Research in practice
A closer look at the work, the people behind it, and how the research helped inform better decisions.
Bringing Back the Coffeehouse
Customer Experience | Innovation | In-Context Research
The Challenge
As Starbucks embraced convenience and modern store design, a disconnect emerged between the spaces customers experienced and the coffeehouse they held in their minds. Customers still described Starbucks as warm, cozy, and inviting, yet standing in newer stores, many said the space itself didn't feel like Starbucks. As the company reinvested in its coffeehouses and explored smaller formats, the challenge was understanding what would bring that familiar feeling back.
My Role
Building on years of customer research and store innovation experience, I designed and led in-context qualitative research across Starbucks' coffeehouse reinvestment and emerging small-format concepts. Through customer interviews, observation, and comparisons across store environments, I explored how different spaces shaped the customer experience, what was resonating, and where expectations weren't being met.
Why It Matters
The research helped teams better understand what makes a space feel distinctly Starbucks and how those expectations translate across different store formats. Those learnings informed practical considerations around store design, seating, customer flow, and creating an experience customers want to spend time in.
More Than a Uniform
Employee Experience | Qualitative & Quantitative Research
The Challenge
As Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines came together, developing a new uniform program was about much more than what employees would wear. Uniforms carry a sense of pride, identity, and culture, especially for Hawaiian employees. The challenge was understanding what mattered to employees while also meeting the very different needs of their day-to-day jobs.
My Role
I led the early qualitative research, moderating listening sessions with flight attendants, customer service agents, and pilots from both airlines. We explored the emotional significance of their uniforms, their functional needs, and how they felt about the changes ahead. Building on those conversations, I designed a quantitative survey to capture broader employee perspectives and needs, then moderated the first round of uniform concept evaluations.
Why It Matters
The research gave employees from both airlines an opportunity to be heard early in the process, while helping the design team understand what mattered across different roles and cultures. It provided a foundation for developing uniforms that meet employees' practical needs while respecting the pride and identity they associate with their airlines.
Measuring Loyalty Through Transformation
Customer Loyalty | Quantitative Research | Longitudinal Tracking
The Challenge
With the launch of Atmos Rewards, Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines introduced a new, shared loyalty program to replace Mileage Plan and HawaiianMiles. Members had established relationships with their previous programs, including expectations about earning points, using rewards, and the benefits of their loyalty. The challenge was maintaining an established satisfaction benchmark while understanding how the new program, changes to the member experience, and other factors were influencing perceptions.
My Role
I inherited an established loyalty tracking program and evolved the research to support the Atmos Rewards launch. While preserving the core benchmark, I redesigned the survey to better understand the factors influencing satisfaction, distinguish reactions to the new program from broader member experiences, and explore differences across member groups. As the program evolved, I continued refining the measurement strategy to address changing business questions without losing continuity in the data.
Why It Matters
The research helped teams look beyond the overall satisfaction score to better understand what was driving it. By maintaining a consistent benchmark while adapting the research to a changing loyalty experience, the work gave the business a more useful way to interpret results, identify areas for further exploration, and inform decisions as Atmos Rewards moved beyond its launch.
Listening Through Uncertainty
Consumer & Partner Experience | Longitudinal Research | Mixed Methods
The Challenge
When COVID-19 disrupted everyday life, Starbucks wanted to understand how people were navigating the uncertainty, from changes in their routines and relationships to the challenges in-store partners faced at work. What initially seemed like a short-term disruption became a much longer period of uncertainty. As the pandemic unfolded, the research shifted from understanding how people were coping in the moment to exploring how their attitudes, behaviors, and expectations were changing over time.
My Role
I established and led longitudinal qualitative research with two distinct audiences: Starbucks in-store partners and consumers, including Starbucks customers. Initially working with a research supplier, we used online journaling and discussions to follow their experiences. As the study continued, I brought the program in-house and incorporated third-party quantitative tracking to complement what we were hearing firsthand. I regularly synthesized and presented findings to senior leaders across the organization.
Why It Matters
The research gave Starbucks an ongoing connection to what partners and consumers were experiencing during an unprecedented time. Findings helped inform business decisions, including HR policies addressing challenges partners faced in their work and personal lives. The combination of personal stories and broader consumer trends helped leaders make decisions with a deeper understanding of the people affected.
Understanding the Tiniest Patients
Global Research | Online Communities | Product Innovation
The Challenge
Caring for premature babies requires specialized knowledge, attention, and sensitivity. For a global baby care brand exploring products for these tiny patients, understanding the needs of NICU nurses was essential. Their experiences varied across countries and healthcare settings, making it important to understand both the challenges they shared and the differences in how they cared for premature infants.
My Role
I designed and moderated a six-week online research community with 48 NICU nurses across the United States, France, Germany, and Japan. Through journaling, discussions, surveys, and concept evaluations, we explored their daily experiences caring for premature infants, the challenges they faced, and opportunities to better support their work. I synthesized findings across markets, identifying common needs alongside differences in practices and perspectives.
Why It Matters
The research directly informed product design, helping the team develop solutions grounded in the realities of caring for premature infants. Nurses' firsthand experiences provided direction on functional needs, product features, and considerations that might otherwise be overlooked. The work also helped the brand better understand how to introduce and support products within NICU environments.