Andrew Petersen
UX Researcher
Portfolio
4 items
Resume
Andrew Petersen
M.S. in Human Computer Interaction (HCI) student at UC Santa Cruz, leveraging a B.A. in Psychology and a background in team leadership. Passionate about converting insights on human behavior into intuitive user experiences. Developing expertise in interaction design and usability while contributing analytical, interpersonal, and detail-oriented skills to impactful UX projects.
Education
University of California, Santa Cruz
- Expected Dec 2026
De Anza College
Research
Let's Get Talking
- Published 8-page pictorial in ACM digital library and achieved top 12 finalist at DIS 2026
- Co-authored conversational card game to facilitate dialogue on male infertility through guided prompts and psychological distancing
- Literature review of 50+ studies and market analysis to identify design gaps and opportunities
- Created visual design with 100+ card prompts across 3 emotional depth levels
Awards
Overall Winner - Google Designathon
- Won overall competition against 11 competing teams. Recognized for balancing rapid AI-assisted methodology with genuine empathy for underrepresented users in designing accessible services for unhoused individuals
Store Hourly Performance Award
- Recognized for outstanding performance and commitment at Target. This award is given annually to a select few hourly team members who demonstrate exceptional work ethic, leadership, problem-solving abilities, and operational efficiency
Employee of the Month (Q3 2024)
- Awarded quarterly to one employee from each department, recognizing exceptional performance and dedication to team goals
Employee of the Month (Q1 2024)
- Awarded quarterly to one employee from each department, recognizing exceptional performance and dedication to team goals
Experience
Target
- Managing a team of 40 individuals, driving significant growth in key metrics through effective coaching, support, performance management, and fostering a strong team culture
- Contributing to double digit improvements in key drivers such as Checkout Wait Time, Cleanliness, and Customer Interaction compared to the previous year
- Taken full ownership of Drive Up operations, reducing unscanned bags by 10% to under 3%, improving fulfillment accuracy, ensuring timely execution of Drive Up services during Q4 peak, and increasing Drive Ups delivered on time by over 7% during my time in role
- Consistently achieved 97-99% RFID scan accuracy and maintained full RFID compliance, contributing to a reduction in missing clothing inventory
- Improved Price Audit accuracy by over 3% through follow-ups with team members, validating pricing on newly stocked merchandise, and ensuring correct labeling, resulting in more than a 70% decrease in pricing errors compared to the previous year
- Ensured sale sign take down compliance, reducing price challenges due to expired signage by 22%
- Handled returns, Drive Up services, and took ownership of Guest Service, stepping up to ensure smooth operations
- Delivered excellent guest experiences by actively resolving guest issues and ensuring positive outcomes
- Adapted to changing tasks and ensured completion of daily responsibilities, maintaining store readiness
Kimaro Studios
- Grew total streams from hundreds to over 2 million across YouTube and Spotify while in role
- Expertise in content strategy, analytics, and research to enhance digital presence and growth
- Skilled in proofreading, managing releases, and delivering data driven insights to optimize engagement and performance
Skills
About
UX Researcher • HCI @ UC Santa Cruz
Andrew Petersen
As an M.S. in Human Computer Interaction (HCI) student at UC Santa Cruz, I am building upon my B.A. in Psychology (cum laude) and a proven background in team leadership.
Previously, at Target, I worked as a Service & Engagement Team Leader managing a team of 40 team members to drive operational performance and improve customer satisfaction. I was recognized with multiple awards, including the Store Hourly Performance Award and Employee of the Month, for my leadership and problem-solving skills.
In addition to my role at Target, I'm the Content Manager at Kimaro Studios, where I've helped grow total streams from 1,000 to over 2 million. I specialize in content strategy, analytics, and research to enhance audience engagement.
In my free time I'm actively working on UI/UX design projects, honing my skills in user experience design and building my own websites to expand my technical expertise.
Outside of work, I enjoy video editing, hiking, driving, working on cars, building computers, and calibrating monitors.
Contact
If you'd like to connect, feel free to email me.
- anchpete@ucsc.edu
- /in/petersen-andrew