-store monthly and YOY sales

• Proactively identified, developed and presented new product strategies focused on brand differentiation and white space opportunities for aggressive market expansion

EDUCATION, CERTIFICATIONS & PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

• Master of Sustainable Enterprise, Stuart School of Business, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL

• Master of Design and Innovation Planning, Institute of Design, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL

• Master of Science, Advertising Research & Management, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL

• Bachelor of Arts, Journalism, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI

• IBM Enterprise Design Thinking Practitioner

• Social Media Bootcamp, General Assembly, Chicago, IL

• Color Marketing Group - ChromaZone 2022 - color forecasting workshop for Europe and North America

• Cradle To Cradle – Certified Catalyst

• Swedish American Chamber of Commerce – Chicago Chapter

• Illinois Green Alliance - Greenbuild volunteer, 2014 – present

• Former FINRA Series 7 and Series 63 licenses

Leadership Qualities and Skills:

Empathy Critical thinking Problem framing Adaptive management Brand Strategy and Stewardship Marketing Communications Strategy Consumer Insights & Human Truths Go-to-Market Strategy Personas and Journey Mapping Competitive Analysis Target Audience Insights Macro and Micro Trends Analysis Qualitative & Ethnographic Research Quantitative Research Client & Stakeholder Management Marketing Operations Voice of the Consumer Creative Storytelling Tools:

Certified LUMA Practitioner Mural Optimal Workshop Survey Monkey User Zoom User Interviews 3

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