Katherine Martineau at The National History Museum

Researcher, writer, and designer.

Thinking and strategy is core to how I work. I'm energized when I bring complex ideas to life through research, architecting information, and interaction design. My strengths are defining strategy and participating meaningfully to make big ideas come to life. It takes a village.

Pro Oxford comma and developing thoughful technology solutions. AI? Let's be thoughtful about when to use; it hogs water and decreases cognition with too much reliance.

Contact send me an email for any questions.

Design, Strategy, and Research

A collection of recent projects exploring the intersection of research, strategy, and interaction design. Get in touch to discuss your project.

Mobile iOS versions of Soft Drinking
Research, Design, Strategy
01

Understanding alcohol use behavior change

Early-stage research examining how people navigate their relationship with alcohol. This qualitative study shaped the language and design framework for a mindful drinking intervention, revealing key emotional touchpoints and decision-making patterns.

Role User Researcher
Methods Interviews, Design, Journey Mapping
Impact Design and Product Strategy
View Case Study
A legend for mapping a desired architecture
Information architecture, Content modeling
01

Understanding content before design

Using mapping and content strategy techniques, I commit to understanding why and what are being build - before, during, and after the interface layer.

Role Content strategy
Methods System design, content structure
Impact Building and rethinking structure
View Case Study
Mobile iOS versions of Soft Drinking
User research, Usability testing
01

Taking an idea and testing it

Early-stage research examining how people navigate their relationship with alcohol. This qualitative study shaped the language and design framework for a mindful drinking intervention, revealing key emotional touchpoints and decision-making patterns.

Role User Researcher
Methods Prototyping, Focus groups, Unmoderated testing
Impact Design and Product Strategy
View Case Study

Professional Experience

Currently at Guardian Life as a Senior UX Writer & Designer — building research infrastructure, testing AI features, and designing for regulated financial and healthcare products.

Guardian Life

Senior UX Engineer (Senior UX Writer and Designer) — Remote
  • Usability testing for AI features: Created methods that support concept testing for new AI features on websites and portals during product development.
  • Financial product design and logic: Developed the strategy and framework for design and content decisions for the release of annuity calculator products.
  • Mobile-first conversational implementation: Designed the initial version of Short-Term Disability claims for Apple and Google business chat products.
  • Usability testing infrastructure: Developed research governance framework and intake processes, increasing usability testing generation by 35%. Ran 30+ custom usability tests.

Recognition: Top Performer 2023

October 2022 – Present

Contact Me

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Connect With Me

Feel free to reach out directly through this form or connect with me on social media.

katmartineau@protonmail.com
Baltimore, Maryland, USA