Michelle
Wantuch
DESIGN RESEARCHER
PRODUCT MANAGER
UX/LEARNING EXPERIENCE DESIGNER
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I am a creator that loves to wear many hats. I have experience in and passion for product management, user research, and experience design. I am a strong proponent of design thinking and believe that customer-focused iteration is key to a product's success.
I am a graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Technology, Innovation, and Education program. What does that immensely long program title mean? It means that my long term career goals include focusing on the design and development of educational technology. I am interested in and have experience creating health-related technology as well. My research, design, psychology, global health, online marketing, data analytics, and teaching background all give me a unique perspective to create useful, meaningful tools and experiences; And I hope that whatever I create will have a positive, lasting impact on others.
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Beyond the office and the classroom, I love being adventurous. I enjoy all kinds of sports, including yoga and rock climbing, as well as baking, trying exotic cuisines, traveling, and art, especially photography. You can check out the photos in my portfolio.
ABOUT ME
CourseWORK
AT HARVARD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION,
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY, & BEYOND
INNOVATION BY DESIGN: PROJECTS IN EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
DESIGNING FOR LEARNING BY CREATING
PSYCHOLOGY OF INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY & DESIGN
DESIGN OF LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS
NEXT GENERATION DESIGN: METHODS & HEURISTICS
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE
DESIGN OF USEFUL AND USABLE INTERACTIVE SYSTEMS (COMPUTER SCIENCE DEPARTMENT)
ADAPTIVE LEARNING: INVESTIGATIONS AND EXERCISES
FORMATIVE EVALUATION FOR EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
MULTI-MODAL LEARNING ANALYTICS
LEADERSHIP, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, & LEARNING
NEGOTIATION WORKSHOP
PRODUCT MANAGEMENT (MIT SLOAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT)
PORTFOLIO
MY WORK FROM GRAD SCHOOL. SEE MORE >
Experience
HERE ARE A FEW HIGHLIGHTS:
SUMMER 2013
PRACTICE FUSION
Marketing Analytics & SEO Intern
As a member of the User Growth team, I refined my analytical skills by creating a competitive analysis for two websites. I also gained technical skills in the field of Search Engine Optimization.
SPRING 2014
SOUTH AFRICA
Public Health Researcher
While studying abroad in South Africa, I conducted ethnographic research focusing on public health and community development. In this program, the link between health and education sparked my interest.
SUMMER 2014
PRACTICE FUSION
Email Production Intern
After being asked to return to the company for a second summer to continue my work in the online marketing department, I joined the engagement team to build upon my previous experience and gain new skills in HTML and CSS, producing emails in Exact Target and NetSuite.
EARLY 2015
INTERNATIONAL WILDERNESS LEADERSHIP SCHOOL
Leader & Participant
I spent a month mountaineering near Mendoza, Argentina. I put my leadership skills into practice, leading my group of 7 in unknown territory while developing new mountaineering skills. I learned how far my determination can take me (...really far).
2015-2016
CITIZEN SCHOOLS
Teaching Fellow & Academic Lead
Teaching in a Chicago Public School, I sought to improve instructional outcomes and student engagement by implementing various educational technology products such as IXL and Khan Academy in 5 classrooms.
FALL 2016
MIT MEDIA LAB
Learning Developer Intern
(UX Design & Research)
In the Lifelong Kindergarten Lab, I was working with the Scratch team to design a simpler, more scaffolded Scratch experience called Microworlds, which were intended for new Scratch users. After playtesting, we iterated on our designs, always striving to create a more elegant, more impactful Scratch experience.
SPRING 2017
BRAIN POWER
PRODUCT MANAGER
After conducting research with individuals with austism and their providers, my teammates and clients decided to create a new Google Glass AR application that allowed job coaches to better support their autistic clients who were experiencing anxiety or having trouble completing a task at work. To bring the product spec to life, I guided my teammates in the prototype creation phase, resulting in several mid-fildelity 2-D mock-ups of a novel AR application experience.
SUMMER 2017
MICROSOFT
UX Design Researcher
I am a researcher in a research engine that works across Microsoft teams. I work closely with designers, PMs, developers, and other product team members to plan, conduct, and then report on and activate design/user research. In addition to conducting GenZ research in labs and pioneering new online research offerings, I have and continue to collaboratively design and manage systems and processes for: efficient triaging of research requests across teams; tracking impact and business operations; conductiing pre-lab design reviews; and more.
CONTACT
Please shoot me an email with regards to my work and interests, and I'll get back to you ASAP.
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michelle_wantuch@mail.harvard.edu
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