My Background
I’ve had the opportunity to practice research and design across industries in Europe, Asia, and the U.S., with my career beginning in the service industry, where I first discovered the power of human-centered design. Working with a global quick-service restaurant brand through the Halverson Group consultancy, I progressed from analyst to product and operations researcher, eventually managing a team of 10. These early experiences taught me how thoughtful, customer-first design can drive meaningful impact. Before research, my first career in restaurants not only paid my way through school but also instilled a deep appreciation for the empathy, teamwork, and work ethic that create extraordinary results. It was in these environments that I first saw how big outcomes could emerge from small, everyday interactions—how a simple gesture could transform a customer’s day or how teamwork could turn a busy shift into a seamless, almost magical experience.
Today, I carry this service-first mindset into everything I do. Whether I'm leading teams or solving complex design challenges, I’m driven by a desire to delight users and colleagues alike, creating not only innovative solutions but also memorable, impactful experiences. I thrive in roles that foster trust, camaraderie, and mutual accountability, where collaboration fuels creativity and performance. I find that the most profound results come from environments where people are not just working together but genuinely care for each other’s success—much like the close-knit, high-energy atmosphere of a restaurant team. It's in these spaces, where hard work and joy coexist, that I’ve seen some of the most transformative outcomes, both for the people involved and the experiences we create.
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Partner with product, design, and engineering teams to define research plans and prioritize learning objectives.
Conduct regular moderated user interviews and usability testing to validate product concepts, evaluate prototypes, and uncover customer needs across key segments.
Analyze and synthesize qualitative and quantitive research into actionable insights, delivering clear recommendations to inform product strategy and design decisions.
Collaborate cross-functionally to embed research into product development, share findings through knowledge systems, and guide research prioritization across multiple teams.
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Coordination of market and UX research projects / deliverables.
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• Supported research needs of 5 designers through close collaboration, training, and execution of mixed method studies.
• Consultant to all areas of business including sales, operations, and marketing to guide vision, strategy, and roadmap planning.
• Defined, planned, and executed end-to-end studies with a focus on mapping foundational user needs, concept and usability testing for web and mobile products.
• Created user flows, wireframes and high-fidelity mockups in Figma.
• Traveled to several territories to observe operations and meet with area leadership, housekeepers, & maintenance staff to make user-centric recommendations on how to improve owner communications.
• Identified KPIs and strategic levers to benchmark, evaluate, and monitor designs.
• Impact: Sales funnel research and service design led to a 46% reduction in sales admin time and 30% increase in user engagement.
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• Long term contract, split function role: Collaborated with designers, engineers, and other stakeholders to lead marketing project initiatives such as website development. I also led or otherwise contributed to a wide range of user research projects, including SAAS strategic pricing & usability testing, and concept testing for pharmacy, hardware, and electric vehicle clients.
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• As a Project Manager, I participated in weekly planning meetings, facilitated workshops, and led a variety of high-profile projects e.g. call center optimization and brand repositioning.
• As Ops Manager, I streamlined operations and automated processes for the hospital photographers. Responsibilities also included staffing/scheduling/positioning and staff training.
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• Research and development of leading global Quick Service Restaurant’s POS systems, in-store touchscreens, mobile app, and digital menu boards.
• Various fundraising projects for multiple non-profits. This work included creating mini documentaries that were typically shown at fundraising events.
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2010 - 2015
• As the lead qualitative researcher on a key global quick service restaurant account, I traveled to 100’s of franchise locations, both domestic and foreign, to evaluate the impact, desirability and/or effectiveness of operations updates, marketing and messaging campaigns, new products and packaging, service design updates, etc.
• I led a team of 10 researchers and analysts to support research projects for major restaurant, pharmacy, retail, and motorcycle clients, e.g. major boot retailer strategy refresh and store redesign resulted in a 15% jump in sales globally.
User Research
It all started years ago when I was asked to edit a user interview video for a research consultancy—and I never looked back. For most of the time since then, I’ve been deeply involved in user, consumer, and market research, in roles ranging from individual contributor to manager. I’m a mixed-methods researcher with a strong foundation in qualitative research, but my quantitative skills are equally robust. I’m comfortable selecting the right methodologies for any project, whether qualitative or quantitative, and have experience designing and programming complex surveys, executing key quantitative UX techniques (such as T-tests and regressions), and analyzing the results. To keep pushing my expertise, I regularly take courses to stay at the forefront of new techniques and continuously expand my toolkit.
UX + Service Design
I hold a Bachelor of Fine Arts from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago — throughout my career I’ve utilized research to boost the effectiveness of designs. More recently I’ve been focusing even more on upskilling in this area and I’m currently wrapping up an associate-level degree in UX Design through the UX Design Institute in partnership with Glasgow Caledonian University. I will complete this program in July of 2025.
I drive impact at Fortune 100’s, startups, and everywhere in between.
Recommendations
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“Malora's attention to detail, analytical skills, and ability to think creatively make her an invaluable asset to any team. I highly recommend Malora for her expertise in product research and commitment to driving results, but for the human that she is even more.”
Amber Asher - Senior Enablement Manager @ Evolve
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“Malora is what is needed in tech (or all companies for that matter) right now. She is the combo of brilliance and hard work.”
Christopher Fryer - VP of Growth @ Vacasa, Ex Amazon, Redfin
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“I have had the pleasure of witnessing firsthand the profound impact of Malora's research and strategy on the business and our design team.”
Rachel Tate-Wong - Principal and Founder @ Tate-Wong Creative, Ex StitchFix, Mozilla, Vacasa
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“Malora is a wealth of knowledge, comes to the table ready to work and is always approachable, curious and kind. You can count on Malora to make a BIG impact!”
Eli Dagostino - Senior Product Designer @ The Knot
A bit about me
I live in the college town of Oxford, Ohio with my sweet family.
I enjoy teaching my kids about animals, so we have quite a crew at our house: chickens, goats, frogs, dogs, and guinea pigs. I’m also an avid reader, though I have a bad habit of buying books faster than I can get through them!
I’m a big fan of Audible, and usually gravitate toward non-fiction and biographies. I especially admire the late Anthony Bourdain — I think he was one of the most compelling storytellers of our time. (If you can’t tell, I’m a bit of a sucker for true stories!)