GEN Z PRIVACY RESEARCH
CLIENT
Google Chrome
ROLE
UX Research Intern II
TIMELINE
Summer 2025
Transforming ambiguous, contradictory research into actionable insights that informed Chrome's privacy product strategy.
OVERVIEW
The Challenge
Why were Gen Z users adopting privacy workarounds instead of Chrome's built-in privacy features?
Stakeholders had competing hypotheses based on contradictory research insights, and there was no clear strategic direction.
My task was to transform this ambiguity into actionable insights that could inform Chrome's privacy product strategy.
Impact
On Chrome: My research directly informed Chrome's product strategy for meeting Gen Z privacy needs.
Beyond Chrome: Findings were adopted by partner teams across Google, influencing company-wide approaches to privacy UX.
Stakeholder engagement: Final deck was actively shared by UX and PM stakeholders, who tagged colleagues on relevant sections—a signal that insights were genuinely useful, not just delivered.
MY APPROACH
I designed a three-phase research program that moved from synthesis to primary research to organizational impact.
Phase 1: Literature Review
Why this method: Before designing new research, I needed to understand what we already knew, and pinpoint the gaps. The conflicting data suggested a synthesis problem, not just a data problem.
I synthesized internal quantitative studies, external academic research, and prior qualitative findings on Gen Z privacy attitudes. I identified core themes across sources and developed testable hypotheses to reconcile conflicting information.
Key deliverable: Presented findings to 18-person cross-functional UX team, establishing the strategic foundation for primary research. I also created a NotebookLM chatbot trained on my research as a self-service resource for stakeholders.
Phase 2: Global Unmoderated Study
Why this method: I needed to capture authentic, in-context privacy behaviors across diverse user populations. An unmoderated dScout study allowed me to reach users in their natural environments across three markets (US, UK, India).
I used screen recording with think-aloud protocol to observe actual behavior, combining multiple data types: interview responses, contextual inquiry, multiple-choice, and linguistic analysis.
Challenge
Mid-project regulatory changes
How I Adapted
Redesigned study scope to meet new business priorities while preserving research integrity
Challenge
Platform limitations in dScout
How I Adapted
Restructured study plan to prevent approval delays
Challenge
Global audience (3 markets)
How I Adapted
Piloted internally with diverse Googlers to ensure cultural and linguistic relevance
Challenge
Participant fatigue risk
How I Adapted
Optimized study length, achieving near-perfect completion rate
Phase 3: Socializing Research
Why this mattered: A mid-project team reorganization threatened to limit my project's visibility. I recognized that great research only creates value if it reaches decision-makers.
I scheduled ~50 cross-Google UX coffee chats to understand priorities across teams, built relationships with stakeholders, tailored my final deck to specific needs (including video clips for stakeholders who requested them), and presented to cross-Google research partners in Android and Core Privacy.
BONUS: THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Metaphors for UX and Privacy
During my internship, I also delivered a talk on "Metaphors for UX and Privacy" to my team.
The insight: Privacy tools are often misunderstood because users lack intuitive mental models. I examined how metaphors (like Incognito's "spy" icon) shape user understanding—and how teams can intentionally design better ones.
Outcome: The talk influenced team guidelines for design and research, and earned a peer recognition award.
WHAT I LEARNED
Owning complexity: I learned to transform ambiguous, contradictory information into clear strategic direction.
Communicating rationale: Acting on midpoint feedback, I practiced explaining why behind my decisions, from analysis methods to deck narrative structure. This shifted conversations from "what did you do" to "how do you think."
Managing stakeholders proactively: I learned that research impact depends as much on socialization as on rigor. Building relationships across an organization is how research becomes action.