LORIE WHITAKER
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  • Research Strategy
  • Team Enablement
  • Research Execution
  • Selected Projects
  • About
  • Home
  • Research Strategy
  • Team Enablement
  • Research Execution
  • Selected Projects
  • About
LORIE WHITAKER

Selected Projects

Exploring complex problems through evidence, collaboration, and measurable impact
Below is a selection of projects that show how I combine research strategy, team enablement, and hands-on execution to guide design and product decisions.
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Each case reflects my approach: clarify the question, choose the right method, and communicate insights that drive confident action.

Across these projects, my focus remains consistent:
  • Clarify complexity through user-centered insight.
  • Build confidence in decision-making.
  • Create systems that make research accessible and impactful for everyone involved.

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  • Goal: Understand and improve how IAM managers handle access certification to shape a scalable, automated 0 to 1 identity governance strategy for Okta.
  • Role: Lead UX Researcher
  • Methods: Desk Research | Discovery Interviews | Concept Testing | Usability Testing | Data Analysis & Synthesis | Collaborated with Leadership + Product + Design to guide roadmap decisions
  • Impact: Drove key roadmap features and elevated UX research into a strategic force aligning product design with enterprise compliance and scalability.
View Case Study

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​Goal: Uncover how enterprise teams managed workload automation to identify pain points and opportunities for new, scalable monitoring solutions.
Role: Lead UX Researcher
Methods: 40+ Global User Interviews | On-site Contextual Inquiries + Workflow Observations | Data Analysis & Synthesis | Collaborated with Product + Design to guide roadmap decisions
Impact: Drove development of the CA Workload Automation Agent Monitor, improving real-time visibility, reducing downtime, and shifting CA toward a customer-informed product roadmap.
View Case Study

Methods & Tools Snapshot
​(A quick overview of my most-used research methods and tools.)
Methods
  • Discovery interviews
  • Contextual inquiry & ethnography
  • Usability testing
  • Surveys & quantitative validation
  • JTBD (Jobs-to-Be-Done)
  • Card sorting & IA testing
  • Concept evaluation
  • Participatory workshops
Tools
  • Dovetail, Great Question, EnjoyHQ
  • UserTesting, Maze
  • Figma, Miro
  • Qualtrics, Optimal Workshop
  • JIRA, Confluence
  • Airtable, Notion

I tailor methods and tools to context, balancing rigor, time, and stakeholder needs to ensure every study leads to confident action.