ethnography

Field Study - Olay Skin Advisor (P&G)

Olay Skin Advisor is built on a deep learning algorithm and a suite of AI technologies. The platform helps people to better understand their skin and find products for their specific skin characteristics.

As Principal, I ran extensive studies that inspired a user experience capable of forming trusted human-machine relationships. Samples findings are displayed below.

Ethnography

VIEW CASE STUDY

Framework for Automated System Persona

Ocular Drug Delivery Device (Alcon)

Excerpts from a series of reports on the viability of Filament Extension Atomization technology (atomization of highly viscous fluids) as a means to deliver ocular therapeutics in the form of a Type II medical device.

Ethnography

Interview Clip

A particpant relates his experience administering eye drops (dry-eye lubricants). Such discussions served to inform product development and product viability decisions.

Extensive testing revealed the most common difficulties people
experience with the traditional eyedropper or droptainer:

• Aligning the tip of the eye drop bottle to its target

• Touching the bottle tip to the eye or other surface

• Needing two hands (one to drop the other to pull away the eyelid)

• Excess lubricant musses makeup or gives the appearance of crying

• Waste. Drops are expensive, especially the highly effective formulas

• Losing the bottle cap; guarding the tip from contamination

• Waste. Drops are expensive, especially the highly effective formulas.

Xerox Channel Operations

Pitched, executed, synthesized and reported on Xerox’s Channel Business operations collaborating with the office of the CTO to revise a Xerox’s marketing and distribution strategy. Orchestration included ownership of the entire research operation including scoping, methodology selection, recruiting, prototyping, and fieldwork—adapting between rigorous and scrappy approaches as needed.

Business Process Study

We conducted observational studies and interviews in the offices of Channel and Partner stakeholders in the USA and UK. We also discretely created a Channel Partner business of our own to understand issues firsthand. Findings and recommendations were presented every other month, concluding with a collaborative feasibility report.

Hospital Readmissions Study

In-hospital and at-home field studies inspired PatientCare’s patient experience, one that is guardian-like and conversational. Over a period of months, I interviewed and tracked a group of patients before and after an initial hospital discharge. We spoke face-to-face in the hospital, in private homes or at local cafes.

PatientCare is an AI-driven post-discharge care coordination platform designed to reduce hospital readmissions.

The system integrates with hospital analytics to identify high-risk patients prior to discharge and initiates a personalized, adaptive communication protocol aligned to each patient’s clinical condition and recovery path.

Real-time input analysis drives a human-in-the-loop escalation framework, enabling timely intervention by caregivers, family, or clinical teams.

Usability Testing

Clinical Trial Platform Usabilty Study Findings

ICntinous usability testing (e.g., 1-2/week) to affords:

Ongoing feedback and iteration;
Speedier product updates;
Greater insight into design and research process and status;
Increased sample size, more accurate findings ;
Iteration that is not backloaded.