Resume

Harley Jebens

Decatur, GA ∙ 404-916-1457 ∙ E. h.jebens@gmail.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hjebens/

User Experience Research and Strategy

Solution-focused mixed method UX Researcher and Strategist with experience across almost all industry verticals, adept at identifying insights and providing innovative and practical solutions that enhance user experience while solidifying company presence. Specializes in identifying experiential and functional gaps through discovery research studies and workshops and then building teams, processes, and approaches to address those gaps through creative and actionable solutions. Proficient In all aspects of UX research from planning research projects to conducting research to analyzing research data to presenting and championing results with key stakeholders. Nielsen Norman group certified in UX research. Deque University certified in accessible design.

EXPERIENCE HIGHLIGHTS

EY, Alpharetta, GA, 2021 – Present
Associate Director of User Research

Conduct qualitative and quantitative user research (user and stakeholder interviews; moderating usability and end-to-end tests; coding and analyzing unmoderated usability tests, card-sorting and forced ranking surveys; and conducting design ideation workshops) to drive world-class experience design for EY’s internal tools in a cycle of continuous improvement and delivery.

Key Accomplishments:

• Lead user experience research efforts for one of the premier internal products for EY’s consulting practice, including planning and prioritizing user research, recruiting participants, conducting research, and sharing and socializing results.

• Research work I was responsible for, over the course of 18 months, entailed 380 user sessions, and generated 272 insights and recommendations, 54 of which were acted upon via design changes and coded upgrades to the finished product.

• Building a Research Operations framework for EY that includes templates for planning and research reports, and standardizing UX metrics frameworks with a foundation that draws upon industry best practices.

• Experimenting with generative Artificial Intelligence approaches to research work.

22SQUARED, Atlanta, GA, and Tampa, FLA, 2014 – 2021
Director of User Experience Strategy

Operationalized cross-channel user experience research, strategy and design efforts and led user experience efforts, including process flows, user journeys, sitemaps, wireframes, and specifications across offices for marketing firm clients such as Publix, Southeast Toyota, and Advent Health.

Key Accomplishments:

• Revised the UX for a B2C client, resulting in increased business inquiries by 2150% (including an average of 45 business contacts monthly, up from the previous average of 2).

• Organized a cross-functional WADE (Website Analytics and Digital Experience) team to provide website optimization guidance to Southeast Toyota -- guidance based on data from analytics and furthered in client co-creation sessions.

• Aligned UX workstreams and approaches to requirements gathering and specification documentation with agile software development and project management methodology while part of the digital delivery team.

• Served as mentor and coach for interns, junior designers and researchers, and participants in advertising hackathons.

• Created best practice matrices to create competitive analysis checklists to ensure digital deliverables were best-in-class.

BBDO, Atlanta, GA, and New York, NY, 2010 – 2014
Director of User Experience

Spearheaded user experience strategy and documentation for award-winning experiences for AT&T, REI, and other clients.

Key Accomplishments:

• Led UX for groundbreaking experiences for REI (including an augmented reality app and photo-sharing experience), which received awards from Cannes, One Show, FWA and was an Adobe Cutting Edge “Project of the Year” candidate.

• Developed the first interactive mobile ad (iAd) for the iPhone, coordinating with AT&T and Apple to establish standards and documentation to define experience parameters.

• Guided the UX on an AT&T site utilizing customizable video, resulting in 130K+ tailor-made videos and 1.2M contest votes that were featured as a part of the experience.

• Coordinated with Shopper, Experiential Marketing and Brand Planning leads to establish a revised approach to strategizing and pitching business.

RAPP COLLINS, Dallas, TX, 2009-2010
User Experience Designer

Led the UX and information design efforts for digital asset management, web-to-print, and workflow management systems that RAPP was building for Best Buy and HP.

Key Accomplishments:

• Prototyped and put into practice a method of “white board wireframing” to encourage collaboration, increase the speed of information architecture-to-design hand-offs, and build executive buy-in.

• Partnered with Business Analysts and Customer Service reps to create a custom-built and automated digital asset management system for Best Buy and HP.

TRIBAL DDB, Dallas, TX, 2007 – 2009
Senior Information Architect

Managed a small team of UX designers and coordinated efforts with strategy, account, creative and analytics to guide digital campaign and project work for PepsiCo, Nokia, ExxonMobil, and other clients.

Key Accomplishments:

• Led the development of a usability testing methodology and approach, including a guerilla usability testing process, implemented across the Dallas client base.

• Collaborated with Nokia teams across three continents to consolidate tools, resources, and special access to professional and “pro-sumer” mobile developers into a single destination.

• Developed the agency’s first use of personas to plan digital experiences for Nokia, Ingersoll Rand, and others.
  

Richards Group, Dallas, TX, 1999-20007
Director of Content

Developed process, practices and methodology for information architecture, search engine optimization, content marketing and usability testing practices for Chick-fil-A, H-E-B, Hummer, Hyundai Motor Company, The Home Depot and other clients.

Key Accomplishments:

• Initiated and put processes, practices and methodology in place for new service offerings, and hired staff to manage those disciplines, including information architecture, usability testing and viral marketing.

• Led the inaugural global search engine optimization campaign for Nokia, spanning America, Asia and Europe.

• Contributed to building custom content management systems and managed Writer and Editor teams creating short-and long-form content for web experiences.

EDUCATION
Bachelor of Journalism | University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX

VOLUNTEER WORK

UX and design mentorship | Ongoing
Work with a variety of young designers, researchers and user experience specialists to provide ongoing guidance, support and career growth assistance.

Better Living Together | Board member, communications and social media strategy, 2021-present.
Better Living Together is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating an inclusive and diverse co-housing community for adults, including adults with intellectual and developmental disability.

Midway Woods Association | Board member and digital communications lead, 2018-present.
Community association for the neighborhood I live in, organizing social and neighborhood clean-up events, acting as a liaison between the neighborhood and local government and working to build an inclusive and welcoming neighborhood for all of our residents. Midway Woods is a neighborhood in Dekalb County, Georgia.

Advertising for Change | Advisor, website and digital communications, 2019-2021
Worked with the organization on website and digital outreach. Prepared presentations for use by organization’s leadership. Mentored and oversaw interns as part of the 4A’s MAIP (Minority Advertising Internship Program) initative. Advertising For Change is a coalition of Atlanta advertising and marketing agencies committed to Diversity & Inclusion as a means for better business for our agencies, our clients and the city of Atlanta. The organization's goal: attract, mentor and retain talent from all over the world, not only to cement Atlanta as the city for diverse advertising and marketing professionals, but to also set a new standard that crosses industry lines.

La Reunion | Community Advisory Board member, 2006-2010
Assisted with organization of clean-up events at the La Reunion site, and participated in other organizational efforts, as needed. La Reunion was an effort to establish an artists' residency program in the historic Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas.

For the Love of the Lake | Board member, newsletter editor, 2004-2010
I prepared and edited the organization’s print newsletter, including working with printing and distribution vendors. I also led website and email communications, and participated in lake clean-up efforts and other organizational initiatives, as needed. For the Love of the Lake (FTLOTL) is a group of volunteers dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of Dallas' White Rock Lake Park as an urban oasis. The group spear-headed efforts to develop a playground at T.P. Hill, bring the Civilian Conservation Corps bronze statue to the park, create the White Rock Lake Museum at the Bath House Cultural Center, and develop the park’s Celebration Tree Grove.

CERTIFICATIONS

UX Research certification, Nielsen Norman group, 2023.
Areas of focus:

• Analytics and User Experience

• Journey Mapping to Understand Customer Needs

• Measuring UX and ROI

• Product Discovery

• Remote User Research

• Usability Testing

Designing an Accessible Experience certification, Deque University, 2022

John Hopkins University COVID-19 Contact Tracing Certification, Coursera, 2020

Adaptive Leadership: Mobilizing for Change, Acumen, 2018

User Research tools:

• Maze

• Miro

• Optimal Workshop

• Qualtrics

UX Design tools:

• Figma

• Invision

• Sketch

Productivity Tools

• Azure Dev Ops

• Adobe Creative Suite

• Google product suite

• Jira

• Microsoft product suite

• Trello