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TV screen displaying Disney+ home page, mobile device displaying Hulu app, and Firestick remote
logos for Hulu, Disney+, ESPN+, Star+
Strategic UX research focused on streaming growth & monetization
UX Researcher, Growth
September 2022 - Present

Methodologies

Foundational User Interviews
Product Strategy
International Research
Concept Testing
Surveys
Heuristic Evaluation
Service Blueprinting
Usability Testing
Workshop Facilitation

Key Initiatives/Projects

Led research programs around:
Account Sharing Mitigation
Bundle Strategy & Sign-Up Flow
Disney Ecosystem (Streaming + Parks) Payment Features
Disney+ Profile Onboarding Flow
Immersive Streaming Opportunity Discovery

Overview

I cannot discuss my project work in detail due to an NDA, but I will highlight some of my roles and snapshots of my time at Disney.

Role

  • Led international research across 3 global markets to shape the product strategy of a major growth initiative in collaboration with product management and business strategy
  • Educated cross-functional stakeholders about service design and facilitated a collaborative service blueprinting workshop for 60+ stakeholders including VPs and Directors
  • Scoped and conducted 3 major foundational research initiatives and synthesized insights into visual frameworks to illustrate mental models and action on insights
  • Planned and performed multi-device in-person usability testing and unmoderated studies to identify areas of friction and test concepts

Impact

  • Generative studies laid the foundation for the product strategy driving key product feature decisions
  • Research led to me becoming a subject matter expert on major growth initiatives for stakeholders including SVPs and directors
  • Organization buy-in to UXR led to the UXR team helping to lead and facilitate a 3-day workshop with cross-functional stakeholders to transition from strategy to the design & development phase
  • Findings from concept and usability tests informed design direction, updates, and engineering algorithm decisions for features that will be used by ~200 million users across Disney+ and Hulu

📍 Highlights

Key moments and snapshots from throughout my time on the UX research team at Disney

Moderating usability tests in the NYC usability lab

Planned, moderated, and synthesized usability testing of 5 key features across living room, mobile, and desktop devices in our NYC usability lab
Sophia moderating a usability test in the usability lab while the participating is using a remote to control the TV
Usability testing set up staged in the usability lab with a product designer
Numerous examples of strategic research frameworks from Sophia's work
Examples of the types of strategic frameworks that resulted from the research work I conducted and synthesized

Strategic framework examples for visual communication

Because of the strategic nature of my work on the growth research team, I developed numerous visual frameworks to illustrate user mental models and convey complex findings to a diverse group of stakeholders

Yes, I did get to go to Disneyland!

UXR team offsite bonding in Disneyland 🎉
A picture of Sophia with the Disney UXR team at Galaxy's Edge in Disneyland
Me with the UXR team in Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland

💬 Testimonials

Some kind words from partners I worked with
I have had the pleasure of working alongside Sophia for over a year at Disney, and it has been an enriching experience to witness her exceptional skills and professionalism firsthand. Sophia's contributions to our credential sharing initiative have been pivotal in guiding its design and development.

Sophia has a unique talent for empathizing with users, allowing her to uncover deep insights that go beyond surface-level observations. Her ability to translate complex user data into understandable and actionable insights has been invaluable. Her presentations and reports are not just thorough but also engaging, making it easy for the team to grasp key findings and take action.

I wholeheartedly recommend Sophia to any organization looking to enhance their user experience research capabilities. Her skills, work ethic, and professionalism make her a valuable asset to any team.
- Edward "Trey" Russell, Senior Manager, Media Product
During her tenure with Disney Streaming, I had the privilege of working with Sophia on some of the most strategic and ambitious Commerce programs at Disney+.

Her calm poise, salient articulation, and strategic thinking is exceptional, to say the least. She listens to each of her stakeholders and understands how to best tailor research methodologies – solving not only what the organization is asking for, but also what they don't realize they need. To accomplish this level of steer with confidence and impact is a rarified skill.

With Sophia's ability to explain deeply complex concepts into simple, elegant visual metaphors paired with her brilliant presence, Sophia is a premium tier UX Reacher any team would be lucky to have.
- Megan de Castro, Senior Product Design Manager, Growth
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