Résumé
Social Science, Design, & UX Research Lead
Cassandra Skinner, M.A.
Summary
Seasoned social research leader passionate about using human-centered research and design principles to inspire and drive positive iteration & innovation. Research expertise spans qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research design, execution, analysis, and communication. Experience includes academic and industry human-centered research strategy, design, execution, consulting, and support. Research expertise includes financial services, marketplaces, social innovation and entrepreneurship, organizational behavior, the future of work, and employee performance.
Education
Master of Arts in Sociology
Brandeis University
Waltham, MA
Master of Arts in Social Policy
Brandeis University
Waltham, MA
Bachelor of Science in Sociology, Psychology, & Applied Statistics
Grand Valley State University
Allendale, MI
Recent Experiences
Staff UX Researcher
March 2025 - Present
eBay
Currently leading research for eBay's View Item page within the Core Buyer Experience team, including verticalization efforts, auctions revitalization, and AI integrations into buyer-facing product pages. Led foundational and generative user research for eBay's Financial Services & Trust products, including eBay Seller Capital, seller financial management systems, tax & accounting software partnerships, and eBay AI assistance. Mentored junior researchers through stakeholder management and research design, execution, communication, and roadmapping. Developed, aligned stakeholders to, and executed on a research roadmap to drive eBay’s strategy to reduce unpaid items (UPI) by 56% in 2023 without compromising user experiences, saving eBay an annualized GMV of approximately $2.9B. Led research in Home & Garden that led to the focus category being strategically prioritized by executive leadership - a move now worth over $44M in global revenue in 2022.
Senior UX Researcher
April 2022 - March 2025
UX Researcher (Contract)
July 2021 - April 2022
Principal
Contract Researcher & Consultant
March 2016 - Present
CS Research & Consulting, LLC
Contract design research which informs organizational strategy and product development using applied social science research methodologies.
Contracts with eBay, Nexben, Grand Valley State University, Harvard University,
and more.
See my case studies for project examples.
Design Researcher
January 2020 - April 2021
Haworth
Led research which informed the design and production of a new product, the Poppy Chair with Tablet Arm, which won an HiP Award from Interior Design at NeoCon 2022. Led Haworth Affordances research into how workplaces and organizations can be designed to encourage/nudge positive workplace behaviors using cognitive science, behavioral science, and environmental psychology and consulted on implementation with multi-million dollar clients. Instituted use of O*NET national occupational data to anticipate employee needs and expectations and reduced data costs by over $50K.
PhD Teaching & Research Fellow
August 2018 - May 2020
Brandeis University
Taught and mentored undergraduate and graduate sociology students interested in applying social science research to industry. Strategized, designed, and executed primary research and theory development around social innovation and entrepreneurship, organizational behavior, and employment pulling from trans-disciplinary methods with the purpose of informing policy and social solutions using in-depth interviewing, big data analysis, and econometric multivariate statistical modeling. Learned to use and experiment with innovative, inclusive research methods such as Social Network Analysis and Participatory Action Research.
Research Methods & Tools
Skills
Qualitative Research Methods & Tools
Interviews
Contextual Inquiries
Ethnography & Immersion
Field Visits & Observation
Participatory Design
Focus Groups
Diary Studies
Journey Maps
Usability Studies
JTBD
Quantitative Research Methods & Tools
Survey Design & Analysis (Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey)
Descriptive & Predictive Statistics (SPSS, SAS, STATA)
Econometrics & Multivariate Statistics (STATA, SPSS, Minitab)
A/B Testing & Experimental Design (Touchstone, JMP)
Social Network Analysis (UCINET, Pajek)
Data Visualization (Tableau)
Database Management & Queries (SQL)
Design Methods & Tools
Discovery Sprints
Design Sprints
Participatory Design Workshops
Affinity Mapping
Stakeholder Mapping
Vision Statements
Problem Statements
"How Might We"
Crazy 8s
Figma
LucidSpark
Bluescape
Design & Innovation Research
Qualitative Research Methods
Quantitative Research Methods
Research Prioritization
Workshops
Design Thinking & DT Facilitation
Advanced Statistics & Interpretation
Research Strategy & Execution
Research Advocacy
Evaluation