Executed design research for a nationally publicized startup I cofounded creating digital life stories for people with dementia
UX RESEARCHER &
ENTREPRENEUR
The talents I've developed in my 13-year career
HIGHLY EXPERIENCED
JOURNALIST
Former senior staff reporter and foreign correspondent
for The Wall Street Journal in the US and Spain
QUALITATIVE RESEARCHER &
PROJECT MANAGER
Ilan Brat
I am a seasoned, human-centered researcher & storyteller in Chicago.
I've worked at or with...
Selected research projects
To comply with patient privacy and confidentiality agreements, I've removed or changed some details.
LAUNCHING A NEW SERVICE
LIFE STORIES IN DEMENTIA CARE
SALES-PROCESS ANALYSIS
IDENTIFYING DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES
CUSTOMER JOURNEY UNDERSTANDING IRANIAN LAUNDRYMEN
I'm Ilan.
In my 13-year career, I've developed experience in journalism and narrative storytelling in multiple countries, UX research, client management, project management, and entrepreneurship.
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Through it, I've become passionate about deeply understanding a problem before trying to address it. Doing so improves stakeholder communication and yields more effective solutions.
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I'm fascinated by how people respond to, affect, and are affected by the systems and incentives in which they operate, and I excel at making sense of complexity. Through 4,000 interviews in my career, I've also developed the ability to widen the space where people feel comfortable sharing -- a skill that I've brought to the design thinking workshops I've facilitated.
I bring to my work a deep respect for understanding what makes people tick.
View Resume (PDF)
EXPERIENCE
Senior Design Researcher - IDEO (Chicago)
July 2018 - present
I spearhead design research on consulting projects in a wide range of industries.
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Strategic research project lead - Euromonitor International
Mar. 2016 - June 2018
I led teams to answer ambiguous research questions for Blue Chip companies like PepsiCo, 3M, and Procter & Gamble, and organizations like the World Health Organization that help them better understand their customers, develop new products, and set strategic priorities.
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RESPONSIBILITIES
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Executed interviews, surveys and other qualitative and quantitative research
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Led all frontline client interaction, managing expectations and timelines and resolving conflicts
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Delivered 20 simple-to-understand final PowerPoint presentations I created
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Supervised daily research tasks of 51 different field researchers
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Synthesized all findings, and applied insights to clients’ specific business needs
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Trained new hires on advanced interviewing techniques
UX Architect & Researcher, Cofounder - MemoryWell LLC
Jun. 2015 - Mar. 2017
Created a mobile storytelling product for dementia care. Led the discovery research, identified our main users’ needs, built the business case, and architected our product – which I then further tested and improved with users.
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Senior Staff Reporter, Spain & U.S. - The Wall Street Journal
Jun. 2005 - Feb. 2016
My assignments spanned multiple industries and coverage areas in the U.S. and Spain, from consumer packaged foods to restaurants to industrial manufacturers, labor and energy markets, and macroeconomics.
EDUCATION
Journalism & Mass Communications
Arizona State University, Bachelor of Arts
Aug. 2001 - May 2006
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LANGUAGE & HOBBIES
I speak Spanish fluently.
I love to travel outside the U.S., and also to eat hummus.