SurveyMonkey
Helping authors make informed decisions through data
Role
Research
Ideation
Wireframing
Prototyping
Duration
May 2021 - April 2022
Tools
Figma, Invision, Abstract, Mural, Jira
WHAT DID I DO?
Helping authors create intuitive, accessible, and effective surveys while in the Surveys team. Enabling Market Researchers to gauge the usage patterns and attitudes of their target audience while in the Market Research team.
PROJECTS
During my time at SurveyMonkey, I touched many different parts of the platform. I worked on projects that took on accessibility, design systems, growth, ease of use, and much more. Due to the diverse nature of my work, I often found myself in calls with designers and researchers on completely different teams. This enabled me to have a holistic view of UI/UX patterns at SurveyMonkey, and informed my design choices throughout the process of each project.
Due to NDA, please reach out to learn more about my work at SurveyMonkey!
FROM STUDENT TO INTERN TO ASSOCIATE
3 Key Takeaways
TAKE CONTROL OF THE DESIGN PROCESS
In school, the design process was handed to me on a silver platter. Professors told me to conduct research, sketch wireframes, generate prototypes, conduct usability testing, and everything in between. I had yet been given the chance to choose the order in which I utilized these design tools.
At SurveyMonkey, I was given real responsibilities over real projects with real monetary impact. I had no clue where to start with the projects I was the Design Lead for, although I had all the tools I needed. With practice and guidance from my mentors, I now have more confidence in my choices, and know when and where to use specific design tools.
OF COURSE... COMMUNICATION
Communication is key to avoid misunderstanding when collaborating with cross-functional partners. Not only this, but doing it all through a screen while working from home can pose further challenges. Communication is not only building easy to understand sentences, it's understanding stakeholder's communication styles, taking advantage of the fact that everything is being viewed on a screen instead of a board room, being open to giving and receiving feedback, and not being afraid to ask what that acronym stands for a second time.
YOU KNOW MORE THAN YOU THINK
As the design lead, I was supposed to be the design expert on the projects I worked on. Joining the company as a student with little experience, I was scared to voice my concerns and opinions. I've since learned that title does not take away from years of study, practice, and knowledge. I bring value to the team, and when you combine the skills of many, you can become an unstoppable force. I now know how to collaborate with stakeholders while advocating for the design solution that best fits our project goals.