Heather Popek

Senior Software Engineer

2019 - Present

CARS

• Build experiences for the consumer facing app, the dealer facing app and the admin facing app as part of a complete replatforming.
• Write and maintain unit tests for all code introduced.
• Maintain and enforce the highest standards for front-end implementation of design standards and principles.
• Champion accessibility in all apps.
• Collaborate in planning, estimating and prioritization of work as it relates to company goals.
• Collaborate with other departments to ensure consistent customer experiences across channels.
• Cultivate strong relationships with product and ux.
• Onboarded, mentored and educated team members.
• Provide support for internal and external users.

Elixir, Phoenix, Liveview, Bootstrap

Lead UX Architect & Software Engineer

2018 - 2019

4Degrees, Chicago, IL

• Frequently moderate user testing sessions to gain insights into user needs and validate hypotheses.
• Continually educate the team on ux best practices, understanding user behavior and test moderation.
• Manage all visual design efforts.
• Design & build pattern library.
• Lead team in crafting design principles.
• Significantly improve user experience in web app and emails.
• Build and QA all emails.
• Design & build customer facing site.
• Collaborate to design mobile app, gmail extension and outlook add-in.
• Collaborate on planning & feature prioritization.
• Build out features for desktop app.

Python on Flask using Jinja and Bootstrap

UX Manager

2016 - 2018

Gamut, Chicago, IL

• Built a team of 6 UXAs, 1 Visual Designer and 1 UX Researcher.
• Led the UX team in developing UX principles and charter.
• Built pattern library and corresponding Axure libraries.
• Managed the creation of the visual style guide.
• Managed all testing and insights gathering efforts across the organization using tools such as SessionCam, Google Analytics, User Testing and more.
• Worked with all business units to ensure a consistent customer experience across all touchpoints.
• Developed relationships with all business units to position UX as a valuable partner.
• Worked with Product Manager and Engineering Manager to evolve sprint work processes and quality.
• Designed and built a mobile trivia game for team building.

Lead UX Architect

2015 - 2016

Gamut, Chicago, IL

• Collaborated with product managers, engineers and stakeholders to develop strategy.
• Collaborated with product managers and engineers to plan project execution.
• Created prototypes/wireframes for responsive ecommerce site and admin workstation.
• Collaborated with team members to generate insights based on a deep understanding of business and user needs.
• Validated designs using a variety of methods to ensure ease of use.
• Continually user tested all software.
• Collaborated on early database design.
• QAed all releases for interaction requirements.
• Led release demos and worked closely with internal users in order to iterate software to best support their changing needs.
• Designed and built transactional emails.

Senior UX Planner & Strategist

2014 - 2015

Grainger, Chicago, IL

• Ran discovery activities to understand customer needs, business goals, problem context, as well as organizational and technical constraints.
• Planned and executed lightweight research, ideation, and concepting activities and workshops with stakeholders and appropriate UX practices.
• Synthesized, summarized and presented findings to inform thinking as well as drive decision-making and alignment through concepts and high-level designs.
• Used frameworks to help inform business partners and business strategy.
• Helped to create an experience strategy/roadmap that aligns with the organization’s business objectives.
• Drove ideation and concepting to align thinking between business and execution.
• Drove testing to validate ideas before investment.
• Developed user profiles, scenarios, guiding principles, mental models and journey maps.

Senior Interaction Designer

2011 - 2014

Crate & Barrel, Chicago, IL

• Conceptualized and created wireframes for all desktop and mobile sites.
• Conceptualized and created wireframes for the company's first mobile app for iPhone and Android.
• Led the design iterations of checkout which the Baymard Institute proclaimed the #1 checkout among the top 100 eCommerce sites in 2012.
• Led storyboarding workshops
• Consistently pulled data from Omniture to evaluate effectiveness of recent launches and tests.
• Regularly moderated user testing.
• Prepared tests and analyzed results for card sorting and tree testing.
• Created A/B tests using Optimizely.
• Created HTML and Axure prototypes for user testing on desktop and mobile products.
• Worked with Site Management team to design A/B and multivariate tests.
• Recommended and designed iterative improvements to all web products based on:
• A/B and Multivariate testing
• Remote user testing
• In-store user testing
• Site analytics
• Card sorting
• Opinion lab feedback
• Redesigned, built and QAed all transactional emails for all 3 brands.
• Designed, built and QAed portions of sales associate website.
• hampioned changes to make sites more consistent, lean and tablet friendly prior to going responsive.

Information Architect

2006 - 2011

Palacegate, Skokie, IL

• Created high fidelity wireframes complete with functional specifications for Palagegate clients.
• Analyzed & redesigned current customer interfaces in order to increase usability.
• Heuristically evaluated competitors' sites in order to create more user centered designs.
• Created HTML prototypes.

Freelance Web Developer

2009 - Present

Design and build new websites for small businesses.

BS Mathematics

Minor in Secondary Education.

Roosevelt University, Chicago, IL

Graduated with honors.