Hi, I’m Kate! A non-binary UX lead with ten years of experience under my belt. I fell into user centered design through a career in customer service, which is where I developed my passion for the user.
Resume
I’m a bit of a nerd
I love nothing more than to sit at home on a Saturday afternoon and work on a jigsaw puzzle with a favorite TV show playing in the background.
Often, I can be found reading, biking, or traveling around the world. If we get a chance to chat, ask me about my recent bucket list tour of Egypt!
My favorite UX & strategy books
For discovery
These books really stood out to me and helped improve my own discovery methodologies. They’re well written, short, and became a fixture in my library.
Information architecture
I love information architecture! Especially when it comes to hypothesizing new information systems, going through the testing process and iterating. I found these books to be helpful to improve my understanding. I also recommend following Dan Klyn and Jorge Arango, who are thought leaders within the practice.
UX Strategy
by Jaime Levy
Presenting Design Work
by Donna Spencer
By Dan Brown
Even though the design discovery process within this book aligns with other methodologies, Dan Brown lays it out in an easy to understand and linear way, helping readers build and refine their own discovery process.
Practical Design Discovery
By Erika Hall
Sometimes the research process for a project can feel daunting or overwhelming when it does not have to. Erika does a really nice job of sharing research methodologies and digs into analysis, showing how it can help build a solid product. (Side note: I really recommend following Erika Hall on her socials!)
Just Enough Research
by Louis Rosenfeld, Peter Morville, Jorge Arango
This book is the standard for any IA focused course out there. It provides the toolkit and framework for how to approach an IA project, from research to hypothesizing and validation.
Information Architecture: For the Web and Beyond
by Lisa Maria Marquis
A quick read great for any aspiring information architect, or for someone looking to create an IA for their own product.
Everyday Information Architecture
by Richard Saul Wurman, Loring Leifer, David Sume, Karen Whitehouse
Though not a must have, this book (and its author) is referenced quite a lot in other IA books and courses. It’s an interesting read and though it is out of print, it provides valuable insight into information architecture as a whole.
Information Anxiety 2
UX strategy toolkit
Though it is cliche, these books are last but certainly not least. They (and NNg!) are must haves for any UX strategist to keep in their library. Though the best skills are built through real work, these books provide a solid foundation that any new or seasoned practitioner can build upon. I keep them at hand for when I am at a roadblock and need a little insight to fuel my work.
by Kristina Halvorson and Melissa Rach
I am definitely not a content strategist, this book really helped me understand how to look at a product from a content strategy perspective. It also helped me build on and expand my IA knowledge.
Content Strategy for the Web
Founded by Dr Jakob Nielsen and Dr. Don Norman
Obviously this is not a book! However, in my decade of experience in UX, NNg has been my most trusted source of UX information. Though there are other free UX publications out there, they are still mostly opinion-based, and a lot of the recommendations are not founded in quantifiable research. NNg, though they do dispense thought leadership, also have reputable studies with sources cited for many of their pieces.
