Kristy Knabe

 

 

UX Strategist

Cresco, PA (Pocono Mountains)

Kristy Knabe

UX Strategist

Cresco, PA (Pocono Mountains)

In 1991, I packed up my VW Rabbit and drove from CMU in Pittsburgh to Cupertino for a summer internship at Apple Computer as a Usability Researcher. That summer changed my life. Personal computing was an emerging technology. A few people carried around a Blackberry but digital devices were for the most part concepts. The internet was on the horizon but limited by dial-up modems. But that summer at Apple, through one-way mirrors in research labs, I learned the basics of User-Centered Design — a methodology that continues to be a best practice for designing solutions that meet the needs of the target users. I returned to Apple after grad school and worked as a researcher and then a manager. These were formative years in digital innovation and user research was quickly becoming a fundamental part of product design.

After over 3 decades in this field, I remain a passionate advocate for the end user, always stressing the needs, wants, and desires of the user in defining, designing and implementing solutions. The technology we use to support UX research and design has evolved, but there is still no substitute for meeting with users and watching them as they work to fully understand how technology does and does not meet their needs.

Recent Work

  • UX Research Lead for a B2B Client — I oversee an ongoing UX research program for a client that develops platforms for scientific research and innovation. Working closely with my teammate Meredith, we are integrated into their product design team. We meet regularly with the client’s research admin and product managers to plan and execute their end-user research, running 2 to 3 studies a month. The insights help the client define product road maps and prioritize updates.
  • Competitive Research Program for a Financial Services Team — I implemented an ongoing research program for a large financial services client that provided insights on both their competitors and companies in other industries that offered options for digital engagement they were considering (like upselling or bundling products, offering support packages, etc.). This research allowed our client to keep their finger on the pulse in their industry, understand digital trends, and identify opportunities for new solutions.
  • Design Thinking Training for Management Teams — A large, global consumer products team contacted us to deliver training to their business unit leaders on design thinking. This training kicked off a year-long initiative to help them develop strategies to make their business more environmentally responsible. As an expert in design thinking methods, I developed training materials and co-led a multi-day workshop where we delivered hands-on training and taught why it is critical to understand consumers’ needs and goals before making any product decisions.

Past Experience

  • Life at Apple. When the first George Bush was President, I was involved in setting up Apple’s usability labs and establishing the user research program in the Instructional Products group. I consider myself very lucky to learn user-centered design principles as they were being established in the industry. I was a charter member of the Usability Professionals Association (now known as the UXPA) and regularly attended early conferences and seminars.
  • Many industries, many projects. I have worked with diverse types of companies, including financial services (Vanguard), pharmaceutical (GSK), healthcare (Inventiv Health) and energy (Direct Energy) companies. I have also worked on a variety of digital projects including websites, mobile apps, help systems, online forms and patient support materials. While the focus of each situation is unique, the UX research tools are often the same and we gain efficiencies from mastering the research protocols and applying them often.

Education

  • M.A. from Carnegie Mellon University in Professional Writing
  • B.A. from University of Arizona

Outside the Office

  • I’m a proud mom of 3 adult children: a software designer, a tattoo artist and a US Marine! Family gatherings are never dull!
  • I enjoy spending time in the Pocono mountains in northeast PA with my 2 energetic dogs.

Case Studies of Kristy’s Work

 

How a Monthly Live User Research Program Drove a User-Centered Culture

A Fortune 500 company was ready to scale user research and human-centered design across the enterprise. Here’s how they successfully launched a recurring research program, “Live Testing Tuesday.”

Usability Testing with Interior Designers for Phillip Jeffries

To guide a B2B website redesign, Phillip Jeffries hired Marketade to lead its first-ever usability testing study. The collaborative project led to “team alignment on how customers are using the site” and a concrete “action plan.”

Discovery Research with Government Case Managers for BI Inc.

BI was preparing to overhaul its enterprise software platform used by government agencies. We led a 3-phase discovery research project that included customer site visits, concept testing, and design thinking training.

Usability Testing with IT Security Managers for Malwarebytes

Before starting a redesign of its B2B software product, a cybersecurity company wanted a deeper understanding of its users and their pain points. Marketade led qualitative research and a stakeholder workshop that drove team alignment.

UX Expert Review of Aggreko’s B2B Website

The world’s largest temporary power company was seeking a UX evaluation of its new site for heavy equipment rentals. We led a heuristic evaluation that uncovered 34 improvement opportunities.