Open to opportunities

Laura Klonowska

@lauraklonowska

Message

Experienced user researcher with a strong background in product strategy.

United Kingdom

Message

What I'm looking for

I am looking for a role that values user-centered design and offers opportunities for growth and collaboration.

I am an experienced Senior User Researcher with a strong background in driving product strategy, fostering a user-centered approach, and influencing key business decisions through research insights. My experience includes working for multiple government organizations on complex cross-government projects. I hold a master’s degree in Digital Humanities and am fascinated by the way humans interact with technology, making me an enthusiast of user-centered design.

Currently, I am working as a Senior User Researcher for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, where I lead a team of approximately 10 researchers. My role involves establishing research processes, best practices, and operational efficiencies while driving research impact at an organizational level. I ensure that our team takes a user-centered, evidence-based approach to service design and delivery, aligning our research activities with policy and business strategy.

Throughout my career, I have collaborated with multidisciplinary teams, including designers and product managers, to ensure seamless integration of research into product development. My expertise in qualitative and quantitative research methods, usability testing, and journey mapping has allowed me to advocate for accessibility and inclusivity in digital services, ensuring that research findings influence decision-making across teams.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Senior User Researcher

Current

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Mar 2023 - Present (2 years 3 months)

Led a team of approximately 10 user researchers, providing guidance and ensuring a user-centered, evidence-based approach to service design and delivery. Drove research impact at an organizational level, increasing visibility of key insights and shaping product strategy through cross-government collaboration.

User Research Service Design Team Leadership Stakeholder Management Agile Methodologies

Senior User Researcher

Department for Education

Dec 2022 - Present (2 years 6 months)

Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams in an Agile environment to integrate research seamlessly into product development, delivering quick, actionable insights under tight deadlines. Championed research visibility across teams, ensuring findings influenced decision-making and advocated for accessibility and inclusivity in digital services.

Qualitative Research Quantitative Research Usability Testing Service Design Agile Accessibility Jira

Senior User Researcher

NHS Digital

Dec 2020 - Present (4 years 6 months)

Conducted research on complex, data-driven healthcare digital services, optimizing workflows and improving system efficiency by working with back-end technical teams. Developed and implemented a research strategy as the sole User Researcher in an environment with no prior research, bridging the gap between system architecture and end-user needs.

User Research Research Strategy Optimization Technical Communication User Journey Mapping Data Driven

Senior User Researcher

Education and Skill Funding Agency

Jun 2020 - Present (5 years)

Served as a Senior User Researcher, contributing to user-centered design initiatives within the agency. Applied research methodologies to inform educational and skill funding service improvements.

User Research User Centered Design Research Methodologies Stakeholder Engagement Agile Confluence Data Analysis

Senior User Researcher

Intellectual Property Office

Sep 2018 - Present (6 years 9 months)

Conducted user research to support the development and improvement of intellectual property services. Applied qualitative and quantitative research methods to gather insights and inform design decisions.

User Research Qualitative Research Quantitative Research Design Thinking Service Design Usability Testing Intellectual Property

User Researcher

HM Revenue & Customs

Sep 2017 - Present (7 years 9 months)

Performed user research activities to understand user needs for tax and customs services. Contributed to improving user experience through evidence-based recommendations.

User Research User Experience Agile Usability

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

Southampton Solent University

BA (Hons) Journalism, Journalism

Activities and societies: Studies included: Media Law, Media Ethics, Web Publishing, Culture Analysis, Design, Web Design, Photography, Magazine Making and Professional Practice.

Undertook studies covering core aspects of journalism, including media law, ethics, and professional practice. Gained practical skills in web publishing, web design, photography, and magazine making. Explored theoretical concepts such as culture analysis.

University of Sussex

MA (Hons) Digital Humanities, Digital Humanities

Activities and societies: Key modules included: Media Theory & Research, New Developments in Digital Media, Theory and Practise of Interactive Media, Media, Culture & Communication

Developed the ability to combine theoretical and practical approaches to digitalization, gaining a comprehensive range of transferable skills including critical, analytical, and qualitative research. Gained understanding of the intersection of digital technologies into the humanities, including the systematic use of digital resources and analysis of their application. Key modules included Media Th