Building a Research Program for the Federal IDR Platform
Lead UX Researcher, Tyrula (CMS Independent Dispute Resolution program) · 2024–present
At a glance
Role: Lead UX Researcher, owner of the research operating model
Context: Highly regulated federal B2B SaaS platform with multi-stakeholder legal and healthcare workflows
Methods: Contextual inquiry, in-depth interviews, remote usability testing, surveys, heuristic evaluation, JTBD and CX Outcomes frameworks
Impact: 2 contract extensions; “Exceptional” ratings from federal leadership
Overview
The Federal IDR platform is a highly regulated B2B SaaS product that supports multi-stakeholder legal and healthcare workflows. I designed and run its full research operating model, covering intake, scoping, prioritization, and execution. That model turned one-off studies into a connected body of user intelligence that feeds ongoing product planning.
Methods
Contextual inquiry, in-depth interviews, remote usability testing, surveys, literature analysis, and heuristic evaluation, with qualitative and quantitative data triangulated across diverse personas. I apply Jobs to Be Done and Customer Experience Outcomes frameworks to connect insights directly to product priorities.
AI-supported research operations
I use Claude, Microsoft Copilot, and Dovetail to speed up synthesis, code qualitative data, and cluster survey responses. This frees up capacity to run several research projects at once. I’m also building an AI-supported research repository that makes institutional insight searchable and reusable across the program.
Impact
Prioritized, actionable recommendations directly influenced two separate contract extension decisions. Federal stakeholders credited both to the strategic value and risk reduction of the research program.
Earned “Exceptional” ratings from federal leadership for research quality and stakeholder communication
Helped secure a new CMS contract to lead the transformation of the Healthcare.gov Marketplace, where I’m setting the end-to-end UX strategy to modernize enrollment and reduce friction for millions of consumers
Detailed findings are omitted for confidentiality.