UX Research

My approach to UX research ensures a deep understanding of the problem space and empathetic connections with users to clarify design decisions and business needs.

UX Strategy

I validate visions with real users, I shape narratives to connect with the audience, and I cannot help but think about design in the context of a system, understanding the parts and how they fit within the whole.

Design Leadership

I focus on defining end-to-end business value while ensuring design efforts are strategically aligned with broader business goals. I am passionate about building teams and empowering junior designers to reach their full potential.

"Good designers never start by trying to solve the problem given to them: they start by trying to understand what the real issues are" - Don Norman

UX and Business Strategy

As a UX Strategist, I focused on bridging the gap between end-user needs, business, and IT goals to create cohesive strategies for enterprise-wide alignment.

Problem

How might we develop an IT strategy that fosters collaboration by streamlining access to data across the organization?

UX Research

1:1 Interviews

Desk Research

Competitive Analysis

Visual Design

Personas

User Journey

Case Study

While conducting contextual inquiry, I developed a deep understanding of user workflows and uncovered the challenges users face when accessing data spread across fragmented systems

Opportunity

The solution was to design tailored environments with specific levels of access for each user type. This approach ensured that both business and IT teams had seamless access to the data they needed, exactly when and how they needed it

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By connecting with different stakeholder groups, and end users, I was able to craft a compelling story that teams across the organization could understand and support.

Informed Prioritization

Through structured research, I was able to identify crucial needs, and opportunities that enabled IT leadership define and prioritized strategies for the next few years.

Results

Unified data ecosystem 🌐🔗
Efficient report consumption 📊📈
Operational effectiveness through strategic data management 🚀💡

By establishing this foundational data strategy, we created a unified and accessible data ecosystem that enabled our 5 distinct brands to efficiently build and consume reports and insights.

Use Case

Five years ago, our commercial product assortment reporting process was entirely manual, consuming 4,560 hours annually across teams. Reports were labor-intensive, created weekly for each brand in our portfolio, and often delayed decision-making. Today, leveraging our data platform, we’ve completely reimagined this process:

50% Time Savings: Automation has reduced labor by over 2,280 hours yearly.

Near Real-Time Insights: Reports that previously took hours are now immediate, enabling faster, data-driven decisions.

Focus on Strategy: Teams that once spent their time on repetitive tasks now focus on strategic initiatives like forecasting and market analysis.

Testing & Experimentation

As a Digital Product Designer, I embraced the Lean UX methodology to prototype and test solutions early and often, lowering the risk of building the wrong thing. Focusing on low-fidelity prototypes during initial testing, I gathered valuable feedback quickly and efficiently, ensuring we could pivot or refine ideas without heavy resource investments.

Product: Tryouts Club App

How might we create a centralized platform that streamlines soccer tryout applications, making it easier for parents to find, apply, and manage all their children's applications in one place?

UX Research

Interaction Design

1:1 Interviews

Survey

Social Listening

UX Audit

Personas

User Journey

User Testing

Wireframing

Prototyping

MVP

Level of Effort (LOE)

Task Analysis

A/B Testing

Iterative Refinement

As we gained confidence through iterative testing and validated assumptions, I guided the team in scaling up the fidelity and investment in solutions, ensuring alignment with user needs and business goals. This approach minimized waste and accelerated our ability to deliver impactful, user-centered designs.

Collaboration was key—I worked closely with product owners, developers, and stakeholders to maintain a continuous feedback loop, reducing risk and building trust in the process. Lean UX empowered us to deliver smarter, faster, and more confidently.

Virtual Experience Design

COVID-19 pandemic forced workplaces to shift from in-person to entirely virtual interactions, transformed how teams collaborated, communicated, and solved problems. Leveraging Design Thinking methods, I helped bridge this transition and maximize the potential of virtual environments.

Background

I saw an opportunity to demonstrate how design could move beyond tactical solutions to something much more impactful-helping teams define strategies by deeply understanding their end users.

1

I began by targeting strategic work where design could make a visible and meaningful impact.

2

Working closely with teams, we uncovered the root of their challenges through user-centered research, helping them see problems from a fresh perspective.

3

The results spoke for themselves—teams became more aligned on their goals, stakeholders felt more connected to their users, and project outcomes improved.

Design was no longer just "nice to have"; it was seen as an essential part of success

Recognizing this shift, I was asked to develop a curriculum that could democratize design thinking across the organization.

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Testimonials

"You have something quite special here with this process. Your professionalism and ability to provoke great, relevant and energetic conversation has been most enjoyable to witness and take part in... Very much looking forward to continuing"

Joseph Sheldon, Former VP IT Infrastructure

"Very well put together. I had a similar workshop a few years ago lead by experts. Your session was better"

Anonymous

"Thank you... I can't tell you how many times I have leaned into this training! And thanks for the diploma - for some reason, that made me so proud"

Tish Payson, Business Collaboration Manager x Retail Innovation CoE

Results

Over the course of two years, we trained 15% of the IT organization in design thinking. These individuals carried their skills back to their own work.

Design thinking was no longer confined to a few practitioners - it became a shared language and a catalyst for innovation.

We were asked to continue developing and facilitating virtual experiences. This included creating tailored workshops and leveraging digital tools to ensure seamless engagement.

Other examples

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Bio:

Hi, I’m Daniella, a UX leader with roots in Venezuela and a proud mom of twins. I’m passionate about continuous learning and thrive on unraveling complexity by deeply understanding and empathizing with users.

I love listening to diverse perspectives, finding the connections that bring clarity, and empowering others to grow into their best version. Whether I’m collaborating with my team, simplifying complex systems, or learning something new, I’m all about creating meaningful solutions and inspiring those around me.

Daniella de Sostoa

Virtual Experience Design

Background

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2

3

Design was no longer just "nice to have"; it was seen as an essential part of success

Recognizing this shift, I was asked to develop a curriculum that could democratize design thinking across the organization.

Testimonials

Results

Other examples

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