Maria Rosala

User Experience Specialist

Maria is a User Experience Specialist with Nielsen Norman Group. She plans and executes independent research for NN/g and leads UX training courses. Her strength in various research methodologies enables Maria to derive in-depth insight and guide clients as they improve the UX of products and services.

Prior to joining Nielsen Norman Group, Maria worked as a UX Researcher at The Home Office in the UK government, where she carried out research in the UK, and internationally, to improve numerous digital products and services, such as internal caseworking systems, online visa applications, public-facing websites, and various other online and offline services. In late 2017-2018, Maria was responsible for leading a team of researchers and designers on a high profile program to deliver several new digital services that would be used by millions of people in the UK.

Maria’s early academic background in Philosophy led her to be interested in Research Ethics and Privacy. She designed and conducted research ethics training for UX professionals in her department, established policies for conducting research and handling research data, and helped her department prepare for GDPR. She also volunteered as a lay member of a Research Ethics Committee with the Health Research Authority in the UK, where she reviewed proposals for medical research with patients. Maria now volunteers as a member of two Institutional Review Boards for the Medical School at the University of Michigan.

Maria holds a Master’s degree in Human-Computer Interaction with Ergonomics from University College London (UCL). She is based in the Greater Detroit Area, Michigan.

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