portrait of Kennedy DeSousa

About Me

I am highly experienced and dedicated UX Researcher passionate about understanding and improving the user experience. My background includes a mix of formal education, professional experience, and volunteer work, all of which have contributed to my strong understanding of the human condition and my ability to empathize with users from diverse backgrounds.

My Approach? 

I am a highly empathetic and analytical researcher with a solid ability to listen to and understand users' needs. My approach combines qualitative and quantitative methods to gather actionable insights that inform design and development decisions.

Background

Education
Master of Science in Human-Computer Interaction (In Progress) from DePaul University
Bachelors of Fine Arts (BFA) from California Institute of the Arts
Professional Certificate in User Experience (UX) Design from UC Berkeley Extension

Professional Experience
Senior Human Factors Engineer at Sony Electronics
UX Research Assistant at Blink
UX Researcher at Itemize
Head of User Experience Research at SDXD (volunteer)

Certifications & Courses
Coding Dojo - Certification in Web Development
Interaction Design Foundation - Certifications in various UX research and design topics
UC Berkeley Extension - Professional Certificate in User Experience (UX)
Design

Skills
Strong understanding of user research methodologies, including usability testing, surveys, ethnographic field studies, and more.
Experience with survey creation and analysis, data management, and presentation of research findingsStrong project management skills, with the ability to coordinate and execute research projects with cross-functional teams.
Proficient in Qualtrics and other research tools.
Strong ability to collaborate and communicate effectively with designers, engineers, and stakeholders at all levels.