If you know the way broadly,
you will see it in everything.
M I Y A M O T O M U S A S H I
O N E J O B, F I V E S I Z E S
I started as a UX designer, where the job was noticing the difference between what people said and what they did. Users would call an interface easy, then struggle with it in front of us. I spent years learning to measure that distance.
Then I stopped being able to unsee it. As a researcher, I found the gap in products. Leading a research practice, I found it in the organisation around me. As a product manager, I found it in roadmaps, everyone had agreed to that the calendar quietly contradicted. Now, leading R&D and innovation, I find it at the scale of whole organisations, in the distance between the plan and what actually happens.
Different jobs on paper. Looking back, it was one job at five sizes. That's the work now: I help leaders and teams see the gap between what their organisation believes it's doing and what it's actually doing, because it's close to impossible to see from the inside, and nothing changes until someone does.
16 years across design, research, product and R&D leadership. From agency work at Ebow in Dublin for clients including Irish Ferries, Louise Kennedy and IMAGE Magazine, to building the product research practice at Workhuman, where research reached users inside Dell, Merck, Eli Lilly and Cardinal Health, to my current group role leading R&D and innovation across McKeon Group and Hereworks. Designer to Head of R&D. Same pattern, five sizes.
Designer to Head of R&D —
same pattern, five sizes.
W H A T P E O P L E A R E S A Y I N G
"From user journey mapping, usability testing to user interviews, data analysis and Jobs to Be Done — Julie's level of expertise, along with her tenacity and passion allowed us to continue to invest in growing the team and demonstrating the value of research with key stakeholders."
Gerared Fitzgeraled · VP of Produt Design, Workhuman
Over those 3 years, she was an exceptional manager and an amazing mentor. It was a pleasure to learn from an expert at UX research such as Julie, and the skills I have gained from her I will take with me the rest of my career.
Sune Dunne · Senior Product Researcher, Workhuman
Julie is not only an always punctual and proactive designer but also an inspiring co-worker. Julie is a result driven professional. That's her — customer-service oriented, multi-skilled, deadline oriented and eager colleague.
Seva Feldman · Lead Software Engineer, Align
It is a rare opportunity to have when you report to a phenomenally talented and driven individual who spares no effort to develop and aid in the progression of others, but I did when I worked for Julie Pechony Jones. I had the pleasure of working as a Product Researcher with Julie as my manager and in that time I have gained invaluable insight and skills. Julie has a strategic mindset, she has her hand on the pulse of the users’ needs and goals. She is a critical thinker, highly organised, and empathetic which is a necessity to produce quality UX research. I count myself very fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from Julie, her passion and outstanding attitude are infectious making Julie an asset for any project or team.
Norah Anne Boyle · Senior Product Researcher, Workhuman