Caitria O'Neill

Google Search - Staff Researcher (2021-2024)

 Lead researcher for Consumer Media+ Verticals (24% of Search traffic, 5.8B+ monthly active)

• Owned scaled research strategy & planning across multiple verticals. Coordinated 3 embedded researchers, and served as sole research contact for 6+ verticals representing 2.5B MAU. Developed templates and processes for high-traffic teams lacking embedded UXR. 

• Heavily influenced OKR drafting and annual/quarterly strategic priorities. Led creation of shared UXR/DS POVs on top opportunities and issues. Instructed PMs on issue prioritization and feature selection. Caught data misinterpretations and omissions, led UXR/DS task-forces to resolve & rewrite elements of strategic plans. 

• Conducted mixed method research and developed internal intent-based user informational need frameworks. Supported experiment design & interpretation for TV, Movies, Recipes verticals, leading to global launch of features to 1.35B+ users. 

Google Assistant - UXR & UX Lead (2019-2021)

UX Research Lead & UX Lead for Whole Home (Multi-device Households representing 40% of engagement)

• Dual leadership role leading end-to-end research and coordinating design efforts for Multi-device Households, representing 40% of Assistant engagement.

• Deeply involved in strategy & roadmap prioritization, helping write executive OKRs. Escalated insights leading to cross-Assistant strategy shift to 60/40% prioritization of quality improvement over novel feature development. Identified issues using single-device metrics for multi-device use; escalation led to shift in Assistant metrics strategy. 

UX Research Lead for GoogleTV / Chromecast 

• Lead researcher on development & launch of first Google Assistant-enabled Chromecast. Successfully identified and escalated issues leading to pre-launch quality & experience improvements. 

• Identified lack of shared CUJs as driver of team's issues prioritizing features. Led cross-functional task force to create shared CUJs at common altitude, 

Airbnb - User Researcher (2018-2019)

• Airbnb Search & Strategy: Conducted research for Airbnb's Search capabilities. Supported company-wide design sprint developing Airbnb’s first longitudinal usability benchmarking program to guide product quality over time. Using audits and competitor benchmarking, and usability testing, revealed & helped prioritize issue-fixes leading to  ~2% lift in bookings.

• Airbnb Luxe Launch: Led research for 'guest' experience for development & launch of Airbnb Luxe, focused on differentiating high-end guest experience from Airbnb Plus and core offerings. Drove insights on aesthetic differences between sub-brands, and development of 'Trip Planner' as part of Luxe value proposition. 

Facebook (Meta) - User Researcher (2016-2017)

• FB Web Navigation Redesign: Sole researcher on Facebook’s first successful web navigation redesign in 7+ years. Led foundational research into gaps, iterative design & testing, internal dogfood feedback & pre-launch improvements. 

• FB Video for TV Launch: Took Facebook's first TV app from hackathon to pre-launch. Led participatory design, evaluative research. 

Recovers.org  - Co-founder & CEO (2011-2014)

• Co-founded, led research & iterative prototyping and initial product design for a peer-to-peer disaster relief. After managing donation coordination in my own town after an E3 tornado, spent the next several years flying digital tools for local relief into active disaster to support recovering communities. Used in NYC after Hurricane Sandy, Vermont after Hurrican Irene; and across the south for tornado relief. 

• Awarded 'White House Champion of Change'; Knight Foundation News Challenge Winner; MIT Ideas Competition Winner; Chicago Bluhm Helfand Fellow; Women of Impact 'Mother of Invention' Distinction. 

Education 

Harvard University (2007-2011)  -  BA in Government, sub-concentration in languages including French, Spanish, Russian. Internship for US Embassy Bratislava, Slovakia. 

Moscow School of Economics (2010) - Received full scholarship for winter-session, coursework in Russian, political economy, US-Russia relations.

Paris IV Sorbonne (2009) - MA-level coursework in colonization & decolonization as part of study-abroad program. 

Teaching & Speaking Engagements (2012-2024)

• Howard University "Intro to Human Computer Interaction" - Created & taught 2 weeks of lectures, on 'Storyboarding' and 'The Power of Failure' (2023)

• Google "Storytelling" skill-building workshop for user researchers of all levels, focused on how to package insights & data for stakeholders based on goals & context. (2020)

• European Space Agency  "Moon Village Workshop" - Created & co-lead 3-day workshop for members of ESA, focused on teaching innovation strategies and encouraging 'moonshot' thinking around establishment of a Moon Village. (2017)

• World Bank  Led a series of 5 innovation workshops in Mongolia and Uganda, with a focus on low-cost methods for prototyping and concept validation. 

• Stanford d.school "Design for the Weary" - Created and led semester-long Master's level course with fieldwork component. Class was focused on developing and modifying research methodology for use with people experiencing crisis (eg. homelessness, medical diagnosis, natural disaster) (2014)

• TedX - "Community Powered Disaster Relief" Talk for TedxBoston was featured on TedX.com main page. (2012)

 Portfolio art by Andrew Krass, tap to see & hire him!