M

Mirjam Seckler, Ph.D

UX Researcher

Zurich, Switzerland19 yrs 11 mos experience
Highly Stable

Key Highlights

  • Over 15 years of user research experience.
  • Expert in user experience strategy and product development.
  • Certified career coach guiding professional development.
Stackforce AI infers this person is a User Experience Researcher specializing in tech-driven user insights and product strategy.

Contact

Skills

Core Skills

User Experience ResearchTeam LeadershipProduct StrategyTeachingAcademic OversightUser Research

Other Skills

Strategic PlanningCross-functional CollaborationAccessibility AdvocacyMentoringResearch MethodologiesProject ManagementUser InsightsQualitative MethodsQuantitative MethodsCurriculum DevelopmentCoachingSubject-Matter ExpertiseCurriculum DesignConsultingProduct Development

About

𝗹𝘀đ—Č𝗿 đ—„đ—Č𝘀đ—Čđ—źđ—żđ—°đ—” đ—źđ—»đ—± đ—ș𝘆 đ—·đ—Œđ˜‚đ—żđ—»đ—Č𝘆: Imagine diving into the digital world, not with a manual, but with a sense of adventure. đ—™đ—Œđ—ż đ—Œđ˜ƒđ—Č𝗿 đŸ­đŸ± 𝘆đ—Č𝗼𝗿𝘀, I've been guiding users through the ever-evolving landscape of tech, đ˜đ˜‚đ—żđ—»đ—¶đ—»đ—Ž đ—°đ—Œđ—șđ—œđ—čđ—Č𝘅 đ—°đ—”đ—źđ—čđ—čđ—Čđ—»đ—Žđ—Č𝘀 đ—¶đ—»đ˜đ—Œ đ—±đ—Čđ—čđ—¶đ—Žđ—”đ˜đ—łđ˜‚đ—č đ—Čđ˜…đ—œđ—Čđ—żđ—¶đ—Čđ—»đ—°đ—Č𝘀. My journey? It's been a blend of detective work, creative problem-solving, and a healthy dose of "wait, did that just happen?" moments. đ—šđ—Œđ—Œđ—Žđ—čđ—Č đ—˜đ˜…đ—œđ—Čđ—żđ—¶đ—Čđ—»đ—°đ—Č: My decade-plus at Google has been a wild ride. From unraveling the mysteries of user behavior on đ—Źđ—Œđ˜‚đ—§đ˜‚đ—Żđ—Č (yes, I’ve seen a lot of cat videos) to shaping the routes on đ—šđ—Œđ—Œđ—Žđ—čđ—Č đ— đ—źđ—œđ˜€ that keep us from getting gloriously lost, and now, focusing on đ—šđ—Œđ—Œđ—Žđ—čđ—Č 𝗩đ—Čđ—źđ—żđ—°đ—” 𝗔𝗜 đ— đ—Œđ—±đ—Č (𝗧𝗿𝗼𝘃đ—Čđ—č, đ—Ÿđ—Œđ—°đ—źđ—č đ—źđ—»đ—± đ—•đ˜‚đ˜€đ—¶đ—»đ—Č𝘀𝘀đ—Č𝘀) and leveraging the power of AI to help people explore the world, both near and far. Because let's face it, life's too short for frustrating tech. Data-Driven Insights: I đ—čđ—Čđ—źđ—± 𝘁đ—Č𝗼đ—ș𝘀 đ˜đ—Œ đ—±đ—Čđ—čđ—¶đ˜ƒđ—Č𝗿 𝗿đ—Č𝘀đ—Čđ—źđ—żđ—°đ—” đ˜đ—”đ—źđ˜ đ—¶đ—»đ—łđ—Œđ—żđ—ș𝘀 đ—¶đ—șđ—œđ—źđ—°đ˜đ—łđ˜‚đ—č đ—œđ—żđ—Œđ—±đ˜‚đ—°đ˜ đ—±đ—Čđ—°đ—¶đ˜€đ—¶đ—Œđ—»đ˜€, driving both user satisfaction and business growth. I believe in using data-driven approaches to optimize processes, ensuring we're making informed choices—because while a little intuition is great, data is where the real magic happens. 𝗖𝗼𝗿đ—Čđ—Č𝗿 đ—–đ—Œđ—źđ—°đ—”đ—¶đ—»đ—Ž: When I'm not immersed in user behavior, I'm a 𝗰đ—Čđ—żđ˜đ—¶đ—łđ—¶đ—Čđ—± 𝗰𝗼𝗿đ—Čđ—Č𝗿 đ—°đ—Œđ—źđ—°đ—”, helping individuals navigate the exciting (and sometimes daunting) journey of professional development. 𝗧đ—Čđ—źđ—°đ—”đ—¶đ—»đ—Ž (đ—šđ—« 𝗗đ—Čđ˜€đ—¶đ—Žđ—» & đ—„đ—Č𝘀đ—Čđ—źđ—żđ—°đ—”): And because I believe in sharing knowledge, I’ve been teaching User-Centered Design and Research at the 𝗘𝗼𝘀𝘁đ—Čđ—żđ—» đ—Šđ˜„đ—¶đ˜đ˜‡đ—Č𝗿đ—čđ—źđ—»đ—± đ—šđ—»đ—¶đ˜ƒđ—Čđ—żđ˜€đ—¶đ˜đ˜† of Applied Sciences and the đ—šđ—»đ—¶đ˜ƒđ—Čđ—żđ˜€đ—¶đ˜đ˜† đ—Œđ—ł 𝗕𝗼𝘀đ—Čđ—č since 2011/2012, focusing on making technology more human. đ—”đ—°đ—źđ—±đ—Čđ—șđ—¶đ—° đ—•đ—źđ—°đ—žđ—Žđ—żđ—Œđ˜‚đ—»đ—±: My academic adventures? A đ—Łđ—”.𝗗. đ—¶đ—» đ—–đ—Œđ—Žđ—»đ—¶đ˜đ—¶đ˜ƒđ—Č đ—Łđ˜€đ˜†đ—°đ—”đ—Œđ—čđ—Œđ—Žđ˜† and Human-Computer Interaction from the University of Basel, and a đ—Šđ˜đ—źđ—»đ—łđ—Œđ—żđ—± 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗗 đ—Łđ—żđ—Œđ—łđ—Čđ˜€đ˜€đ—¶đ—Œđ—»đ—źđ—č 𝗖đ—Čđ—żđ˜đ—¶đ—łđ—¶đ—°đ—źđ˜đ—Č đ—łđ—żđ—Œđ—ș đ—Šđ˜đ—źđ—»đ—łđ—Œđ—żđ—± 𝗚𝗩𝗕 - to equip myself with tools for innovation. 𝗡đ—Čđ˜đ˜„đ—Œđ—żđ—žđ—¶đ—»đ—Ž & đ—–đ—Œđ—čđ—čđ—źđ—Żđ—Œđ—żđ—źđ˜đ—¶đ—Œđ—»: If you're as passionate about creating user experiences that are both impactful and enjoyable, let's connect!

Experience

University of applied sciences and arts northwestern switzerland fhnw

Expert reviewer / evaluator

Feb 2022 – Present · 4 yrs 2 mos · Olten, Solothurn, Switzerland

  • Serve as an expert reviewer for Bachelor’s and Master’s theses, providing academic oversight and subject-matter expertise
Academic OversightSubject-Matter Expertise

Google

6 roles

Staff User Experience Researcher & Manager

Promoted

Apr 2021 – Present · 5 yrs

  • I lead a team of quantitative and qualitative UX researchers within Google Search, with a global focus on Travel, Places, and Business-related experiences.
  • Identifying key challenges: Surface critical user needs, pain points, and opportunities to shape product direction and inform strategic decisions.
  • Strategic planning and staffing: Contribute to OKR planning and team development to ensure alignment with organizational priorities.
  • Cross-functional collaboration: Advocate for user-centered thinking and influence decisions across product, engineering, and design.
  • Team growth: Support career development, mentor researchers, and promote internal talent.
  • Championing accessibility: Drive inclusive research practices and advocate for accessibility in product design.
User Experience ResearchTeam LeadershipStrategic PlanningCross-functional CollaborationAccessibility Advocacy

Senior User Experience Researcher & Manager

Sep 2018 – Apr 2021 · 2 yrs 7 mos

  • As Senior UX Researcher & Manager, I led user experience research teams supporting YouTube Ads and Geo (Google Maps) in Zurich. In this role, I defined research objectives, developed research methodologies, and delivered actionable insights to inform product strategy. As a UX manager, I was responsible for mentoring researchers, setting team priorities, aligning research efforts with cross-functional stakeholders, and ensuring research had meaningful impact on product development at scale.
User Experience ResearchMentoringResearch MethodologiesProduct Strategy

Senior User Experience Researcher

Promoted

Dec 2016 – Sep 2018 · 1 yr 9 mos

  • As Senior User Experience Researcher, I led and managed research initiatives for YouTube and YouTube Ads. Oversaw complex user research projects that shaped product development and user experience strategy, translating user insights into actionable guidance for cross-functional teams.
User Experience ResearchProject ManagementUser Insights

User Experience Researcher

Feb 2015 – Nov 2016 · 1 yr 9 mos

  • As a User Experience Researcher at YouTube, I applied both qualitative and quantitative methods to uncover and understand user needs. Collaborated cross-functionally to integrate user insights into product development, ensuring user-centered outcomes. Used a range of methods—including surveys, contextual inquiries, usability testing, and diary studies—to generate insights that informed both advertising and organic user experiences.
User Experience ResearchQualitative MethodsQuantitative Methods

(Break to finish PhD)

Oct 2014 – Jan 2015 · 3 mos

User Experience Researcher

May 2014 – Sep 2014 · 4 mos

University of basel

Adjunct Lecturer

Feb 2017 – Jun 2024 · 7 yrs 4 mos · Basel Area, Switzerland

  • Taught Master’s courses in “Evaluation Methods in Human-Computer Interaction” and “How to Apply for a Job in UX.” Designed course content, delivered instruction, and assessed student performance
TeachingCurriculum Design

UniversitÀt basel

Research Associate

Aug 2011 – Jan 2015 · 3 yrs 5 mos · Basel, Switzerland

  • As a Research Associate, I led end-to-end UX research initiatives and published scientific work, while also teaching HCI and UX at undergrad and graduate levels. I supervised Bachelor and Master theses and mentored junior researchers. Additionally, I delivered UX consulting to clients across both the private and public sectors.
User Experience ResearchMentoring

ZĂŒrcher kantonalbank (via uni basel)

User Experience Consultant

Aug 2011 – Jan 2013 · 1 yr 5 mos · ZĂŒrich, Switzerland

  • Partnered with ZKB to lead user research that guided the digital transformation of their online banking platform—directly informing UX improvements and driving stronger customer engagement
User Experience ResearchConsulting

Hsr hochschule fĂŒr technik rapperswil

Adjunct Lecturer

Apr 2011 – Present · 15 yrs · Rapperswil, Switzerland

  • Serve as a lecturer for multiple courses, including “UX Research Planning”, “Qualitative UX Research”, “Introduction to User-Centered Design” and “UX Research Ops”
  • Co-developed the curriculum for the university’s postgraduate “CAS UX Management” program. Also coach and evaluate CAS and MAS theses.
  • Design and deliver course content across classroom, small-group, and one-on-one formats, creating instructional materials that support applied learning and measurable student development.
TeachingCurriculum DevelopmentCoaching

New media mind gmbh

Usability Consultant

Oct 2008 – Jul 2011 · 2 yrs 9 mos · Biel, Switzerland

  • I led user research for SRG SSR’s first interactive TV application, shaping a product experience grounded in user insights and designed for widespread public adoption
User ResearchProduct Development

Supervision systems gmbh

Interaction Designer

May 2006 – Dec 2010 · 4 yrs 7 mos · Biel, Switzerland

  • As an Interaction Designer, I specialized in crafting intuitive, user-friendly digital experiences for a diverse client base in Switzerland—balancing usability with business requirements
User ResearchProduct Design

Education

Stanford University Graduate School of Business

Stanford LEAD Distinguished Scholar — Executive Education

Jan 2021 – Jan 2023

Co-Active Training Institute

Co-Active Coach — Business/Career Coaching

Jan 2022 – Jan 2022

Stanford University Graduate School of Business

Stanford LEAD Professional Certificate — Executive Education

Jan 2020 – Jan 2021

University of Basel

PhD in Cognitive Psychology & Human-Computer Interaction

Jan 2011 – Jan 2015

University of Basel

Master of Science

Jan 2009 – Jan 2011

University of Basel

Bachelor of Science — Psychology

Jan 2006 – Jan 2009

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