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Beth Schwindt

Research leader who uncovers trail blazing value props and builds the culture and tools to deliver on them.

Beth Schwindt is a seasoned research and strategy professional currently serving as the Director of User Research and Strategy for New Product Development at AT&T, a position she has held since April 2023.1 Based in Seattle, Washington, Beth has an extensive background in user experience research, product development, and team leadership across various high-profile tech companies.

Career Highlights

Current Roles::

  • Director, User Research and Strategy - New Product Development at AT&T (April 2023 - Present)
  • Research and Design Director at On The Terrace Tech (January 2023 - Present)

Previous Experience::

  • Research Manager at Meta's Reality Labs - AR Glasses Team (October 2020 - January 2023)
  • UX Research Manager at Autodesk (June 2019 - October 2020)
  • UX Research Manager at Capital One (May 2016 - May 2019)

Key Achievements

At Meta (formerly Facebook), Beth led a team of senior researchers working on unreleased AR products. She scaled the research team from 2 to 12 members and implemented lean research practices that accelerated the identification of viable AR value propositions.1

During her time at Capital One, Beth led complex ecosystem research that shaped a product offering with a projected $300 million+ annual recurring revenue.1

Education

Beth holds multiple advanced degrees:

  • Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Design from IIT Institute of Design (2012-2015)
  • Master of Science in Historic Preservation and Conservation from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (2002-2004)
  • Bachelor of Arts in Art History, Criticism and Conservation from Lawrence University (1996-2000)1

Expertise and Approach

Beth is known for her expertise in combining ethnography and complex systems mapping to drive growth and innovation. She has a track record of mentoring global cross-functional teams and championing service design across divisions.1

In her current role at AT&T, Beth is actively involved in hiring and team building. She recently posted about an open researcher position in her team, indicating her commitment to growing and developing talent in the field of user research and strategy.2

Highlights

Jan 3 · linkedin

A scary internal question popped up for me at work: “Do I want to be the team leader of empathy again? Should I do it?”

I usually love this part of my job. But the weight of 2023 for empathy was not small: layoffs hit UX research particularly hard, leaving a lot of UXRs in the industry with more enormous responsibilities, less help, and less authority.

I thought about it deeply, and I can’t not be the team leader of empathy, but I also need to repair whatever it is that is keeping me from being the loud, tireless user advocate that makes me love what I do. So, I'm starting a project to restore that spirit.

To start, a reading list. If you’ve worked with me, you know my superpower as a colleague is reading recommendations.

Instead of the usual “how to fix your problem in five easy steps” sort of thing, this list is different. I’m returning to the books I love — the ones that make me love humanity.  Everything on this first list is fiction. It’s time to get out of this empathy fatigue hole and back to tireless people advocate.

#humanityforresearchers #uxresearcher #empathy

Sep 26 · linkedin

We are hiring a researcher at AT&T New Product Development!

The person hired for the role will report to me and will be hybrid from Redmond, Dallas or Atlanta. Please message me for details on the team and role specifics beyond the standard job description.

Related Questions

What are some of Beth Schwindt's most notable achievements at AT&T?
How did Beth Schwindt's role at Meta influence her career path?
What projects has Beth Schwindt led at On The Terrace Tech?
How did Beth Schwindt's work at Autodesk impact their construction planning division?
What strategies did Beth Schwindt use to scale research teams at Meta?
Beth Schwindt
Beth Schwindt, photo 1
Beth Schwindt, photo 2
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Location

Seattle, Washington, United States