Kaila Thomas

About

Mixed-methods UX researcher with 3+ years of end-to-end research practice. Former special education teacher who identified why people struggle and designed evidence-based responses—skills transferred directly into research. At Curriculum Associates, surfaced a ~$10M reorder workflow disruption and validated a demo request funnel that generated 1,000+ leads in two weeks. CPACC-certified with deep K–12 educator audience context and a practical accessibility lens.

Experience

• User Experience Researcher · Curriculum Associates03-01-2022 – 11-30-2025

  • Researched, designed, and validated a new demo request experience — replacing a generic contact form losing high-intent users — generating 1,000+ leads in two weeks and sustaining 300+ daily leads, making it the site's #2 most-viewed form • Surfaced a disrupted reorder workflow affecting ~$10M in recurring revenue by triangulating survey feedback, search behavior, session recordings, and Sales/CS interviews; framed root causes and informed fixes across labeling, pathways, and content guidance • Designed and ran end-to-end mixed-methods studies — screeners, discussion guides, moderated usability tests, first-click tests, and surveys — to evaluate navigation clarity, content findability, and user expectations across educator and school-district audiences • Translated 100+ accessibility findings into ~30–40 sprint-ready Jira stories with reproduction steps, evidence, and acceptance criteria — accelerating remediation planning and improving WCAG 2.2 coverage across structure, contrast, forms, and keyboard usability • Built 30+ Figma templates to standardize page patterns and improve design-to-development handoff, reducing rework and improving team execution speed by ~25% • Co-led monthly research and behavior insights reviews with cross-functional stakeholders, translating findings into clear prioritization recommendations and next-step actions

• Founder, Brand + Web Designer · Eight Nine Design03-01-2020 – 03-31-2023

  • Led end-to-end discovery and requirements gathering with small business clients, translating goals into clear website structure, content flows, and usability-focused layouts • Strengthened stakeholder communication, scoping, and ambiguity navigation through solo project ownership — skills that directly shaped my research practice

• Special Education Teacher · Farmington Public Schools12-01-2015 – 03-31-2020

  • Supported measurable growth outcomes through individualized plans — including one-year reading growth for 100% of students (2018–19) — by synthesizing observation data, assessment results, and family input • Conducted qualitative and quantitative assessments to identify root causes of learning barriers, building pattern recognition and evidence-based planning skills that directly inform my research practice • Partnered across disciplines and families to translate findings into actionable interventions for diverse learner needs

Education

• Wayne State UniversityM.A. in Teaching, Teaching
• American InterContinental UniversityB.B.A. Marketing, Marketing
• Washtenaw Community CollegeUX Design Certificate

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