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Sarah Freitag
Director / UX Research
Biography
As Director of UX Research, Sarah draws on her deep understanding of EdTech users and her background in research, design and business strategy to enable our clients to make confident decisions that result in products that solve real needs and create demonstrable impacts on their business’ bottom lines. Sarah is responsible for fostering collaboration, team development and for bringing new strategic initiatives and methodologies that allow her teams to stay ahead of the curve of what EdTech users truly need to realize higher levels of learning and teaching success. In her free time, Sarah is an amateur baker, constantly experimenting with various recipes and techniques. She also enjoys exploring the various parks around Cincinnati, spending quality time with her husband and two daughters.
ARTICLE: Sarah Freitag & Juli Lanzillotta
Effective UX research lays the foundation for strategic growth
As EdTech companies mature, they inevitably look to grow their user bases. When you find yourself at such an inflection point, it’s more critical than ever to refine your research, design, and development processes to ensure you don’t create or compound your UX problems. In this first article in our series on optimizing your UX program to enable smooth growth, we’ll examine what this means for your research process.
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The 3-step guide to validating your EdTech product
Without proper user validation, many EdTech companies risk missing the mark with their products. If your concepts don’t actually resonate with your end users, they easily get lost in the crowded EdTech marketplace. It’s especially risky in light of funding fluctuations and the cessation of pandemic-era funding. You need to ensure that your products and services stand out as must-have solutions to users’ everyday needs. Our 3-step guide to validation will help your EdTech product get the best start possible.
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5 UX research program pitfalls to avoid at all costs
Many EdTech companies make the same common mistakes when structuring their UX research programs, each of which can have significant consequences. But knowing where you’re more likely to make missteps can reduce your chances of making a costly one. By understanding and avoiding these pitfalls, you can ensure your UX research programs are effective and contribute to the overall success of your EdTech products. From focusing solely on user testing to failing to properly validate experiences through product development, these are the five mistakes to watch out for.
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How to design a UX research plan that supports your business goals
If you’re not designing your plan to help you meet your business goals, you’re missing a major opportunity. UX research plans aren’t just for mining feedback about a design or concept. Done well, a robust research plan paves a path toward meeting all your objectives. So how do you empower your UX research team to build a plan that incorporates your business objectives? In this four-step guide, we’ll show you how to set up your UX research team and your business for success.
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Learn to prioritize your UX research findings (and level up your EdTech product)
To get the highest return on your UX research investment, you need to carefully evaluate each finding and focus on the features and fixes that yield the biggest impact — for your users and your product’s future. Download our four tips on how to properly prioritize your UX research findings and you’ll be on your way to doing just that.
Case Study: New connected digital experience for students and instructors fuels rapid market dominance.
Openfield provided UX strategy and design that resulted in this intuitive, innovative suite of learning tools that facilitate campus communication and create a standardized ecosystem of support at every stage of the student lifecycle.