Laurel McDowall
Day job: Director, Context Strategy, Translation
Description: Laurel is a creative and results-oriented professional with exceptional leadership and communication skills. She has substantial experience obtained in fast-paced insurance and financial securities, telecommunications, IT consulting and advertising industries, demonstrating a solid track record of evaluating and recommending digital, social media and user experience strategies that meet consumers’ needs, and business and marketing objectives within project scope and budget.
Laurel’s specialties include: Quantitative & qualitative consumer research, online anthropology & social monitoring, digital behavior & trend analysis, current-state business assessment & competitive benchmarking,
digital asset optimization (user experience evaluation, usability testing), digital intelligence & best practices, personas & experience modeling, digital frameworks & ecosystem planning, facilitating participatory & generative design, website/engagement metrics & ROO analysis, creative conceptualization.
Here’s how Laurel explains just what she does: ” I often describe myself as a product psychologist, who analyzes several facets of a holistic user experience. A user experience is any interaction with any product, artifact or system. And an experience doesn’t necessarily require a computer screen. For example, a call to a customer experience department is one part of an overarching multi-channel user experience. Pushing a cart with a bum wheel through a grocery store is another example of a user experience. Ultimately, I analyze what works, what doesn’t work, and what are the gaps and opportunities for improvement.”
Superpower: “I’m clairvoyant, but don’t tell anyone. If I had another superpower, it would be to breathe under water (without a snorkel).”
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/laurel.mcdowall
