Hanieh is available for hire
Hire HaniehHanieh Khosroshahi
Verified Expert in Design
Designer
Toronto, ON, Canada
Toptal member since July 27, 2020
Bio
Hanieh is an independent design consultant working in social impact and digital innovation. She specializes in human-centered design, product strategy, and user experience and has worked in international development, public health, and community engagement. Her projects in the last 10 years range from websites and chatbots to mobile apps and experiential displays. Hanieh's successes include improved conversion, increased engagement, and innovative designs that reach millions of diverse users.
Work Experience
Independent Design Consultant
2023 - PRESENT
Self-employed
- Generated leads and opportunities across design, research, and digital in the development sector and secured consultancy projects that help drive impact.
- Provided deep expertise and hands-on technical services across human-centered design, user experience, and product development.
- Built the capacity of organizations and design teams to apply inclusive research practices and deliver best-in-class digital products and services.
- Managed projects, roadmaps, and budgets, led recruitment and onboarding, and oversaw partner, client, and donor relationships.
Technologies: Figma, MURAL
UX Design Lead
2021 - 2023
YLabs
- Led the design of CyberRwanda, a digital platform that aims to improve the health and livelihoods of adolescents in Rwanda.
- Headed the design research, prototyping, product strategy, and MVP build of digital health interventions for the youth and providers in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Developed and facilitated design training for clients, partners, and the youth to build HCD capacity within organizations and communities.
- Contributed to creating scaling and digital strategies for projects and the organization at large by setting up new processes and standards.
- Managed design teams and work plans. Headed recruitment and hiring.
Technologies: Figma, UX Design, Usability Testing, Information Architecture (IA), Service Design, Human-centered Design, UX Research, Design Strategy, Workshop Facilitation, Product Design, Qualitative Research, Mobile UX, Design Thinking, Responsive UX Design, MVP Design, Feature Prioritization, Product Management, UX Writing, Program Development, Content Strategy, UX Strategy, UX Audits, Design Systems, Competitive Analysis, User Research, User Interviews, Stakeholder Interviews
Design Educator
2020 - 2022
Juno College of Technology
- Taught an 8-week design boot camp to over 20 students covering topics such as UX research, product design, and accessibility.
- Mentored students through lessons and interactive exercises and worked with them to support their project work.
- Developed and facilitated design training modules to increase capacity, education, and knowledge for creatives and designers.
Technologies: Figma, UX Design, Usability Testing, Information Architecture (IA), Human-centered Design, UX Research, Design Strategy, Workshop Facilitation, Product Design, Mobile UX, Design Thinking, Responsive UX Design, UX Writing, Program Development, UX Strategy, Competitive Analysis, User Research, User Interviews, Stakeholder Interviews
Senior UX Strategist
2019 - 2021
Art & Science
- Prepared and facilitated client discovery sessions and other UX workshops to understand target users, business requirements, and project goals.
- Led UX design for various digital campaigns and products, working with clients, leadership, marketing specialists, and developers to launch on time and within budget.
- Applied human-centered design methods to uncover user needs, goals, challenges, and behaviors to inform the design of inclusive and feasible solutions for various clients.
- Presented findings, UX strategy, and design solutions, including sitemaps, personas, user flows, and wireframes, to clients in engaging and creative ways.
- Advocated for and helped advance UX practices through thought leadership, mentorship, and building and fostering the design team.
Technologies: UX Design, Usability Testing, Information Architecture (IA), Service Design, Human-centered Design, UX Research, Design Strategy, Workshop Facilitation, Product Design, Qualitative Research, Mobile UX, Design Thinking, Responsive UX Design, MVP Design, Feature Prioritization, UX Writing, Content Strategy, UX Strategy, UX Audits, Competitive Analysis, User Research, User Interviews, Stakeholder Interviews
UX Architect
2018 - 2019
Canada Life
- Designed customer and employee-facing end-to-end digital applications, sites, and tools, helping deliver innovative and effective UX solutions.
- Conducted competitor research and led UX workshops, leveraging insights to create flows and wireframes for over 10 million customers.
- Collaborated with business partners and internal teams to turn business requirements and creative strategy into engaging experiences.
Technologies: UX Design, Information Architecture (IA), Human-centered Design, UX Research, Design Strategy, Workshop Facilitation, Product Design, Qualitative Research, Mobile UX, Design Thinking, Responsive UX Design, Feature Prioritization, UX Writing, Content Strategy, UX Strategy, UX Audits, Design Systems, Competitive Analysis, User Research, User Interviews, Stakeholder Interviews
UX Specialist
2016 - 2017
CIBC
- Contributed to the development of information architecture and usability standards for the social and corporate intranet and 45,000 employees.
- Conducted a UX audit to identify areas of improvement and developed a UX strategy highlighting design recommendations and success metrics.
- Prepared research plans, led interviews and usability testing, and conducted a UX audit to identify design opportunities and solutions.
Technologies: UX Design, Usability Testing, Information Architecture (IA), Human-centered Design, UX Research, Design Strategy, Workshop Facilitation, Product Design, Qualitative Research, Mobile UX, Design Thinking, Responsive UX Design, Feature Prioritization, UX Writing, UX Strategy, UX Audits, Competitive Analysis, User Research, User Interviews, Stakeholder Interviews
Web Design Assistant
2015 - 2016
Geneva Centre for Autism
- Designed, tested, and launched five interactive online courses for parents and educators interested in learning about autism spectrum disorder (ASD), focusing on usability principles and accessibility.
- Collaborated with subject matter experts to develop and edit content such as voiceovers, lessons, and videos.
- Handled all customer feedback, comments, and questions. Provided technical and client support to students, ensuring their feedback and pain points informed future design decisions.
- Created and managed microsites for company events and programs on Joomla and WordPress.
Technologies: UX Design, Workshop Facilitation, Design Thinking, UX Writing, Program Development, User Research, User Interviews, Stakeholder Interviews
Education
2013 - 2014
Master of Science Degree in Human-computer Interaction (HCI)
University of York - York, United Kingdom
2012 - 2013
Post-graduate Certificate in New Media Journalism
Sheridan College - Oakville, Canada
2008 - 2012
Bachelor of Arts Degree in Arts and Humanities
University of Toronto - Toronto, Canada
Skills
Tools
Figma, MURAL
Other
UX Design, Usability Testing, Wireframing, Prototyping, Information Architecture (IA), User Experience (UX), Journey Mapping, Qualitative Research, Human-centered Design, UX Research, Design Strategy, Mobile UX, Design Thinking, Responsive UX Design, MVP Design, Workshop Facilitation, Product Design, UX Strategy, UX Audits, Competitive Analysis, User Research, User Interviews, Stakeholder Interviews, Service Design, Feature Prioritization, Product Management, UX Writing, Program Development, Content Strategy, Design Systems
Experience
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