Lee Gingras
UX Research & Strategy
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Experience

Exceptional UX and product strategist for hire. Grab my resume here!

I'm a seasoned UX research leader based in Seattle, WA. I have 15 years of product leadership experience spanning UX research, design, and product management. I've led research on ML-powered experiences, personalization, privacy and social dynamics. I take a collaboration-first approach and am constantly scheming ways to make my insights stickier and more impactful.

EXPERIENCE

Lattice — Staff UX Researcher (2022 - 2023)

  • Owned Platform and Data & Insights research roadmaps and collaborated with product teams to activate insights into product roadmaps.

  • Triangulated qualitative and quantitative methods to identify underserved personas and unmet needs.

  • Scaled research insights across EPD by working closely with Data Science to launch Lattice’s first JTBD framework and user-centered OKRs, enabling teams to prioritize roadmaps and measure impact.

Amazon Alexa Identity — Senior UX Researcher (2018 - 2022)

  • Owned end-to-end research strategy and execution for net-new personalized Alexa experiences. Research scope included ML-driven personalization, biometrics, customer privacy and trust.

  • Leveraged in-person and remote methods including fieldwork, interviews, diary studies, usability testing, surveys and statistical analysis.

  • Created resources and processes to guide decision-making at scale, e.g. research repositories, benchmarks, frameworks & design patterns.

Amazon Alexa Identity — UX Designer (2017 - 2018)

  • Redesigned Alexa’s content management system to make it easier for voice designers to directly create & edit Alexa’s responses to direct voice queries; previously, changes had to be implemented by SDEs and was a blocker for internationalization teams.

  • Introduced new adaptive response capabilities to this CMS to enable Alexa to provide contextually appropriate responses using other signals (e.g. location data).

  • Created authentication design patterns for determining when & how to prompt users to provide additional identity signals (e.g. voice ID, visual ID, audio event detection)

LiquidPlanner — User Experience Program Manager
May 2014 - August 2016

  • Built a kick-ass design team, implemented a sustainable qualitative and quantitative research program, successfully fostered a strong culture of cross-functional collaboration, and gave project teams the tools to create valuable, useful product improvements. Results included increased sales, increased retention, and improved usage metrics.

LiveAreaLabs — Senior User Experience Designer
September 2013 - April 2014

  • Worked with creative and development teams to envision and bring e-commerce to life. Delivered complex taxonomies, tech-aware wireframes, and user research within tight budgets and tight timelines. Clients include Columbia Sportswear Company, Hancock Fabrics and Fender Guitars.

Garrigan Lyman Group — User Experience Architect
May 2012 - March 2013

  • UX lead on cross-functional teams of analysts, designers and developers to deliver web, mobile and cross-channel experiences. Led collaborative client workshops to create user experience journey maps and strategic roadmaps. Clients included T-Mobile and Rick Steves.

ITHAKA — User Research Coordinator
March 2010 - April 2012  

  • Initially hired as a User Experience Specialist, and then quickly promoted to this position due to exceptional service. Planned, managed and executed a wide range of research including usability testing, ethnography, and longitudinal studies in order to provide designers and business stakeholders with strategic insights and design solutions. Used personas, information radiators and other creative methods to socialize and normalize user research throughout the organization.

EDUCATION

University of Michigan, 2009. Master of Science in Information, Human-Computer Interaction

Michigan State University, 2007. Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy

 

PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

Curriculum development, instructor and mentor (2021-2023), Amazon UX Design and Research Apprenticeship Program.

Instructor, School of Visual Concepts (2014-current): User Experience 1 Class

Presenter, Interaction12 and MidwestUX 2012: : “The Craft of UX”

Author, Interactions Magazine, 2012: “In Defense of Doing it the Hard Way”

Presenter, IA Summit 2011: “Up Your Game”

Presenter, IUE 2011: “Growing Pains: Launching our First Longitudinal Study”