Content Strategist in the digital product space, based in Atlanta with 8+ years in product strategy and optimizing user experiences.

Intro

Hello! Welcome to my portfolio.

I’m passionate about working on digital products that make life better for people.

I have eight years of full-time experience improving digital platforms and ecosystems with six years in regulated industries, e.g., financial services, insurance, and healthcare.

I’m most eager to find a role that enables me to work directly and regularly with Engineers, Product Managers, and Data Scientists. I thrive best in environments where I can collaborate directly with these peers and problem solve collectively instead of solely within a Design silo.

Portfolio

Goal: Find out why financial advisors were not consistently storing documents in the correct locations, leading to a reduction in compliance adherence. Make changes to drive improvements.

Uncovered key discrepancies for compliance adherence of a document management system

Process & Solution:

  • Started the project by digging into platform data analytics and directing user research sessions to uncover mental models and map current-state frustrations.

  • We found several areas to improve: updating the information architecture and UI (design), automating key metadata and tags as files are uploaded, implementing new search features, and cleaning up training documentation.

  • I work closely with our product, engineering, compliance, legal, and design partners to write out technical feasibility, maintain user stories, and regularly prioritize our backlogs while we implement our solutions.

  • I also lead bi-weekly stakeholder alignment meetings to ensure everyone is on the same page and heading in the same direction.

Goal: Improve user experience and reduce customer support requests for a company bonus dashboard that failed initial success metrics.

Perimeters:

  • Don’t provide projections the company can’t guarantee

  • All stakeholders must approve of changes

Improved the user satisfaction of a struggling dashboard by uncovering more specific user needs and catering updates to those needs

Process & Solution:

  • When I joined the project, I met with the designers, engineers, product manager, and UX researcher to get up to speed on their research sessions, where the current design stood, and our technical feasibility. I then met with subject matter experts to understand the bonus itself and learn more about what common themes we saw from customer support tickets.

  • Two new rounds of user research led stakeholders to prioritize a thorough break down and explanation of all the calculations behind the bonus. I suggested that while in the right direction, we were not meeting the true need of our users. While providing a breakdown of the math would meet the user request, it would not fully meet the why behind it: users assumed that if they understood the math, they could determine where their rates came from and where they needed to improve to earn a bigger bonus. I didn’t have confidence that the latest design could provide users with this support.

  • With my hypothesis in mind, I provided specific updates to the dashboard: rearranged sections of the dashboard to surface information differently, prioritized actionable tips with clear explanations, included user-specific metrics with clear YOY and YTD trend tags and tooltips, and consistency across the calculation breakdown section.

  • A new round of user research confirmed my hypothesis, and empowered us to make the necessary updates and get unanimous stakeholder approval.

Results:

  • Pilot results are exceeding expectations and a company-wide release is scheduled for later this year.

My core values

Listen + set expectations early

I hold 1:1s with product, engineering, design, and UXR to learn about the product from their perspectives and review the goals, limitations, perimeters, budgets, etc. to ensure I’m proposing solutions that are technically feasible and will fit the need.

During these calls, I also ask what my peers expect of me and what I can expect of them, promising transparent and regular updates in exchange for collaboration and feedback.

Dive into the data

If a product doesn’t have data to review, it’s one of the first things I prioritize so we can measure our success and support decisions when the project pivots (because it always pivots). This includes product usage metrics and user feedback.

I have experience building data dashboards, analyzing complex data pools, synthesizing a story from the complexity, and presenting key data findings to business leaders.

User research focused on the why

I find that users often tell us in user research what frustrates them about a product or what feature they’d like to see next. But at the end of the day, it’s our job to dig deeper to the core need that is driving those frustrations and requests.

If we can uncover those driving factors, we can find multiple solutions and then work with our reality to bring at least one to life.

Goal: Migrate where appropriate and curate several unique e-learning curricula to cover topics from licensing to disciplinary.

Perimeters:

  • Host SME interviews to ensure content integrity and consistency

  • Be scalable since new courses were to be added regularly

Launched E-Learning Programs Using Instructional Design Methods

Process & Solution:

  • Reviewed existing platform data analytics to identify opportunities for new platforms to improve

  • Directed stakeholder and subject matter expert workshops and interviews to establish a creation, review, and alignment process for course content

  • Used the ADDIE instructional design method to revamp outdated and create new curriculum and course assessment criteria

  • Led weekly team meetings to drive progress and coordinate across Docebo staff, Workday LMS staff, and internal stakeholders

  • Since I have a journalism and technical writing background, I was the final editor of all course content and supporting material, including the video scripts and closed captions.

Results:

  • New advisor surveys saw a reduction in learning course and platform complaints

Goal: Offer clients and advisors another means to communicate, especially for quick updates and questions that don’t require meetings.

Perimeters:

  • Integrate in existing client and advisor mobile apps

  • Ensure security and privacy laws are followed and confidence in both remain high

Built an Advisor-Client Chat Mobile App Feature

Process:

  • I coordinated communication and alignment across three engineering teams to build the chat app into their respective platforms. We mapped technical feasibility with existing design principles to design and build an experience that seamless fit into each app.

  • Directed user research for advisors and clients to test solutions and make edits accordingly.

  • Worked with regional network office staff to craft the product go-to-market strategy to launch the chat feature.

Results:

  • During our pilot phase, our advisors had 65-80% of their clients opt-in within the first two weeks.

  • We saw a 10% reduction in policy lapses for at-risk clients (defined as clients who missed their first two premium payment due dates) who opted in and received a response within 12 business hours.

Hello! My name is Brianna. I’m based in Atlanta where I currently work remotely for a large financial services corporation.

I’ve worked fully remote since 2019 (pre-covid) and prefer that work style as it fosters a better work-life balance. I would not be against a hybrid work environment as long as the company and location aligned with my personal and professional goals.

In addition to my current adventure with a Fortune 100 company, I’ve spent several years with a fast-paced, rapidly-growing startup where I acquired various skills and experiences: product marketing, product design, end-to-end user experience, stakeholder management, user testing, data analytics, and many others. I have a degree in Journalism and I started my professional career as a technical writer.

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