EXAMPLES OF MY RESEARCH THAT I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT
 UX Research |  Strategic Research |  Academic Research |
|---|---|---|
 Social Impact Research |
Hi, I'm Michaela.
I'm a strategic & UX researcher with more than ten years of mixed-method research and cross-functional team experience.
My passion is leveraging insights and innovation to create social impact. I spent the last five years working as a UX researcher for global companies in Silicon Valley, such as Google, Medallia, Ford, and Kiva.org, helping these companies to create top digital products for small business owners in the USA.
M Strategic & UX Researcher, Writer and Co-Founder
EXPERIENCES
2018-2018
User Experience Researcher / Intern
KIVA, San Francisco, California
Designing surveys, conducting usability tests and qualitative user interviews with existing and potential Kiva lenders and Kiva lending teams/communities
Collaborating with Product and Marketing Teams to implement research findings into Kiva´s website
2017-2018
Researcher at Text Analytics Team
MEDALLIA, San Mateo, California
Analyzing qualitative data from online customer feedback such as open comments in surveys, blog posts, social networks, emails
Identified, built and analyzed over 60 themes for 5 clients from 4 countries
Collaborating with Project Management, Product Management and Engineering to improve a machine learning text analytics tool
2013-Current
Co-Founder
2014-2015
Researcher
CENTER FOR SOCIAL MARKETING, Prague, Czech Republic
Designed, executed and analyzed research projects that focused on social issues using ethnography, and quantitative surveys.
Conducted workshops with the clients to determine how to achieve strategic goals and positive social impact through research.
Designed and conducted a nationwide mixed method research for the Czech Social Security Administration. User-friendly recommendations were implemented into new conception for redesigning Administration´s website interface.
2012-2014
Research Executive at Insight Team
2011-2012
Project Executive
2005-2010
Researcher
OMNICOM MEDIA GROUP, Prague, Czech Republic
Designed and conducted research on digital, TV and print ad campaigns and product concepts using focus groups, interviews, online surveys and usability testing method.
Initiated, designed and conducted a nationwide ethnographic research The Future of the Czech Republic.
Initiated an ethnographic research unit and established ethnography as a part of company´s research service.
Developed post economic crisis consumer segmentation. Designed and conducted UX research for Hospodarske Noviny news app.
GfK, Prague, Czech Republic
Designed and executed online quantitative surveys.
2020-2022
Strategic and UX Research Lead
Ford, Palo Alto, California
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Led the UX research for a desktop and mobile productivity software from its discovery phase through design testing and validation to its launch to the market.
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Led over 30 user studies from end to end using diary studies, surveys, rapid testing (RITE), usability and concept testing, and user interviews.
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Led strategic research that impacted product road map, prioritization of the features, and product-market fit.
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Built a research repository allowing stakeholders easy access to various insights about the product and user needs
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Closely collaborated with a Head of Product, Designers, and the Marketing team and implemented product design and strategy research findings.
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Trained designers in UX methods
2018-2020
User Experience Researcher
Google via Adecco, Mountain View, California
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Conducted a longitudinal diary study exploring the impact of COVID 19 on small business advertisers in the USA
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Developed a unified codebook for analyzing open-ended responses across various internal surveys measuring satisfaction with a product and campaign performance
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Planned and conducted diary studies, surveys, usability and concept testing, ethnography, co-creation groups, and user interviews with small and medium business advertisers
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Project lead - identified product opportunities for agencies in the US, Europe, and India using mixed methods approach
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Collaborated with Product Managers, Designers, Data Analysts, and Engineers to implement research findings to product design and strategy
2018-2018
User Experience Researcher / Intern
KIVA, San Francisco, California
-
Designed user experience studies such as surveys, usability tests, and qualitative user interviews with existing and potential Kiva users and communities
-
Collaborated with Product and Marketing Teams and implemented research findings into Kiva´s website
2017-2018
Researcher at Text Analytics Team
MEDALLIA, San Mateo, California
-
Analyzed qualitative data from online customer feedback such as open comments in surveys, blog posts, social networks, emails
-
Identified, built, and analyzed over 60 themes for 5 clients from 4 countries
-
Collaborated with Project and Product Management, and Engineering to improve a machine learning text analytics tool
2013-Current
Co-Founder
2014-2015
Researcher
CENTER FOR SOCIAL MARKETING, Prague, Czech Republic
-
Designed, executed, and analyzed research projects that focused on social issues using ethnography, and quantitative surveys.
-
Conducted workshops with the clients to determine strategic goals and positive social impact through research.
-
Designed and conducted nationwide mixed-method research for the Czech Social Security Administration. User-friendly recommendations were implemented into a new conception for redesigning the Administration´s website interface.
2012-2014
Research Executive at Insight Team
2011-2012
Project Executive
2005-2010
Researcher
OMNICOM MEDIA GROUP, Prague, Czech Republic
-
Designed and conducted research on digital, TV, and print ad campaigns and product concepts using focus groups, interviews, online surveys, and usability testing methods.
-
Initiated, designed, and conducted nationwide ethnographic research on The Future of the Czech Republic.
-
Initiated an ethnographic research unit and established ethnography as a part of the company´s research service.
-
Developed post-economic crisis consumer segmentation. Conducted UX research for Hospodarske Noviny news app.
GfK, Prague, Czech Republic
-
Designed and executed quantitative surveys for major brands in the Czech Republic
MASARYK UNIVERSITY, Brno, Czech Republic
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Author of the book Reconceptualising Mainstream Youth which raised an academic debate and challenged many stereotypes about young Millenials in the Czech republic
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Managed a cross-disciplinary research team
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Published articles in scientific journals and presented at conferences in Hungary, the UK, Czechia, and Denmark.
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Successfully raised finances for 2 research projects
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Team member of research projects European Value Study and Patterns of intergenerational conflict (Czech Science Foundation), Cultural Encounters in the European Economy and Society (EU).
EDUCATION
2016-2017
Continuing Studies Program
STANFORD UNIVERSITY, Stanford, California
Project Management
Design Implementation: Getting to Market
Drawing: Mixed Media
2006-2011
Ph.D. in Sociology
MASARYK UNIVERSITY, Brno, Czech Republic
2003-2006
M.A. in Sociology
MASARYK UNIVERSITY, Brno, Czech Republic
MASARYK UNIVERSITY, Brno, Czech Republic
AFFILIATIONS
2000-2003
B.A. in Sociology, Media Studies and Journalism
SKILLS
METHODS
Ethnography
Participatory Observation
Focus Groups
Content Analysis
Quantitative Surveys
Diary studies
In-Depth Interviews
Mixed Method Research
Qualitative
A/B Testing
Concept Testing
Usability Testing
SOFTWARE
SPSS
InVision
Notion
Figma
Qualtrics
SurveyMonkey.com
UserTesting.com
UserZoom.com
GoToMeeting
Miro
My research focuses on young consumers in the Czech Republic. The mainstream, ordinary, normal teenagers and young adults. Based on qualitative research with 95 young people my publications discus and challenge many stereotypes associated with the mainstream such as passivelly conforming youth, sheep-like behaving consumers, or individualistic and materialistic hedonists.
Books
Hráčková Pyšňáková, Michaela. 2012. Reconceptualising Mainstream Youth: An Examination of Young People´s Consumer
Lifestyles in the Czech Republic. Mezinárodní politologický ústav, Brno. Full text here
Book Chapters
Pyšňáková, Michaela, Miles, Steven. 2013. “The post-revolutionary consumer generation: mainstream youth and the paradox of choice in the Czech Republic.“ Pp. 14 - 28 in Youth and Social Change in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union, Charles Walker, Svetlana Stephenson (eds). Routledge.
Hráčková Pyšňáková, Michaela. 2013. „Understanding the Meaning of Consumption in Everyday Lives of Mainstream Youth in the Czech Republic.“ Pp. 39 - 77 in New Perspectives on Consumer Culture Theory and Research. Pavel Zahrádka and Renata Sedláková (eds). Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Pyšňáková, Michaela. 2011. “The Discovery of the ‘Mainstream’: The Value of Using Grounded Theory Method in Contemporary
Research on ‘Post-revolutionary’ Consumer Generation in the Czech Republic.” Pp. 194 -196 in Social Research: An Introduction.
2nd ed., David, M. and C. Sutton (eds). London: Sage. ISBN 978-1-84787-012-4.