# Joanna Hildebrand > Principal UX Researcher at Amazon Ring Location: San Francisco Bay Area, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/joannahildebrand I have 15 years experience leading end-to-end research studies across sectors including banking, healthcare, and consumer products—transforming complex, often messy data into clear, strategic insights that drive meaningful client outcomes. I thrive in collaborative environments where curiosity, creativity, and strategic thinking come together. I turn deep audience insight into bold, actionable strategies that move both people and brands forward. ## Work Experience ### Principal UX Researcher @ Amazon Jan 2025 – Present Lead researcher for AI and community feature innovations to enhance trust, safety, and interaction for Ring home security devices. ### Principal UX Researcher, Payments Experience Design @ JPMorgan Chase & Co. Jan 2024 – Jan 2025 | Palo Alto, California, United States Lead research that is shaping product experience for a new banking portal tailored to startup founders. Focus on critical areas such as Onboarding, AI Search, AI business Insights/analytics, and the mobile banking experience. Initiated Force For Good - Design Edition, which extended JPMC’s design and research services, creating pro bono solutions for 8 non-profits. Mentor and develop junior to mid-level researchers by setting clear research objectives, streamlining the learning of methodologies, and elevating the rigor and quality of research outputs. ### Senior UX Researcher, Commercial Banking @ JPMorgan Chase & Co. Jan 2022 – Jan 2024 | Palo Alto, California, United States Reduced onboarding time by 75% and drove operational efficiency through research insights for Onboarding, Dashboard, Quick Actions, and Fees for a Commercial Real Estate payments platform. ### Adjunct Faculty, Industrial Design @ San Jose State University Jan 2020 – Jan 2022 | San Jose, California, United States Taught two courses: Senior Project Research and Portfolio in the Industrial Design Program. ### Research Lead: SU Innovation Lab @ Singularity University Jan 2018 – Jan 2020 | Santa Clara, California Created solutions for Circulo de Credito to support consumers without a credit history, helping the company better understand and engage this market while fostering credit conditions that promote financial well-being and trust. Conducted Research for Whirlpool in the ‘Future Kitchen’ space which led to cutting edge ideas that included the implementation of AI, as well as AR/VR into their products. Additional clients included Dubai Department of Tourism, Palo Alto Networks, and New Republic Pictures. ### Design and Research Consultant @ Joanna Hildebrand Design Jan 2014 – Jan 2018 | San Francisco Bay Area Delivered end-to-end design solutions, from research to product launch, for these diverse consumer brands and individual startups: • Seismic Robotic Apparel: Researched and designed concepts for Seismic Powered Clothing, an innovative fusion of apparel and robotics aimed at reducing muscle strain and fatigue for workers and individuals needing extra stability. • 3rd Stone Design: Re-designed and developed solutions for the PlanetBox brand. • RecoverX: Conducted design research and prototyping for next-gen recovery devices for athletes, improving user experience and product functionality. • Black Ember: Designed and tested a premium modular backpack system, enhancing usability. • Herbst Produkt: Partnered on research and design strategy for lifestyle products, translating insights into tangible solutions. • Additional clients include Amber and Ash and Carve Designs. ### Manager, RDD Innovation, JanSport @ VF Corporation Jan 2012 – Jan 2014 | Alameda, CA Led innovation program which pioneered the first user research practice at the company to identify key user needs and pain points. Methodologies implemented were focus groups, in depth interviews, SME interviews, competitive analysis, and materials research. Research led to the development of the Digital Superbreak, an update of JanSport’s best selling style to meet the needs of consumers. Sold over 100,000 units in its first season. Introduced collaborative effort between JANSPORT RDD team and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab which resulted in cutting edge product concepts that featured built in electronic components. In addition, pioneered collaborations with firms such as Lunar Design and Hexhead Design. ### Product Development and Research @ VF Corporation Jan 2010 – Jan 2012 | Alameda, CA Spearheaded development of the company’s largest product line (classic and heritage). ### Designer - Acme Made @ DayMen Acquisition S.A. Jan 2008 – Jan 2010 | San Francisco Bay Area Designed 25+ laptop and consumer electronics cases for Acme Made in 2 years time that went into production and facilitated brand expansion into major retailers such as BEST BUY and APPLE. Created/maintained design schedules, managed all product development and Asia based factory communication, and traveled to China 2 times per year to oversee sourcing, manufacturing, and design development. ### Design and Research Consultant @ Joanna Hildebrand Design Jan 2006 – Jan 2008 | San Francisco Bay Area One and Co (acquired by HTC): Led research that informed the design of Kensington’s low-profile Ci line of computer mice. Y Studios: Collaborated on product design for various high-profile clients, ensuring user-centric, innovative solutions. Hlaska, Hydrapak, Lenart Studios, CoolSystems – Designed and developed innovative products in consumer electronics, outdoor gear, and injury recovery solutions. ### Designer/Researcher @ LUNAR Design Jan 2006 – Jan 2006 | San Francisco, California, United States Designed the SanDisk Cruzer Fleur USB Drive, which went into production. ### Designer/Researcher @ frog Jan 2006 – Jan 2006 | San Jose, California, United States Created concepts to enhance user experience for EpiPen. ### User Researcher @ Ziba Design Jan 2005 – Jan 2005 ## Education ### Bachelor of Arts - BA in Fine Art, Pre-Medicine Yale University ### Bachelor of Fine Arts - BFA in Industrial Design California College of the Arts ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahildebrand --- Source: https://flows.cv/joannahildebrand JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/joannahildebrand/resume.json Last updated: 2026-04-07