Nadia Doutcheva, PhD
User Experience Researcher, Human Factors Engineer
About Nadia
From as young as elementary school, I was helping teach older adults how to use and understand computers. I have been my grandmother’s online tech support for the last decade and have seen how empowering it can be to feel comfortable using technology. Seeing my grandma's joy when she is able to send her Facebook friend a birthday YouTube video is what drives me to keep making technology easier, better, more efficient, and safer.
I love asking questions and understanding how people think. My education in human factors engineering taught me how to ask good questions and conduct good research, and my industry experience has taught me how to work within tough constraints. I currently work in consumer-facing physical products, and have experience in automotive, healthcare, and software.
I love technology, and I want technology to love me back.
Nadia
Education
PhD in Industrial and Systems Engineering
2016-2021
My dissertation work focused on information management of caregivers of children with medical complexity. I have done a lot of work on understanding the home work systems of caregivers of children with medical complexity.
Throughout my research, I focused on patient work, sociotechnical systems, user-centered design, healthcare information technology, and more
Work Experience
Senior User Experience Researcher
2022 - Present
I am developing, executing, and delivering a wide variety of generative and evaluative research in a variety of fields to diverse clients. I work with a large variety of clients including the #1 international retailer, and a national medical technology company. I am conducting research using a variety of methods including: usability tests, interviews, and task analyses. I am evangelizing UX research to leadership across the company, and supporting internal initiatives with UX Research.
User Experience Researcher
2020 - 2022
I designed and executed user experience research to provide product recommendations to improve experience. My broader platform level research drove product strategy. When I wasn't running research, my day to day included creating interface wireframes, providing ergonomic recommendations, recognizing user needs, and developing product features. As part of the design center, I worked closely with industrial designers, graphic designers, color, material, and finish designers. Outside of design, I collaborated with cross-functional partners including Marketing, Engineering, R&D. I kept pretty busy working on at least 5 projects per quarter.
Research Assistant
2016 - 2020
Using a work systems approach to aid in the healthcare of vulnerable patients.
Created consumer HIT for caregivers of CMC; detailed CMC home work systems; identified barriers and facilitators to caregiving at home; engaged caregivers in user centered design process; analysed complex qualitative data; mentored and taught undergraduate and masters' students; founded and managed Werner Lab social media presense.
User Experience Research (UXR) Intern
2019 - 2019
Conducted mixed method study to compare cognitive load of different interfaces in a safety-critical context. Worked with multiple stakeholders including PMs, designers, and partners to achieve high impact goals. Created framework out of research results to aid design of product in the future. Presented research to larger team and supervisors. Presented at two internal Google-wide events.
User Experience Researcher and Designer
2018 - 2019
Front end developer and designer in small team doing client-based work. Pushed for user testing. Created mock ups, wireframes, and participated in iterative human-centered design. Focused on UX development. Conducted user research and integrated feedback into design recommendations.
User Researcher and UX Designer
2017 - 2019
Usability expert for local nonprofit start up that connects local community resources with patients in need; Responsible for performing usability testing, wireframing, interface design, workflow mapping, integrating complexity, and user-centered research. Role ended when organization funding ended + dissolved.
Awards
HFES 2021 Best Student Paper
Annual award for best paper submitted by a student team to HFES conference. Nadia was the graduate student mentor of the first year PhD student submitting the paper.
Newell Brands Rookie of the Year 2020
Awarded to a first year employee who demonstrated an immediate and seamless ramp-up and exceptional mastery of their design craft.
ISyE Graduate Scholarship Award Winner 2017
For an excellent ISyE Graduate Student in Industrial and Systems Engineering
iPrACTISE Student Competition Honorable Mention 2017
mHealth app Design Competition 2017
Publications
2021, HFES
Identifying Tools and Technology Barriers to In-Home Care for Children with Medical Complexity
Parks R, Doutcheva N, Umachandran D, et al. Identifying Tools and Technology Barriers to In-Home Care for Children with Medical Complexity. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting. 2021
2021, International Journal for Quality in Health Care
Nicole E Werner, Siddarth Ponnala, Nadia Doutcheva, Richard J Holden, Human factors/ergonomics work system analysis of patient work: state of the science and future directions, International Journal for Quality in Health Care, Volume 33, Issue Supplement_1, January 2021
2019, HFES
Doutcheva, Nadia, et al. "Homes of children with medical complexity as a complex work system: outcomes associated with interactions in the physical environment" roceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting. Vol. 61. No. 1. Sage CA: Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publications, 2019.
2018, IEA
Work system barriers to in-home professional care for children with medical complexity
Doutcheva, Nadia, et al. "Work system barriers to in-home professional care for children with medical complexity" Proceedings of the 20th Congress of the International Ergonomics Association, held in Florence, Italy, August 26-30, 2018
2017, HFES
Doutcheva, Nadia, et al. "Process Variances in Older Adults’ Care Transitions from Emergency Department to Home: Process Breakdown Versus Process Resiliency." Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting. Vol. 61. No. 1. Sage CA: Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publications, 2017.
2017, IJMHCI
Smith, Missie, et al. "The Effects of Augmented Reality Head-Up Displays on Drivers' Eye Scan Patterns, Performance, and Perceptions." International Journal of Mobile Human Computer Interaction (IJMHCI) 9.2 (2017): 1-17.
2015, Virtual Reality (VR)
Optical see-through HUDs effect on depth judgments of real world objects
Smith, Missie, et al. "Optical see-through HUDs effect on depth judgments of real world objects." Virtual Reality (VR), 2015 IEEE. IEEE, 2015.
Press
Smartphone app links low-income residents with critical services
Industrial and Systems Engineering, UW-Madison
Health Links, a smartphone app that helps connect low-income Madisonians with community resources, such as food pantries and health centers. Based on a user’s geographic location and time of day, the app helps prioritize trips, minimize travel time and confirm business hours.
Merge with UW-Madison Researchers Accelerates Where is Care (formerly HealthConnect.Link)
Where is Care (formerly HealthConnect.Link)
“Our entire HealthConnect.Link team is excited to welcome Nadia...[who] bring[s] a lot of expertise in user-centered design, especially as it relates to healthcare technology. This falls perfectly in line with our own philosophy of creating HealthConnect.Link in close cooperation with community members and healthcare professionals.”
England's lure of Harry Potter and a passion for Engineering
Virginia Tech College of Engineering, Engineering Now 2015
'This study about depth perception using augmented reality, not virtual reality, was the first of its kind. “We found that there was a lot more variability. In the augmented reality simulation, the driver was wrong more often regarding how close the pedestrian was,” Doutcheva added.