SAURABH SHARMA
UX Research + Strategy
USER-CENTERED PRODUCT
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PRODUCT-LED GROWTH
Over $12 million in business impact
100,000+ data points analyzed
"HOW MIGHT WE DESIGN TO SIMPLIFY HOTEL SEARCH?"
(Product Analytics + Session Recordings + Qualitative + Quantitative Research)
1150+ user & customer contacts
5+ international corporations
Global research + strategy
RECENT RESEARCH + STRATEGY WORK
"HOW MIGHT WE USE PRODUCT ANALYTICS STRATEGICALLY?"
(Linking Product Analytics with Product Strategy and Business Goals)
I'm a UX strategist + researcher who obsesses over being customer and society centric. With hybrid skills across strategy, UX research, design and marketing, I'm able to uncover user insights and turn them into product concepts, prototypes and features, and then test them.
Years of work, across global markets including US, China and India have made me curious, empathetic and open to diverse perspectives.
Over the years, I have received top honors for effectiveness in advertising design. I was awarded WPP's Atticus,
award for original thinking in marketing services multiple times.
My research and strategy work has also been published in AdAge, Campaign, WARC, Financial Times, among others.
In 2012, I published my first book 'Turbo Chinese,' which chronicles my experiences of learning a new language.
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"HOW MIGHT WE REPLACE IN-PERSON INTERACTION WITHOUT LOSING ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATIONS?"
(Business Objective Analysis + Qualitative Research + Design Exploration)
"HOW MIGHT WE MEASURE THE QUALITY OF EXPERIENCE DESIGN?"
(Analysis of current measurement practices + Goal-setting + Devising a user-centric measurement system + Testing)
"HOW MIGHT WE USE UX RESEARCH AND DESIGN TO SAVE MONEY AND ENHANCE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE?"
(Mixed Methods Research)
MY OUTLOOK
WE ARE IN THE GOLDEN ERA OF PRODUCT-LED GROWTH
Software products create extensive usage data. Interpreting this data, and making the right assumptions can inform qualitative and quantitative research. Such use of mixed methods can help us in understanding user motivations and inspire focused experimentation. This helps in improving the product and leads to measurable business outcomes.
By studying product analytics, and asking users the right questions, I make recommendations that make products more useful and businesses more successful.
MY SKILLS
USER EXPERIENCE RESEARCH
ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS, DRAWING IMPLICATIONS, AND TELLING A COMPELLING STORY
Research has been reshaped by cloud-based software tools. What used to take months and weeks can now be accomplished in a matter of days and hours, and at a fraction of the cost. By combining my knowledge of human motivations and my experience in utilizing various research tools, I'm able to spot actionable insights.
USER EXPERIENCE STRATEGY
LINKING USER EXPERIENCE WITH MEASURABLE BUSINESS OUTCOMES
I understand business and marketing goals and help translate them into behavior change mandates. As products evolve into outcomes, business and marketing also need to evolve from being brand-centered to being product + experience driven.
My experience in business and marketing, helps me in thinking and leading at the intersection of product and marketing. I have helped diverse teams in focusing on user needs and integrating efforts for better outcomes.
EXPERIENCE
SENIOR UX RESEARCHER
June 2020 - Present
SENIOR EXPERIENCE DESIGN RESEARCHER
October 2019 - June 2020
"Advocating for customer-centered and product-led growth"
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Analytics strategy to measure what matters.
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Customer personas to crystallize the design target.
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Applying mixed methods to scale insights, influence roadmaps and showcase impact.
"Enabling a 100-year old company become user centric"
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Researching, strategizing, ideating and designing for more persuasive web design (5x brands).
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Moving from brand centric content to user centric content and interaction.
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Measuring experience design by putting user goals at the center of measurement.
FROMROOTS LLC
UX STRATEGIST + RESEARCHER
January 2017 – Present
INSIGHT MANAGER > DIRECTOR > PLANNING LEAD
August 2003 – March 2016
"Putting users first, creating better products and driving growth"
I work with clients across diverse industries:
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Identifying user needs and laying out a framework for user centered growth.
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Supporting creative brainstorms and design sprints.
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Engaging and managing diverse stakeholders.
Industries: Healthcare; Passenger cars; Ride hailing apps
"Mining insights and integrating marketing design"
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Led and integrated planning across Ogilvy group companies.
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Grew Ogilvy’s share of revenue with key clients.
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Grew the strategy and planning team from 7 to 11 planners.
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Qualitative research to understand the impact of socio economic changes on consumption decisions.
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CX and marketing design strategy for multinational and Indian clients.
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We were recognized as the most effective experience agency.
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Finalist at Marketing Research Society of India annual paper presentations (“The value of adaptive research)”
EDUCATION
MASTER'S IN HUMAN COMPUTER INTERACTION AND DESIGN, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE (UCI)
MASTER'S IN BUSINESS AND ADMINISTRATION (AICTE)
MHCID @ UCI is a top-5 master's program in HCI. It prepares working professionals for the world of UX by diving deep into human-centered research, design and technology.
Master's program in business management (equivalent to MBA). The program prepares graduate students to become leaders in management, marketing and global business.
BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN COMMERCE, DELHI UNIVERSITY
Delhi University's bachelor's degree in commerce imparts foundational conceptual knowledge of subjects such as commerce, economics, business organization, communication and financial accounting.
MY UX PHILOSOPHY
BUSINESS ALONE IS NOT IMPORTANT, WHAT IT DOES, FOR THE CUSTOMER AND THE SOCIETY IS
[People are the only business that any business is in.]
PRODUCT ITSELF IS NOT IMPORTANT, WHAT IT HELPS USERS IN ACCOMPLISHING IS
[User before the product.]
DESIGN IS NOT IMPORTANT, WHAT IT DOES FOR THE USER IS
[Easy above fancy.]
STRATEGY IS NOT IMPORTANT, WHAT GETS EXECUTED IS
[Action over intention.]
RESEARCH IS NOT IMPORTANT, THE OUTCOMES THAT IT ENABLES ARE
[Outcome over output.]
