Rachana Nataraj

User Experience Researcher at Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering

Planned and executed a mixed-methods study on conversational assistants for older adults using IRB-approved protocols, semi-structured interviews, and survey design, collecting both qualitative and quantitative insights. Conducted thematic analysis and affinity mapping on collected data to uncover patterns in privacy and trust, translating these findings into actionable design recommendations that were published at ACM CHI 2025. Designed and iterated on interactive prototypes using Figma and Miro, incorporating user feedback to refine user flows and accessibility features, resulting in a 30% improvement in usability testing metrics.

Teaching Assistant – Interaction Design Methods at Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering

Facilitated workshops for 50+ students, focusing on practical application of usability testing, heuristic evaluation, and information architecture, guiding students to develop user-centered mobile app prototypes. Reviewed final project deliverables, providing feedback on wireframes, personas, and storyboards created in Figma and Adobe Illustrator, ensuring research insights were effectively applied.

Oracle Cloud Domain Associate & UX Intern at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)

Developed interactive, data-driven dashboards by integrating Power BI with structured datasets from MySQL and PLSQL, enabling real-time analytics and actionable insights for stakeholders. Created a standardized Figma component library informed by heuristic and accessibility audits, reducing design cycles by 25% and increasing dashboard usability by 60%.

User Experience Researcher at Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering

Led mixed-methods UX research on conversational assistants focusing on trust, privacy, and accessibility for older adults. Synthesized data using affinity mapping and thematic analysis to guide design recommendations and product strategy, contributing to publications at ACM CHI and ASSETS 2025. Designed and iterated accessibility-focused Figma prototypes, resulting in a 30% improvement in usability scores.

Teaching Assistant – Interaction Design Methods at Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering

Mentored over 50 students in usability testing, heuristic evaluation, and UX writing. Reviewed wireframes, content flows, information architecture, and accessibility principles using Figma.

Oracle Cloud Domain Associate & UX Intern at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Bengaluru, India

Conducted heuristic evaluations and accessibility audits (WCAG 2.2) to identify UI/UX gaps. Built interactive dashboards using Power BI and MySQL, reducing reporting time by 30%. Developed a reusable Figma component library to standardize UI across Oracle Cloud dashboards, improving interface consistency and cutting design cycle time by 25%.

User Experience Researcher at Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering, Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)

Led a mixed-methods UX study on conversational assistants, conducting interviews, surveys, usability tests, and scenario-based research to explore trust, privacy, and accessibility (WCAG 2.2) for older adults. Designed and refined chatbot interaction flows and dialogue patterns using Figma; integrated user feedback and applied principles of conversational UX and NLU optimization. Contributed to the development of a voice/text-based virtual assistant for older adults, ensuring seamless integration of multimodal features and WCAG-compliant conversational content. Synthesized findings into actionable design recommendations that shaped product direction and led to publications at ACM CHI and ASSETS 2025.

Teaching Assistant – Interaction Design Methods at Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering, Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)

Mentored 50+ students in usability testing, heuristic evaluation, and UX writing. Reviewed Figma-based wireframes and content flows, information architecture, and accessibility principles.

Oracle Cloud Domain Associate & UX Intern at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)

Conducted heuristic evaluations and WCAG 2.2 accessibility audits to identify UX gaps in enterprise Oracle Cloud dashboards; collaborated across teams to implement improvements that enhanced usability and compliance. Built a reusable Figma component library and standardized UI patterns across platforms, reducing repetitive design cycles by 25% and accelerating cross-functional design-to-dev handoffs.

User Experience Researcher at Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering, Indiana University

Led a mixed-methods UX study on conversational assistants focusing on trust, privacy, and accessibility for older adults; designed chatbot interaction flows and dialogue patterns; contributed to the development of a voice/text-based virtual assistant; synthesized findings into actionable design recommendations and publications at ACM CHI and ASSETS 2025.

Teaching Assistant – Interaction Design Methods at Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering, Indiana University

Mentored 50+ students in usability testing, heuristic evaluation, and UX writing; reviewed Figma-based wireframes, information architecture, and accessibility principles.

Oracle Cloud Domain Associate & UX Intern at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)

Conducted heuristic evaluations and WCAG 2.2 accessibility audits to identify UX gaps in Oracle Cloud dashboards; built a reusable Figma component library and standardized UI patterns across platforms, reducing repetitive design cycles by 25% and accelerating cross-functional handoffs.

User Experience Researcher at Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)

Led a mixed-methods UX study on conversational assistants to explore trust, privacy, and accessibility (WCAG 2.2) for older adults; designed chatbot interaction flows and dialogue patterns in Figma; contributed to the development of a voice/text-based virtual assistant; synthesized findings into actionable recommendations shaping product direction and publications (CHI 2025, ASSETS 2025).

Teaching Assistant – Interaction Design Methods at Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering, Indianapolis, USA

Mentored 50+ students in usability testing, heuristic evaluation, and UX writing; reviewed Figma-based wireframes, information architecture, and accessibility principles.