07 Jun Get to Know Senior UX Researcher Kelly Sheehan
We’re thrilled to introduce Kelly Sheehan, our new Senior User Experience Researcher! With over a decade of experience in technology, including roles at Meta and Age of Learning, we’re excited to welcome Kelly and her expertise in qualitative and quantitative methodologies to our team. We caught up with Kelly to learn all about her career journey, her passion for user experience research, and what brings her joy outside of work!
1. Tell us a bit about your career journey. What inspired you to become a user experience (UX) researcher, and how did you navigate your path to Fluent?
I knew I was a researcher ever since my first research methods class in college. I loved the idea that research could help answer any question, and bring us closer to understanding why people do and think the way they do. I went right to grad school to get my PhD with the intention of becoming a professor but realized the long years from research to publishing and academic bureaucracy were not for me.
I discovered UX research after doing an informational call with a former member of my graduate school lab who landed a UX research job. I loved that UX experience research was fast, and rigorous, and that you could see the impact of your research on people’s everyday lives. I landed my first UX researcher job at Age of Learning, an ed-tech company that creates educational products for kids, students, and families. I spent four years at Age of Learning leading UX research on their flagship app, ABCMouse, before leaving to work for Instagram.
At Instagram, I worked on the Integrity team, with the goal of making Instagram safer for teens. I led foundational research on users’ experiences with negative comments, as well as testing design changes to make hashtag pages safer for teens. After a year and a half at Meta, I worked briefly at a small market research firm called Brilliant Experience before joining Fluent.
I found my way to Fluent after a former manager of mine, who is now a client of Fluent, saw that they were hiring a Senior UX Researcher and connected me to a few people at the company. I was incredibly impressed not only by the organization’s portfolio of work but also by how genuinely kind and smart everyone was that I met with. I was also excited to work on a variety of projects and have the opportunity to hone some new research skills. I feel very lucky to be part of the Fluent team!
2. What’s a unique challenge you’ve faced in your career as a user experience researcher, and how did you overcome it?
I, unfortunately, experienced two rounds of layoffs as a UX researcher in the span of a year, during a time when the competition for a UX research role was fierce. It was challenging to position myself as unique in a large pool of highly qualified candidates.
I kept myself focused and motivated by doing lots of networking calls, which helped me get my name out there and also feel connected to the UX research community. In a way, I felt like I was conducting my own UX research with the goal of learning about research at other companies, and understanding how other researchers landed their current jobs. While it was challenging being on the job market, I learned a lot about what I want in a career and who I am as a researcher, and I’m ultimately thankful for the space and insight it provided me.
3. With over 10 years of research experience, what advice do you have for those looking to pursue a career in the field?
There are two key parts of being a UX researcher that are important for being successful. First, there’s the research part, which includes selecting appropriate methodologies, being a good moderator, managing research projects and timelines, and delivering insights that are impactful. I would encourage those new to the field to try to get as much diverse research experience and training as they can so that they can understand how to make the best strategic research decisions for a variety of situations.
The second part is the relationship part. Whether you are an in-house researcher or a market researcher working with clients, building strong relationships with your stakeholders is essential to being a great researcher because it ensures that your research is impactful. For example, I once had to deliver research insights that I knew would not be received positively by my team because the findings suggested that we should not move forward with a product idea we were pursuing. I had a great relationship with the product manager on my team, so I leaned on him to help me strategize how to present the results in a way that offered a more viable and exciting solution. The team ended up accepting my recommendations and shifting product directions, which led to the whole product team being successful because of my research.
What makes UX research valuable is not only that it is rigorous and designed appropriately, but also that someone takes the research and does something with it to improve a product or experience. If you’re new to the field, make sure you’re investing not only in your research expertise but in your collaboration and relationship-building skills.
4. What’s your go-to hobby or activity outside of work that brings you joy?
Relationships are extremely important to me, so I try to spend my free time planning activities and spending time with my family or friends. About a year ago, I started a “club” for my group of friends that meets every month where we take turns hosting get-togethers at our houses. I’ve been friends with the same group of friends since middle school, and having a recurring event on the calendar for us to get together brings me so much joy and means there’s always something to look forward to.
When I’m not sipping wine and eating cheese with my life-long friends, you can typically find me spending time with my husband, Frank, and my 2-year-old daughter, Madison. Maddie is absolutely wild and has boundless amounts of energy, and I love watching her climbing and jumping at gymnastics, digging in the dirt, and talking to literally anyone that she sees. Every moment with her is pure joy.
5. What are you most excited about in your new role at Fluent Research?
I am most excited to work on projects with an amazing group of smart and driven researchers. What drew me to Fluent was the people, who are not only incredibly bright and interesting, but driven, empathetic, and kind. Even when work is busy, people are always asking how they can help move a project forward. I’m looking forward to working with such great people, and I know I will be learning a lot from them.
Connect with Kelly on LinkedIn!