United States

Service Design

Product Design

Interaction Design

UX Research

Master’s Degree

Honours Bachelor of Arts

Certificate in Web Development

✊🏿🏳️‍🌈 Diversity & Inclusion

Rachel M. Murray

UX Designer and Service Designer

Communication

Problem-solving

Critical-thinking

Empathy

Leadership

Human computer interaction

Figma

Adobe Creative Suite

I'm advising as part of the Neol leadership networking and exploring a few side projects spinning off from my work during my Master's thesis.

How might we create technology for the public good, help teach design to civic tech entrepreurs and help build capacity for community based organizations?

Civic Hall is a community space for the civic tech community in New York that helps design and build technology and capacity for the public good and helps others do the same, using a variety of programs to help people make systems change in their communities.  My work was in large part in the Health Lab, our R&D non-profit at Civic Hall Labs (within Civic Hall)

THE WORK:
• Led research, product management and strategy for ReferNYC, a $1.6 million dollar project to build a data exchange, Web site and API including managing a development team and sustainability for a multistakeholder engagement process
• Created marketing touch points and solidifying the design methodology to ensure inclusive design principles in our work
• Identified funding and outreach and collaborating on grant writing, successfully securing a grant from a research consortium
• Designed and taught classes on user research and prototyping for Civic Xcel, our civic technology incubator for startups

THE RESULTS:
I delivered the open data exchange pilot, helped teach the power of UX design, and helped build out our product design process within the organization.  ReferNYC was adopted by the City of New York as part of their 'Social Service Location Data Project', which you can view at 
https://www1.nyc.gov/site/opportunity/portfolio/social-service-location.page.
            

    
    

    
        Show less

How might we bring the value of Agile to create innovative interactive products for clients?

THE WORK: 
• Conducted research, created wireframes, prototypes, product roadmaps and usability testing for Amplify, InRhythm and Yodle, and created thought leadership pieces on the company blog where we discussed our approach to integrating UX design in an Agile consultancy

THE RESULTS:
In addition to my design work I'm most proud of the sales presentations I created and participated in, which successfully secured client work with Black Book. 
            

    
    

    
        Show less

How might we create engagement and excitement for a well-respected set of musicians and DJs?

THE WORK:
• Provided a number of deliverables to Euphoria Records, a fantastic Brooklyn based 10 year old tech house record label and improved their online presence by launching their first Web site.  
• I also provide ongoing marketing and design advice in my spare time, all for the love of the music - "when words fail, techno speaks". 

THE RESULTS:
Many of the artists on the label have gone on to secure various types of professional successes, including increased recording opportunities and performances.
            

    
    

    
        Show less

How might we create design, marketing and strategy to a passionate  set of clients?

THE WORK:
• Conducted interviews and created wireframes, front end code, and graphic design for 21st Century Fox, Social Edge Consulting, and Visualize
• Managed content team and was key liaison with senior management at international law firm Weil Gotshal Manges, delivering redesigned Web site on time and budget
• Conducted usability testing and created recommendations for AdhereTech, contributing to FDA device approval

THE RESULTS:
Each of the clients had different success metrics, and I'm happy to talk through each of them upon request.
            

    
    

    
        Show less

How might we use strategy and design to help clients in the  technology sector stay innovative, engaging and ahead of the curve in a time of rapid acceloration?

THE WORK:
• Conducted user research, created content strategy and wireframes for enterprise clients, including Google and GM
• Managed multiple teams and workstreams for an innovation event and requirements gathering project for HP and Delta, securing future client engagements
• Created user stories, wireframes, mockups and code for a new Emerging Tech Radar Web application and a variety of internal applications
• Created content strategy and designs for PwC, resulting in new user adoption rate of 75% for an Intranet rollout

THE RESULTS:
In addition to the successes of the individual projects, a key achievement I'm most proud of was being selected to participate in the Emerging Technologies Lab out of Chicago, a 3 month internal lab 'fellowship' program.   The project I designed - the Emerging Technologies Radar - is featured on the PwC Web site at https://www.pwc.com/us/en/increasing-it-effectiveness/emerging-technology-lab.html. I was also Recognized as ‘Collaboration Advocate’ by the entire firm during an 'all-hands' meeting, and my quote on the value of collaboration was used in marketing materials given to new employees across the firm.
            

    
    

    
        Show less

Please see the 'volunteering' section for this project.

How might we create engaging design and marketing experiences for a variety of startups and enterprise clients?

THE WORK: 
• Managed marketing and Web site relaunch for Sandbridge Technologies, an advanced mobile baseband processor at Mobile World Congress, resulting in successful company acquisition to Qualcomm
• Managed a team for Girls for a Change redesign for Taproot Foundation, successfully relaunching on time and budget.  I created strategy, marketing and Web development for Single Life Camp, successfully leading to press coverage and multiple product launches

THE RESULTS:
I've discussed some of the results above and can go into more detail on specific projects.
            

    
    

    
        Show less

How might we create engaging, delightful Web experiences for clients?

THE WORK:
• Conducted user research, created interaction design and managed dev teams building CMS Web sites for multiple enterprise technology companies, resulting in 50% increase in registrations and future work for Marvel and Tesla Motors
• Led content strategy co-creation sessions and focus groups for Alterian and Qualcomm. 
• Initiated and led Level Green sustainability working group, successfully advocating for sustainability as key corporate KPI

THE RESULTS:
In addition to the above results, I'm also most proud of Level Green, a team we started internally and my advocacy to our CEO at the time to have him adopt sustainability as a key heart of the company through an analysis of purchasing in the company.
            

    
    

    
        Show less

How migh we help startups scale up to the next level using design and marketing?

THE WORK:
• Conducted interviews, user research and created wireframes for eCommerce CMS implementation for Blue Mountain Center for Meditation, increasing sales and broadening their customer base. 
• Created strategic marketing outreach plans for the Bertrand Russell Society and Minna, increasing membership and partnership opportunities

THE RESULTS:
In addition to the results from individual projects, I consider the addition of more marketing outreach as a skill to be an interesting result of this work, as I broadened my experiences of design to not only be what's on the screen, but how the customers arrive there.

I was also actively volunteering at this time period, as I waited for immigration-related visa paperwork which allowed me to work in the U.S. to clear.
            

    
    

    
        Show less

How might we create Web applications for public sector clients that help them become more efficient?

THE WORK:
• Conducted user research and created use cases, functional specifications and wireframes for clients within the Government of Ontario. I supervised multiple teams developing Web applications, and helped with sales presentations to clients

THE RESULTS:
Despite some of the technical constraints of the environment, our teams delivered prototypes and Web applications that helped public sector employees do their work, and all were built on time and on budget.
            

    
    

    
        Show less

How might we help public sector employees manage their information so they can deliver optimal services to citizens?

THE WORK: 
• Conducted interviews, captured requirements and created taxonomies, records schedules and digital products for government agencies
• Developed and successfully presented business case for a document management system at the Ministry of Health during SARS health crisis, securing new client engagements
• Led team researching knowledge management, presenting findings to government wide community of practice

THE RESULTS:
I'm proud of each of the initiatives I worked on, and opportunities to share findings in presentations to clients was a key highlight.
            

    
    

    
        Show less

How might we illustrate the promise of the Internet when it's just starting out? 

THE WORK:
• Managed Canadian Women's Studies Online, conducting content audits and creating content strategy for the site., researching and creating a competitive analysis of women’s studies program Web sites for Professor Kay Armatage, Women and Gender Studies Institute

THE RESULTS:
I presented my findings about women's studies programs at 5th Annual Women's Studies and the Internet Roundtable, as nominated by my manager.
            

    
    

    
        Show less

Rachel M. Murray🇺🇸

About Rachel M. Murray

Expertise

Sessions with Rachel M. Murray

What mentees say