Lead UX Researcher based in Montréal. Currently at Zendesk, previously Shopify. After hours working on guidetouxr
Hi! I’m Paulina
Listening to others’ stories is both my passion and my trade. After graduating with Masters in Sociology I found myself working as a strategic planner for Fortune 500 companies helping them tell the most compelling stories in their communication. Eight years ago I decided to move from writing stories to making them reality through the power of design. UX and UX research has been my home ever since.
My process.
I am a UX researcher with a background in social studies, marketing and strategic planning. I wore many hats throughout my diverse career, from a market researcher, strategic planner to UXer. I was also a startup founder, an experience that gave me first-hand insight into the software development process.
Research methods I commonly employ include user interviews, usability tests, contextual inquiries, diary studies, surveys, card sorting and heuristic analysis. My research approach is centered around following principles:
Engagement
As a researcher embedded in the product team, I engage my team in the whole research process and track the impact of my work. Similarly, when working with my stakeholders, I engage them early to understand the business context (my strategic planning background helps), update them on research progress before delivering results.
Storytelling
Stories are powerful vehicles for sharing insights and driving meaningful change. As a researcher, I am also a communicator who harnesses the power of storytelling to create impact across my organization.
Community of practice
Working at the forefront of the democratization of research, I focus on creating a community of practice where UX Researchers and non-researchers who conduct research can learn from one another.
Recognizing the need is the primary condition for design.
Charles Eames
My CV
Since 2018 I have been part of the UX research team at Shopify as a UX researcher and recently as a Research program manager.
Before Shopify, I was a UX generalist and UX researcher working with startups and corporations across different industries and verticals. I have 5+ years of experience working on software products in e-commerce, fintech, hr-tech, edutech and pharma companies. Some of my clients include GTech, Servier, P&G Gillette, Workservice and Magnusson Law.
Before becoming a UX designer, I worked as a strategic planner for the international ad agency BBDO and brand manager for telecom company Netia.