Heather Karlson
UX Researcher
& Strategist
10+ years experience with mixed methods research.
Transforming ambiguous challenges into strategic solutions.
Skillset
Through experience in a variety of environments, I've acquired a versatile skillset that enables me to approach challenges from multiple perspectives, balancing both high-level and detailed views.
UX RESEARCH
Concept Testing
Multi-part study design
Contextual Inquiry
Heuristic Review
Survey Design
Discovery Research
Usability Studies
Remote Research
Hardware & Software
Journey Maps
UX STRATEGY
Stakeholder Management
Research Roadmaps
Building Partnerships
Strategic Consultation
Problem Solving
Opportunity Identification
Analytical Thinking
High Level and Detailed view
Change Management
Organizational Analysis
COLLABORATION
Synchronous Workshops
Mentorship to Researchers
Research Advocacy
Community Building Activities
Research Process Improvements
Communication
Planning and Organization
Leadership
Adaptability
Enthusiasm and Inclusion
Experience
Organizations I've conducted research for
UX Strategy
Specializing in designing and implementing strategic research aligned with desired business outcomes.
SUCCESS STORY
Secured senior product leadership endorsement on a multi-phase research strategy. Implemented ongoing contextual feedback that directly influenced feature prioritization for new $100M client-facing portal.
Cross-Team Collaboration
Strategically building partnerships and identifying opportunities for research to deliver value to organizations.
SUCCESS STORY
Initiated a strategic partnership between UX research and Change Management, resulting in a transition from no cross-team collaboration to effective teamwork within 6 months.
Research
Solving complex ambiguous challenges with mixed methods research.
SUCCESS STORY
Transformed a highly technical user journey research artifact involving 20 systems, 10+ users, and more than 5 phases into an intuitive interactive resource for rapid onboarding and providing easy access to process and system integrations for established employees.
Toolbox
These are tools I utilize regularly.
Honing my craft and increasing efficiency and quality requires me to always be open to learning and experimenting to utilize technology to optimize research.
FigJam
Endorsements
What people say about working with me
"Heather is an invaluable collaborator and project leader ... always been willing to dive into a new, tricky question and new, tricky project."
- UX Research Manager
"Heather has a unique ability to come up with ideas that are both creative and practical."​​
- UX Research Manager
Heather's dedication to excellence and her incredible ability to communicate effectively with cross-functional teams have been truly inspiring.
- Colleague
"Heather's ability to understand user needs and translate them into actionable insights is unparalleled."
​
- UX Director
Heather is expert at translating very complex, scientific concepts and techniques to simple, relatable concepts to Marketing, Insights, and Engineering staff, as well as, consumers.
- Client
"I was impressed by Heather's ability to quickly understand our products, as well as each of the medical specialty audiences and the way they speak about their information needs."
-Client
Education
M.S.
Human Factors in Information Design
M.Ed.
Curriculum and Instruction
B.A.
Photography and Writing
Certificates
Prosci Certified Change Practicioner
