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Dear friends at 18F,

The following are some samples that showcase my work in user research, service design, and product development. I would love the opportunity to expand on these and other examples. Thank you for considering me for a role at 18F.

Sincerely,

Adam Roberts | adamjonathan@gmail.com | 202-641-2494

Work Samples

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TechFest - Action Learning Project 

In my first year leading the instructional technology strategy at KIPP DC public charter schools, it became evident that we needed to more clearly define the problem(s) these technologies were meant to address, how we would measure their effectiveness, and our current progress against those metrics. The Action Learning Project included teacher leaders from each school in the problem framing, data collection and recommendation processes. Results and recommendations were shared out across the organization through a first-ever event: TechFest.

This artifact highlights evidence of the objectives that follow.

Objective #1: Lead small, cross-functional project teams that define the partner’s problem

  • Navigate complex organizational relationships to bring stakeholders together around common goals and priorities.
  • Identify user and organizational needs through formal interviews, informal conversations, contextual inquiry, workshops, and analytics research.
  • Work comfortably amidst uncertainty.
  • Create artifacts to communicate what you learn in a way that resonates with our agency partners.

 

Objective #2: Deliver recommendations that frame next steps

  • Give agency partners and peers the advice they need to hear over what they want to hear, in a manner that respects their intelligence and experience.
  • Provide visibility into the project’s progress, communicate blockers and challenges, and ask for help when you need it.
  • Explain issues clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
  • Help agency partners tell their own story within their organization.
 
 
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Systems Interviews

Faced with significant human capital reporting and workflow challenges, I led the internal discovery effort to characterize the root causes, potential solutions and proposed next steps.

Objective #1: Lead small, cross-functional project teams that define the partner’s problem

  • Navigate complex organizational relationships to bring stakeholders together around common goals and priorities.
  • Identify user and organizational needs through formal interviews, informal conversations, contextual inquiry, workshops, and analytics research.
  • Work comfortably amidst uncertainty.
  • Provide strategic value to partners early, reduce the risks of improperly scoped work, and allow the team to quickly steer the project in the right direction.
  • Create artifacts to communicate what you learn in a way that resonates with our agency partners.
 
 
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Systems Selection

With current and ideal states clearly articulated and agreed-upon, we considered two products for final build-out and implementation. Decision criteria included cost, completion timeline, alignment with desired functionality, ability to integrate with other systems, and ongoing maintenance effort required.

Objective #3: Model the behaviors we want to see partners adopt

  • Teach agency teams how to take risks and validate ideas.
  • Demonstrate how to incorporate users into the product development process.
  • Help teams discover their internal creative thinkers and champions.
  • Hold yourself and your team accountable for measurable, high-quality, timely, and cost-effective results.
  • Demonstrate credibility in your area of expertise, deliver high-quality work, and accept responsibility for mistakes.

 

Objective #4: Contribute to your team’s continued success

  • Continually promote 18F’s ways of working by making a strong case for iterative, user-centered design on every project.
  • Contribute to team-wide reusable resources and materials.
  • Recognize when practices no longer serve the team and recommend a way forward.
  • Share your work in an unfinished state and give peer feedback in critique sessions.
  • Support a safe, inclusive workplace and a positive team culture where all team members value diversity and individual differences.