R. STEFANUSSEN
 
 
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SYSTEMS THINKER

I analyze the dynamics of existing systems and identify opportunity for improvement, employing a range of techniques to appreciate the complex dynamics at play.

 
 
 
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DESIGNER

I engage in all design aspects of the product development process: ideation, concept generation, refinement, visualization, and stakeholder management.

 
 
 
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RESEARCHER

I systematically investigate users and their requirements in order to add context and insight to the process of designing the user experience.

 
 
 
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EVANGELIST

I build support for technologies and methodologies through vision work and interaction with clients and executives.

 

 

Systems Thinking

“Innovation is about impact, whether shown through market success or by the change that results. Innovators should be constantly looking to supplement market making activities with other interventions aimed at preparing the system to support the innovation.”

-RSA, “From design thinking to system change”

Many of the initiatives I have worked on aim to accelerate digital transformation and radical change within organizations. Any platform or service designed in isolation will never find full success if the broader ecosystem in which it resides is not carefully considered. As such much of my effort becomes strategic consideration of the larger system rather than the granular execution of the specific product in question.  

My time at BCG marked my first exposure to executive-level stakeholder management. I quickly realized why so many of the projects I had participated in at design agencies had failed to gain traction: the complexity of the enterprise and it’s power structures had been underestimated; the overarching strategic direction had not been sufficiently vetted or socialized; buy-in from key decision makers had not been earned. I watched and learned as partners and principals meticulously coaxed perspectives and egos into place to make room for new ways of doing things.  

Since then I have often functioned as a perspective builder, working to improve systems by understanding and bringing together the disparate teams within. I have found enormous advantage in approaching this task with the humble curiosity of a designer, as teams are often excited to consider their challenges through a lens that is collaborative, creative and fun. 


Design

I was fortunate to begin my career as an Industrial Designer for Astro Studios in San Francisco. As an industrial designer I spent my time sketching, storyboarding, visualizing, CAD modeling and prototyping new technologies in the CE, surgical apparel and cosmetic device spaces. Many of these products were the first of their kind, and helping invent them required an expansive imagination and comfort with ambiguity.  

I am an adept sketcher, illustrator, and visual designer, and feel perfectly at home in the Adobe Creative Suite and Sketch. I have spent years informing and developing digital experiences, but as my formal training is in graphic and industrial design, I am not the right person for production UI work.  


Research 

A large part of the past 4 years has been dedicated to the systematic investigation of users and their requirements. I have experience using qualitative and quantitative methods, as well as attitudinal and behavioral research.

The bulk of my experience has been in qualitative attitudinal research designed to identify innovation opportunities. 

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Frameworks courtesy of the Nielsen Norman Group

Frameworks courtesy of the Nielsen Norman Group


EvangelisM

The excitement I have for my work has been described as contagious and inspirational. I thrive in front of audience members of all backgrounds and levels, and often operate as an evangelist to build buy-in for a technology or initiative. The customer advocacy I bring to executive-level conversations provides an important counterbalance to highly technical or business-focused perspectives.