Work Experience

Sr. User Research Lead & Manager, Amazon Web Services (AWS) | Sept 2022 - Present

+ Directedan international team of user researchers with a focus on simplifying AWS EC2for customers, and also led generative research initiatives for the EC2Enterprise team.

Senior User Researcher, AWS AIML & IoT, Amazon Web Services (AWS) |  Feb 2020 - Sept 2022   

+ Drove foundational research efforts for AWS AIML and AWS IoT Data Analytics, which informed the development ofentirely new products including AWS IoT Sitewise Console, Sitewise Monitor, and Sitewise Alarms. These solutions enable industrial users to conduct root cause analysis, monitor assets, and troubleshoot issues in real-time on factory floors.

+ Developed and executed ‘jobs to be done’ and persona-focused research studies, partnering closely with product,design, and engineering teams to inform the product roadmap. Data-informed changes driven by these research efforts ledto a 60% increase in user adoption for ML and IoT services.

+ Contributed to democratizing AWS IoT and AIML solutions by leveraging research insights to shape solutions thatcatered to non-technical and semi-technical roles, in addition to IT roles.

+ Collaborated extensively with cross-functional stakeholders, including designers, engineers, data architects, appliedscientists, and product managers, to ensure alignment on research findings.

Lead User Researcher, Uber | May 2019 - Feb 2020

+Served as the sole User Experience Researcher on the Uber Eats Order ExperienceTeam, leading foundational studies and usability testing that informed theinformation architecture design of the app and algorithm design for theAI-driven recommender system. Research-informed recommender model led to a 40%increase in user satisfaction.

+Developed a research strategy focused on improving the courier experience andincreasing their visibility and earnings. Research insights led to productstrategy changes that improved delivery partner satisfaction by 20%.

+ Leddesign research for a project focused on reducing waste and making fooddelivery more sustainable, helping Uber Eats play a crucial role in addressingenvironmental concerns.

+Collaborated closely with data scientists, product managers, engineeringleadership and designers to drive successful user-centered outcomes.

User Experience Researcher, Google | May 2018 - May 2019

+ As the soleUser Experience Researcher on the Google AI UX Computer Vision team, I ledfoundational research studies, sprints, and usability testing for a range ofspeculative and accessibility projects.

+ Bydistilling research findings into actionable insights and creating valuableartifacts, I played a critical role in informing the design of core Googleproducts, including the Pixel phone camera features.

+ Workingclosely with product managers, designers, research scientists and engineersacross various teams, I ensured that research insights were integrated intoproduct development processes.

Sr. User Researcher, The Seattle Times | Jan 2018 - Aug 2018

+Employed a range of qualitative research methods, including semi-structuredinterviews, ethnographic research, culture probes, and futures workshops, togain a deep understanding of the news consumption habits of millennials.

+ Ledthe design and development of a curated news reading experience, leveraging acutting-edge 'fuzzy clustering' AI algorithm to help users easily discover andconsume relevant news content.

+Collaborated closely with cross-functional teams, including designers,engineers, editors, journalists, UI engineers and product managers, to ensurethat the curated news reading experience met user needs and was successfullylaunched to market.

Sr. User Researcher, Paul G. Allen School ofComputer Science & Engineering | Sept 2017 - Aug 2018

+Developed a novel methodology and research instruments to evaluate the securityand privacy risks, considerations, and preferences of low-income users withvisual impairments in resource-constrained settings.

+Conducted a series of research studies using the developed methodology andinstruments, resulting in critical insights into the unique security andprivacy needs of visually impaired users in low-income settings.

+Worked closely with cross-functional teams to integrate research findings intoproduct development processes, resulting in more accessible and secure digitalproducts for underserved populations.

User Researcher, HTC  | Dec 2017 - Mar 2018 

+ Led theexecution of research activities such as surveys, interviews, and cognitivewalkthrough sessions, which provided critical insights into user needs and painpoints.

+Created a range of research artifacts, including personas, journey maps, andusability test reports, to communicate research findings and inform designdecisions for the HTC Vive Pro.

+Collaborated closely with multidisciplinary teams to ensure that researchinsights were integrated into product development processes, resulting in anincrease in user adoption by 30%.

Data Analyst & Quantitative Researcher, Massachusetts  Institute of Technology (MIT) | Dec 2016 - Dec 2017

+Collaborated with Dr. Chintan Vaishnav from MIT Sloan School of Management andXiaoyuan Charlene Ren from the Technology and Policy Program at MIT on aresearch project exploring the connections between sanitation, water quality,and health information in India.

+ Ledthe data processing and analysis efforts for the project, leveraging Python todevelop data models that were used to inform decision-making in the event ofwaterborne disease outbreaks.

+Played a key role in synthesizing complex datasets and presenting findings toproject stakeholders, including health organizations, government agencies, andcommunity groups, in order to drive actionable insights and improve publichealth outcomes.

Sr. User Researcher & Design Technologist, GLIB  AI   | Jan 2016 - Apr 2017 

+ Ledthe design and development of customized chatbots for local businesses byconducting ethnographic research and semi-structured interviews with users andcustomer service agents.

+Developed working prototypes utilizing machine learning algorithms such asneural networks to create intelligent chatbot experiences.

+Designed conversational user interfaces to provide an intuitive anduser-friendly experience for customers engaging with the chatbots.

Founder& Principal User Researcher, Startup Kahinee: A Rural Healthcare Initiative using Interactive VoiceResponse Systems | Dec 2014 - Dec 2016

+Co-founded a startup that aimed to educate mothers in rural parts of Indiaabout maternal healthcare issues using interactive voice response systems.

+ Ledethnographic research, interviews, surveys and focus groups with mothers,community health workers (ASHA), nurses and doctors in remote villages ofIndia, followed by collaborating closely with developers to predict epidemicoutbreaks using machine learning.

+Worked with notable clients such as IIPH (Indian Institute of Public Health),SEWA Rural, and Barakat Bundle, and won the Innovative Trainers Award -ITA-2016 by the Indian Society for Training & Development (ISTD).

+Presented at India HCI 2016, IIT Bombay.

UX Researcher, Awaaz.de, Teach For India | May 2015 - Dec 2015

+Conducted surveys and ethnographic research to gain insights into localclassroom setups and teaching methods.

+Utilized research insights to inform the design of an education platform for'Teach For India', aimed at educating teachers on how to handle childpsychology issues such as ADHD.

+ Ledthe distillation of research findings to ensure that the education platform waseffectively tailored to the local context.

AssociateUX Researcher, Monono Gentlewasher | Jan 2013 -  Sep 2014

+Conducted surveys, semi-structured interviews, and ethnographic research togain insights into local communities' laundry practices and challenges.

+Analyzed research data and synthesized key findings that informed the design ofa low-cost, compact washing machine that operates without electricity.

+Collaborated with a team of designers, engineers, and product leaders todevelop and refine the washing machine prototype.