https://www.razelagustino.com/about daily 0.75 2026-03-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ce435d6bea1ed00016ba287/1558964652247-5MWXNMFZVOPGE4TY6U2Q/MHeiderich_ReflexionenZwei-05-copy.jpg About https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fc7f42722bef83b39e0a9cc/1606945769533-PFYK3YAB3IPM9UOEHWBT/razel.png About https://www.razelagustino.com/contact daily 0.75 2025-05-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ce435d6bea1ed00016ba287/1558964652247-5MWXNMFZVOPGE4TY6U2Q/MHeiderich_ReflexionenZwei-05-copy.jpg Contact https://www.razelagustino.com/home daily 1.0 2022-02-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fc7f42722bef83b39e0a9cc/09fd5736-dc7e-43dd-b2b3-38d2f361795e/microsoft-surface-pro-x.png Home - Surgical Instrument https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fc7f42722bef83b39e0a9cc/7ddea016-ade9-4b6c-827c-9e00170955ec/surgical-instrument-interview-and-usability-test.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fc7f42722bef83b39e0a9cc/e1252af6-3c3e-432f-ac0c-d7b06a6017d3/web-portal.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fc7f42722bef83b39e0a9cc/866c3197-c371-4bab-9060-9b2b5686245f/hololens-2-augmented-reality-headset.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fc7f42722bef83b39e0a9cc/1840cd18-00ec-4f28-8fa2-f675269f11a0/microsoft-surface-headphones-participant.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fc7f42722bef83b39e0a9cc/6229d764-8b2a-4f99-af98-0a4c7a2eddb6/blink-ux-workshop-co-branded-mobile-app.png Home https://www.razelagustino.com/microsoft-surface-pro-x daily 0.75 2025-12-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fc7f42722bef83b39e0a9cc/09fd5736-dc7e-43dd-b2b3-38d2f361795e/microsoft-surface-pro-x.png Microsoft Surface Pro X - Overview Note: In compliance with my non-disclosure agreements, I have omitted confidential information about this project. Goal The study evaluated people's experiences using the Microsoft Surface Pro X (2-in-1 laptop), Surface Pro X Signature Keyboard, and Surface Slim Pen bundle in the months following the launch of the Surface Pro X to understand customer sentiment and product strengths and weaknesses in order to improve the next generation of products. Method 3-part study with 13 participants—8 ”buyers” (who bought the bundle on their own) and 5 “seeded” (who fit the buyer profile and were provided the bundle): User testing sessions focused on unboxing, initial setup and use, and first impressions Online diary study over 4 weeks In-depth 90-minute interview at conclusion of study My Role Wrote the protocols and materials (e.g. session guides, scripts, questions) Adapted the study to run safely during shelter-in-place protocols due to the COVID-19 pandemic Conducted/moderated sessions Took notes and video Analyzed and organized the data Created reports, including items such as key takeaways, details, metrics, video clips, and recommendations Presented results to hundreds of people across multiple teams and stakeholder audiences, tailoring each presentation appropriately I collaborated with finance, project management, a UX research manager, another researcher who handled logistics (e.g. obtaining materials) and provided feedback on my work, an external recruiter for participants, an external researcher who moderated some of the interview sessions, and an external testing facility. Impact The findings provided foundational knowledge for user perceptions of the three products. My presentations to various teams reached wide audiences, educating stakeholders and strengthening buy-in for research efforts to inform future versions of these products. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fc7f42722bef83b39e0a9cc/a5feffcb-1bba-40aa-9971-ea02941e44d5/surface-pro-x-packaging.png Microsoft Surface Pro X - Approach Recruitment The study had 2 participant groups: 8 “Buyers” - People who had already purchased the Surface Pro X bundle independently with their own money right before we recruited them 5 “Seeded” - People who were looking for a new computer; were not employed in technology, hardware engineering, media, or journalism; and fit the marketing/target customer profile for the Surface Pro X For the Buyers group, I worked with a UX research manager who then coordinated with the marketing department to secure participants who recently bought the products. For the Seeded group, I worked with an external research and recruitment vendor. Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE) User testing sessions (Seeded group): Why? - To learn what the first touchpoints are like, from the moment of seeing the packaging to the first time using the products, so that I could understand users’ thoughts, feelings, and behaviors during the first impressions window. The original plan was to have sessions fully in person, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I pivoted to having participants sit alone in a clean lab room with the devices and interact with me via video instead. With the bundle of the three products provided, I instructed the participants to imagine they had just received the products as a gift and asked them to open and physically set up the devices while “thinking aloud.” I gathered feedback from observations, spontaneous comments, probing for comments, and Likert scale ratings to learn about the details of the unboxing experience, asking about things like ease of opening and device removal, thoughts on the look and feel, intuitiveness of the packaging, and overall satisfaction. After physical device setup, I had users go through the digital setup and first use on the device and gathered feedback on those experiences as well. Online diary study (Buyers group): Why? - I wanted to learn the same things as with the Seeded group, but Buyers participants had already unboxed and set up their devices before we contacted them. Since I could not run a timely dedicated usability session with Buyers, I instead had them complete a diary study entry where they answered survey questions and recorded themselves talking about what they remembered from the setup process. (Limitations: This method relied on participants’ memory, which may not always be accurate. It was also less detailed and unmoderated with no opportunity to spontaneously probe on any comments provided.) Weekly Check-Ins Online diary study (both groups): Why? - To learn the highlights and lowlights of using the Surface Pro X as told and shown first-hand by the users and to track satisfaction over time while staying safely within COVID-19 protocols. Both groups went on to use the device bundle for at least a month and used dscout to keep an online diary where they completed check-ins every week for 4 weeks. Each check-in included survey responses, photos, and videos. Deep Dive at the 1-Month Mark User interviews (both groups): Why? - To gain a deeper understanding of how the device fits into users’ lives “in the wild,” and to get rich feedback on specific features, likes, dislikes, uses, and overall thoughts. Originally, I planned to conduct home visits and have participants show me how they use the Surface Pro X at home in different rooms, contexts, postures, and activities and then have in-depth discussions to reflect on their experience over the past month. However, I once again had to modify the in-person approach due to COVID-19 pandemic guidelines and adapted the protocol to be remote instead. In this final phase, I moderated 90-minute sessions via video chat that still included a home tour along with everything I initially planned. (Limitations: Adapting the home visit to be online meant my view was limited to whatever could fit in frame on the participant’s device, whatever views the participant was able to physically set up, and at the video resolution their device could provide.) While I was the primary researcher and moderator, I partnered with another researcher to moderate a few of the sessions in this final phase due to workload constraints. Timeline March 2020: OOBE (unboxing, setup, first use) March-April 2020: Weekly Check-Ins (online diary study) May 2020: Deep Dive (home tour and in-depth interview) https://www.razelagustino.com/surgical-instrument daily 0.75 2025-12-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fc7f42722bef83b39e0a9cc/7ddea016-ade9-4b6c-827c-9e00170955ec/surgical-instrument-interview-and-usability-test.png Surgical Instrument - Overview Note: In compliance with my non-disclosure agreements, I have omitted confidential information about this project. Goal This large-scale, multi-year project invented a new instrument for thoracic surgery. The goal of the UX component was to ensure each iteration of the instrument got better at meeting surgeons’ needs to ultimately improve how surgeons perform thoracic procedures. Method Iterative study with 5 thoracic surgeons of varying experience levels (participants provided by client’s network): Interviews User testing sessions focused on ergonomics, impressions, and usability Surveys We met with surgeons individually each month and presented them with prototypes to try either in a simulated thorax model, on ex vivo tissue, or in vivo. We then used their feedback to guide the designs of the next iteration of prototypes and brought these to the surgeons to test again. My Role Wrote the protocols and materials (e.g. session guides, scripts, questions) Conducted/moderated the sessions Took notes and video Analyzed and organized the data Created reports, including results and recommendations Presented results (via video call and screen-sharing) to the client and stakeholders in the United States and Japan Provided UX and human factors input to design sessions and concept reviews Conducted tests on prototypes to determine physical input forces Co-invented (as listed on the patent) the device I collaborated with industrial design, engineering, project management, the client, and an external testing facility. Impact The findings provided design direction throughout the invention process, bringing the client closer to creating an effective instrument with the potential to improve both the experience of performing and the outcomes of thoracic surgery. https://www.razelagustino.com/web-portal daily 0.75 2022-01-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fc7f42722bef83b39e0a9cc/e1252af6-3c3e-432f-ac0c-d7b06a6017d3/web-portal.png Web Portal - Overview Note: In compliance with my non-disclosure agreements, I have omitted confidential information about this project. Goal The study evaluated the usability of and captured user sentiment on a prototype of a web portal so that the team could design a better tool for the workflows of nurses and dietitians in a specific healthcare context. Method Remote (via video call and screen-sharing) study with 10 nurses and 3 dietitians who work in the intended use context: Usability tests focused on task completion Post-test interviews My Role Wrote the screener and selected participants from response pool Wrote the protocols and materials (e.g. session guides, scripts, questions) Conducted/moderated the sessions Took notes and video-recorded sessions Analyzed and organized the data Created reports, including results and recommendations Presented results to the client and stakeholders I collaborated with design, software, and project management teams, the client, and an external recruiting agency. Impact Insights from the study on aspects of the web portal that worked well, areas that caused confusion or difficulty, and barriers to adoption provided guidance on where to focus efforts for design improvements and workflow integration. https://www.razelagustino.com/augmented-reality-app daily 0.75 2022-01-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fc7f42722bef83b39e0a9cc/ad5f33d8-8994-4b25-98d3-009484d0a94e/hololens-2-augmented-reality-headset.png Augmented Reality App - Overview Note: In compliance with my non-disclosure agreements, I have omitted confidential information about this project. Goal The study evaluated the safety, ergonomics, usability, effectiveness, efficiency, acceptability, and desirability of a prototype of an augmented reality (AR) app on Microsoft HoloLens 2 designed to improve a specific workflow used by retail employees. Method 3-phase study: Phase A (initial evaluations) Heuristic analysis based on Nielsen usability heuristics, human factors/ergonomics heuristics, AR heuristics, and Microsoft safety tips Social comfort test in the actual retail setting to evaluate acceptability and customer reactions as well as social comfort for the user Phase B (evaluations in mock setting) Usability tests focused on task completion, first with 11 lay users from the client’s “friends and family” network in a mock setting, then with 15 actual retail employees in a mock setting Post-test interviews Phase C (evaluations in actual environment) Usability tests focused on task completion, including time trial comparisons to current workflow, with actual retail employees in the actual environment Post-test interviews Between each test, the client’s design and engineering teams refined the app. My Role Conducted all evaluations in each phase Wrote the participant selection criteria Wrote the protocols and materials (e.g. session guides, scripts, questions) Moderated the sessions with users Took notes and video-recorded sessions Analyzed and organized the data Created reports, including results and recommendations Presented results to the client and stakeholders I collaborated with the client’s design, engineering, and project management teams, a research assistant who provided recording support and edited videos, and a retail location and its associated individuals to coordinate testing. Impact Findings from Phases A and B provided guidance for further work on the app to prove the product’s potential to improve the target workflow. Results from Phase C provided data to executive leadership teams in the client’s parent corporation and served as the basis for go/no-go decisions for the project going forward. https://www.razelagustino.com/microsoft-surface-headphones daily 0.75 2022-01-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fc7f42722bef83b39e0a9cc/1840cd18-00ec-4f28-8fa2-f675269f11a0/microsoft-surface-headphones-participant.png Microsoft Surface Headphones - Overview Note: In compliance with my non-disclosure agreements, I have omitted confidential information about this project. Goal The study explored and gathered feedback on people's experiences with unboxing, setup, first-time use, and first two weeks’ use of Microsoft Surface Headphones to understand customer sentiment and product strengths and weaknesses in order to establish foundational knowledge and leverage it in the design and development of Surface Headphones 2. Method 2-part study with 19 participants who were considering buying new headphones and were provided the headphones during the study: User testing sessions focused on unboxing, initial setup and use, and first impressions Online diary study over 2 weeks with 5 check-ins that included comments, video, photos, and ratings My Role Wrote the protocols and materials (e.g. session guides, scripts, questions) Conducted/moderated the sessions Took notes and video Analyzed and organized the data Created reports, including items such as key takeaways, details, metrics, video clips, and recommendations Presented results to stakeholders across multiple teams I collaborated with finance, project management, two other researchers who assisted with presentation content, an external recruiter for participants, and an external testing facility. Impact The findings served as the primary source of rich qualitative feedback, especially on “delighters” and areas that can be improved, to help inform the design of Surface Headphones 2. https://www.razelagustino.com/co-branded-mobile-app daily 0.75 2022-01-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fc7f42722bef83b39e0a9cc/6229d764-8b2a-4f99-af98-0a4c7a2eddb6/blink-ux-workshop-co-branded-mobile-app.png Co-Branded Mobile App - Overview Note: In compliance with my non-disclosure agreements, I have omitted confidential information about this project. Goal The goals of the study were to: Identify areas of confusion that users had about the role of each company in a co-branded experience Learn what features and information should be accessible through the client company based on users’ needs and expectations so that the team could improve the clarity and usability of the app, enabling users to more easily complete workflows. Method 1-hour study sessions consisting of several parts with 10 participants: Interviews Usability tests Card sorting Preference tests My Role Wrote the protocols and materials (e.g. session guides, scripts, questions) Adapted the session guide to incorporate last-minute changes Conducted/moderated sessions Took notes and video Analyzed and organized the data Created reports, including results and recommendations I collaborated with a large team including a project manager, a product manager, finance, marketing, a software development manager, UX strategists, visual designers, several UX designers, another researcher at Blink UX who handled logistics and provided feedback on my work, and the recruiting division of the agency for recruiting and scheduling participants. Due to tight scheduling, I was given half the time normally allotted to researchers, but completed the study successfully to high client satisfaction. Impact The findings met the study goals of identifying areas of confusion to address and features and information that users seek, providing inputs required to further refine app design and development based on user feedback. The success of the project also resulted in securing several future contracts with the client.