SARAH STUTTS, MS

UX researcher leveraging ethnographic insights to drive business growth and champion user advocacy with actionable, data-driven strategies.

I'm an applied anthropologist & UX researcher.

I specialize in ethnographic research, uncovering the extraordinary within the everyday. Driven by a passion for using research to forge meaningful connections and solve problems creatively, I leverage my anthropological training to blend qualitative and quantitative methods. My goal is to translate insights into impactful design decisions, crafting innovative products, systems, and experiences that place human complexity at the heart of the process. With a proven track record across diverse fields—ranging from market research and academic studies to medical settings and UX design—I bring a wealth of expertise to every project, always with a commitment to improving lives through thoughtful research.

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Portfolio Case Study:
Ensuring Usability of Peripheral Manager App to Launch MVP

Overview

Context

Before launching their new peripheral management app, a computer company aimed to ensure the app’s usability for a range of tasks and gather feedback to make final design iterations. Their goal was to optimize their minimum viable product (MVP) for a successful launch.

Responsibilities & Scope

This project was part of an iterative development process and the final research phase for creating a user-friendly peripheral management app. The app was designed for business end users who work from home and manage multiple peripheral devices (such as a mouse, external keyboard, or camera) as part of their home office setup, with some consumer end users also included in the recruitment.

Process

As the team leader, I spearheaded the project and managed a research team consisting of 2 research assistants, 2 notetakers, and 1 recruiter. Given that this project was conducted remotely with an external client, effective communication and collaboration were crucial. Initially planned for 4 weeks, the project extended to about 6 weeks due to prototype updates from the design team and additional queries from the marketing team. I adapted the project timeline accordingly.

Through this project, I identified specific usability barriers and proposed potential solutions to the design team, while validating the overall design for the product manager. This work enabled the client team to successfully launch their MVP shortly afterward. Overall, the project enhanced my understanding of cross-functional coordination within a large company.

During the recruitment phase, I created a discussion guide aligned with our research objectives: identifying usability barriers and collecting feedback on the app’s design. After the client approved the recruit and discussion guide, I conducted 15 in-depth user interviews, guiding participants through user scenarios and tasks to probe for detailed feedback. This approach allowed us to model user journey maps with qualitative data.

Following fieldwork, I synthesized the collected data, interview recordings, and notes into a set of insights that addressed our research objectives and answered additional design questions. Each insight was bolstered with participant quotes and data visualizations to advocate effectively for user needs. The final step involved a comprehensive readout to the client team, including various stakeholders and company executives.