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Leading research at WP Engine on the Flywheel product line.

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Overview

I started at WP Engine as an intern, during the summer between my junior and senior years while studying Interaction Design at California College of the Arts.

Today, I work as an Associate UX Researcher, leading research initiatives for Flywheel’s primary product, Growth Suite.

Role: UX Researcher, Associate

Teams: I’m responsible for three teams, each of which includes a Product Manager, a Product Designer, and a team of engineers.

Duration: June 2022 – Present

Methodologies: I conduct generative and evaluative research with the product teams. In the past six months, projects have varied from concept and usability tests to high-impact generative interviews.

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About my work at WP Engine

The goal of my research is to inform and de-risk business decisions by delivering impactful insights both for my direct stakeholders and across product lines. While I’m bound by a confidentiality agreement and therefore can’t reveal details about my methods or projects, I can share a bit about my process.

Research Approach:

Step 1: Planning

I use regular meetings with my stakeholders to keep a pulse on upcoming research needs and look out for research opportunities that may not be obvious to non-UXRs on the teams.

Step 2: Preparation

Once a research question surfaces, I work with the teams to asses the priority of the research need against other studies that are already in progress.

I also begin to work with the direct stakeholders to turn their questions into research objectives and determine the best research method. Most recently, I’ve found interviews, surveys, and heuristic evaluations to be particularly valuable.

Step 3: Research Plan

I develop a research plan and share it with the team for feedback. I aim to deliver the plan within 1-2 days after we agree to move forward with the project so that I can work with a Research Coordinator to kick off recruiting – I’ve found that recruiting can be one of the biggest barriers to keeping a project on track if the it isn’t accounted for in the research plan and timeline.

Step 4: Feedback

While waiting for the team’s feedback on the research plan, I get started on the moderator guide. This is the second artifact I share with the team before research begins. While I don’t depend on feedback from the teams for either the plan or the moderator guide, I believe it’s crucial to give stakeholders an opportunity to engage at every step of the research process. In my experience, this helps keep everyone on the same page and generate more engagement while the research is being conducted and during the delivery of the findings.

Step 5: Research

I begin research once we’ve agreed on a plan and moderator guide. By this point in time, the Research Coordinator and I have likely started scheduling sessions based on the criteria outlined in the research plan. Sessions are usually completed over a period of 1-2 weeks and run between 30-60 minutes.

Step 6: Synthesis and Readout

During synthesis, I rely on tools like Dovetail to rewatch and analyze qualitative data from each session. I allow myself between 2-4 days to complete synthesis and develop a slide deck, which I use to present findings and make available to stakeholders across the company after the presentation.

Still have questions?

If you’d like to hear more about my approach to research, please reach out to me

emilyotraub@gmail.com⁠

To read more about my process or my thoughts on UX Research, please take a look at my website

emilytraub.com⁠

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