The USC Shoah Foundation, based at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, is a globally recognized organization dedicated to preserving testimonies of Holocaust survivors and other genocides. Their extensive archive includes video interviews, documents, and multimedia resources used for education, research, and advocacy. The project focused on enhancing the accessibility and usability of their archival technology to reach a broader, more diverse audience, including educators, filmmakers, policymakers, and the general public.
Modernizing Shoah Archives for Global Access
USC Shoah Foundation
The Client Project
The Challenge
The foundation faced the challenge of modernizing their vast archival system to make it more accessible and engaging for a wider audience. With content spanning multiple genocides, they needed a framework to align access, permissions, and use rights while ensuring the historical integrity of the materials. The goal was not a complete redesign but to create a strategic roadmap for improving their digital infrastructure, website, and content delivery. Success would be measured by the development of user personas, journey maps, and a clear strategy to guide future technology decisions.
The Solution
The solution involved a strategic approach to understanding the diverse user base and their unique needs. Through stakeholder workshops, focus groups, and interviews, we identified key personas and their use cases, such as educators, filmmakers, and policymakers. We mapped out user journeys to ensure seamless access to content while maintaining compliance with copyright and use rights. The strategy included recommendations for responsive design, content curation, and digital asset management practices to modernize the archive.
The Outcome
The project delivered a comprehensive framework, including user personas, journey maps, and a strategic roadmap for modernizing the archive. This enabled the foundation to better serve diverse audiences while preserving the historical significance of their content. The outcomes provided a clear vision for future technology investments, ensuring the archive remains accessible and relevant in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
My Role
As one of the leads on the project, I spearheaded the strategic planning, facilitated stakeholder workshops, and synthesized findings into actionable insights. My role included developing user personas, journey maps, and a forward-looking strategy to guide the foundation’s digital transformation.
SUMMARY
Experienced Researcher and Digital Strategy Lead with a proven track record in design thinking, user research, and data-driven design. Skilled in quantitative and qualitative research methods, market research, prototyping, customer engagement including surveys, focus groups, and remote/in-person testing. Expertise in product development, user experience design, and digital transformation with a strong technical aptitude in RStudio, Figma, responsive Web frameworks, Unreal Engine, and Unity. Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams, deliver scalable solutions, and communicate insights effectively to diverse stakeholders.
