Senior Design Researcher

Job title: Senior Design Researcher

Work Location: Chicago, IL

Role: Open to both Full-time or Contract

Division/Department: Delivery

Reports to: Design Research & Strategy Director

Background

Highland is a digital product and innovation consultancy based in Chicago. We research, design, and build digital products and experiences for mission-driven organizations and customer-centric companies. Over 21 years, our team of researchers, strategists, designers, and developers has helped organizations launch over 260 digital products, turning their biggest uncertainties into opportunities for growth.

We often refer to what we design as Experiences that Matter: digital products and experiences that make the world a better place to live in. We primarily work with leaders of mid-market services companies and corporate innovation labs at large companies.

Our mission is rooted in Human Flourishinginspired by research conducted at Harvard Universitys Institute for Quantitative Social Science. We design our work to help human beings flourish, while allowing ourselves to flourish as well. For us, our valuesPeople First, Give a Damn, Be Curious, and Be Transparentare not just things to hang on the wall, but something we live by everyday and call each other out on.

The Design Research & Strategy (DRS) practice is led by David Whited and Amrita Kulkarni, nurturing a team with previous lives in music, theology, architecture, philosophy, industrial design, and many others. We read books together, challenge each other, question everything, rumble with vulnerability, and live human everyday.

Project Context

Highland serves clients at every stage in their journeyfrom early stage, generative research all the way to new product launch. The Senior Design Researcher plays a key role in many parts of that process:

User-Centered Research & Synthesis

• Cultivate a deep understanding of client challenges, goals, and opportunities.
• Co-create just enough Research Plans that help our client reach their Experience Design/Product Design goals, with an emphasis on qualitative research methods including journey mapping and Jobs To Be Done .
• Bring experience in a wide variety of user-focused research methodologies to align the most effective methodology to every learning goal.
• Demonstrate thoughtful, structured analysis and synthesis of research data.
• Craft visual, compelling reports documenting the research process, findings, and recommendations.

Strategic Design

• Facilitate work-sessions to clarify value propositions, business models, product concepts, service blueprints, and other foundational components of new experiences.
• Co-create user experience, digital experience, and digital product strategies with our clients.
• Articulate actionable design opportunities through language, frameworks, sketches and prototypes
• Apply lean startup and design thinking methods to de-risk new digital experiences and products.
• Narrate thoughtful analysis, synthesis, and strategic insight that results in the creation of real value and wise guidance for our clients.

Leadership, Business Development, and Project Management

• Help frame and plan new projects with potential clients.
• Maintain stakeholder and participant relationships both proactively and responsively.
• Lead calls, meetings and workshops, with clients and project teams.
• Direct and guide design and research teams on projects.
• Coach team members and clients on Design Thinking methodologies.
• Evolve and prototype new research & synthesis methods and processes internally.
• Be aware of emerging ideologies in the world of design research and innovation strategy.
• Critique work and offer constructive feedback internally.

Responsibilities

The Senior Design Researcher embodies the Highland Values:

• People First: What we make and how we work should make it a little bit better to be alive: for us, our clients, and their customers.

• Be Curious: The big picture is everyone's responsibility. There is always more to learn. We are generous in teaching what we know.

• Be Open: We respond to problems with solutions, not blame. Vulnerability, while risky, leads to trust and understanding. We're accountable to our clients and to each other. Even when things aren't going well.

• Give a Damn: Our client's goals are our goals. We do work we can be proud of. Quality is non-negotiable.

Dispositions

• A commitment to be unabashedly human, bringing your whole self to work
• Self-awareness and knowledge of what you seek in your professional career
• An ask for forgiveness rather than permission mindset, ability to pivot quickly
• Restless desire to learn and ample energy to try new things
• Confident interpersonal skills and an impulse to co-create
• Ability to think visually and a tendency to forget whose idea it was
• Lack of fear to express opinions, question things, and suggest wild ideas
• Self-motivation, constantly finding ways to contribute, able to manage ambiguity
• Disposed to check-in with others frequently, willing to listen and learn from others
• Able to demonstrate genuine concern and thoughtfulness for the well-being of others around you
• Discerning and observant: able to connect the dots between seemingly unrelated worlds
• Express yourself through a range of personal/professional interests, hobbies, and passions
• Time-conscious and organized; able to inspire trust and confidence by meaning what you say

Education and Experience Requirements:

• Masters degree in Design, Architecture, Ethnography, or Humanities preferred.
  Other comparable training is acceptable.
• 6+ years of proven experience.
• At least 4 years of human-centered research and design experience
• Excellent written, visual, and verbal communication skills, with ability to communicate confidently and effectively with clients.
• Skill in applied UX design and/or visual design is valued but not required.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to safely and successfully perform the essential job functions consistent with the ADA, FMLA and other federal, state and local standards, including meeting qualitative and/or quantitative productivity standards.
• Ability to maintain regular, punctual attendance consistent with the ADA, FMLA and other federal, state and local standards.
• Must be able to lift and carry up to 50 lbs.
• Must be able to talk, listen and speak clearly on telephone.

Compensation:

Full-time salary and benefits based on current market value.