Researcher. Storyteller. Dessert Lover.

Collaboration, communication, and care are at the heart of everything I do.

Image of Stephanie Tikkanen, woman with short brown hair, blue eyes, and purple glasses.

Who am I?

I am a mixed-methods researcher with 13+ years of experience using data-driven insights to improve user experiences and communication in online settings. I lead and support cross-functional teams across the lifecycle of products, from foundational product development to launch and iterative design.

I specialize in both quantitative and qualitative research methods, design, and analysis (e.g., surveys, concept/usability testing, experiment design, JTBD).

I am a former professor of communication, which makes me a storyteller at heart. It also means I’m pretty great at making complicated things easy to understand.

(Oh, and I make a mean salted caramel brownie.)

My background

  • UX Research Lead, Meta - Creator and Fan Monetization (July 2021 - Present)

    Lecturer, Santa Clara University Department of Communication (July 2020 - July 2021)

    Associate Professor, Ohio University School of Communication Studies (August 2013- July 2020)

  • Ph.D., Communication Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara (July 2013)

    M.A., Communication Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara (May 2010)

    B.A., Communication Studies, Chapman University (December 2007)

  • Sturge-Weber Foundation, Family-Researcher Liaison (September 2016 - July 2020)

    Ohio University Accessibility Liaisons (September 2016 - January 2020)

  • See LinkedIn profile

Recent Projects

I have done research that spans across the product lifecycle, from foundational research to understand the user and the product space to iterative and evaluative research to aid in product development and improvement. 

Learn more about some of my projects in my portfolio.