Results-Oriented Research Leadership
With a track record of leading over 150+ unique studies, Zack’s helped Fortune 500 companies and innovative startups refine AI-driven features, optimize products, and elevate brand strategies.
Across agencies, startups, and non-profit design communities.
Managing time, resources, and triangulating insights with a mix of methodology.
From the product strategies my research has driven.
Learn about my background and guiding principles
About me ↓
Clients and Employers
Featured Case Studies
Shaping AI Smart Assistants for 75 Million Users
Led user research initiatives that directly influenced the design and development of AI-driven voice assistants used by millions daily, focusing on enhancing natural language processing and multimodal interactions.
Timeline:
Client:
Methods:
Disrupting Real Estate with AI
Conducted comprehensive user research to optimize the Flyhomes platform experience, resulting in significant improvements in feature completion rates and user acquisition.
Timeline: Company: Methods:Additional Case Studies
Improving Driver Safety
Timeline: June 2024- Dec 2024
My Role: UX Researcher Client: C2C & C2B – One of the world’s largest rideshare and food delivery companies
Sector: Mobility and logistics, rideshare, food delivery technology
Products: Mobile Application Methodologies: UFAs, Secondary Research
Driving Engagement via Discovery
Timeline: Apr 2022- October 2022 My Role: Lead UX Researcher Company: B2B & B2C – Flyhomes Sector: Real Estate Products: Website Experience Methodologies: Diary Studies, Usability Testing, A/B Testing, Survey, Break-up Letters
Testimonials
What it’s like to work with Zack
“He’s the embodiment of turning insights into action and an absolute pleasure to work with. He’s helped unlock insights that’ve turned into company-wide messaging frameworks, personas, communication strategies, and more.”
Matthew Helfrich – Sr. Director, Growth Marketing
“Zack is a UX super star. His customer-driven insights made an immediate impact on our entire product team. He pairs strong customer empathy with an ability to pinpoint the most important customer problems for the team to go solve.”
Meredith Han – VP of Product
“Zack isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo. He’s adept at building trust within an organization, digging into the problems the team is facing & surfacing real world, tangible evidence that alter the direction of a product – for the better!”
Andria Jannetti – Product Manager
“Zack is a creative, thoughtful, empathetic, and engaging leader. Any company would be fortunate to have him on their team, and I offer my highest recommendation!”
Maggy Wardell, Strategy & Operations Leader
“Zack isn’t just good, he is shockingly good. Each time he produced results something about it went above and beyond what I expected — what was shocking was how consistently he did that. He constantly demonstrated a level of experience and expertise that I have only found in the most seasoned veterans.“
Christopher Fryer, VP of Product & Brand
“I was always impressed by his great empathy for users, high quality user reports and dedication for the company mission. He is always passionate, curious and willing to contribute more! Zack is truly the best researcher I’ve ever worked with.“
Elaine He, AI Product Manager
What it’s like to mentor with Zack
Over 100 Researchers Coached 1:1
Nothing brings me more fulfillment than connecting with new researchers, understanding their challenges, and helping them navigate a path forward.
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Delivering Agile Insights in a Fast-Paced World
In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, research needs to be highly collaborative, quick, and reliable. I leverage my expertise, creativity, and diverse toolkit to deliver high-quality, agile insights that make an impact.
My approach blends behavioral psychology, data analysis, and in-depth research to uncover valuable insights. By aligning business objectives with user needs, I drive impact that benefits both companies and their customers.
What Makes Me Unique
I’m a UX professional with deep research expertise and a broad skill set. My diverse background—spanning philosophy, social sciences, storytelling, film, business, and marketing—enables me to blend critical thinking with competitive insights, delivering clear, high-impact strategies.
My Research Philosophies
1. Making UX Research a Team Sport
I believe UX research should break silos and foster collaboration across departments to ensure research has a broad and meaningful impact. By aligning with different teams’ objectives, I can create actionable insights that benefit the entire organization. I involve key stakeholders throughout the research process:
An example from my time at Flyhomes
Collaborating to align on goals and study design.
Engaging stakeholders by inviting them to observe sessions and/or sharing daily insights for agile iteration.
Partnering with teams (e.g., design, marketing, engineering) to strategize based on findings, co-develop reports for alignment, and even lead ideation sessions to drive richer solutions.
2. Balancing Agility with Reliability and Risk
I approach research with an agile mindset while carefully balancing reliability, feasibility, and business risk. Not every study requires statistical significance or ideal conditions—tradeoffs are inevitable. My philosophy is to prioritize projects based on criteria aligned with leadership, such as customer experience impact, business goals, timelines, resources, and competitive opportunities.
As researchers, it’s our responsibility to guide organizations toward the best possible outcomes within constraints. By tailoring methodologies to the level of risk and available resources, I help ensure that research delivers value efficiently while maintaining integrity.
The Human Behind the Professional
When I’m not diving into UX research, you’ll find me loving the outdoors—whether I’m rock climbing for fun or recharging in nature’s calm. I’m a proud dog daddy, I’m often fueled by too much espresso, and I absolutely love a good breakfast burrito. I also perform in a local improv troupe, indulging my creative side as a cinephile with a passion for storytelling on and off the stage.
