Jim Dalglish

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Director of UX Research & Strategy

jimdalglish@mac.com | 617.308.0788 | Massachusetts, USA
www.jimdalglish-IA.com 
LinkedIn Profile

Profile

Strategic UX research and content strategy leader with 20+ years of experience guiding enterprise clients, higher education institutions, and mission-driven organizations through complex digital transformation efforts. Combines deep expertise in qualitative research methods with a creative and pragmatic approach to uncovering user insights, aligning stakeholders, and shaping actionable digital strategies. Also an award-winning playwright, director, filmmaker, and nonprofit founder, bringing into every facet of user experience and content strategy work storytelling instincts, audience empathy, and narrative clarity.

Core Competencies

UX Research & Strategy, Qualitative & Quantitative Research, Persona & Segment Development, Customer Journey Mapping, Message Testing, Card Sorting & Tree Testing, Heuristic Evaluation, A/B Testing, First Click Testing, Survey Design & Analysis, Content Audits, Competitor Analysis, Site Maps & Wireframes, Information Architecture, Stakeholder Engagement, Brand Messaging, Usability Testing, Workshop Facilitation, Findings Synthesis & Reporting

Tools

ChatGPT (Pro & Enterprise), Google Suite, Alchemer, UserZoom, Optimal Workshop, Fathom, Zoom, Slack, Miro, Axure, Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, MS Office, FinalCutPro, Camtagia (video editing)

Selected Clients

Higher Ed & Research:

Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Public Health, Dartmouth Tuck School of Business, Yale University (incl. School of the Environment, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and CORES), Columbia School of Law, University of Pennsylvania School of Education, University of Rochester, University of New Hampshire, Montclair State University, St. John’s University, St. Lawrence University, Tulsa Community College, Alfred University, Clark University, Oberlin University, Norwich University, Roseman University, UMiss, Villanova, Northeastern University, Illinois Tech, Boston Conservatory 

Healthcare, Non-government Organizations & Nonprofits:

Hebrew Senior Life, The Jimmy Fund, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Boston Museum of Science, National Fire Protection Association, Partners Healthcare, Tufts Health Insurance, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont, Asphalt Green, CIEE

Finance & Enterprise

Lord Abbett, Nuveen, Wellington Investments, State Street Bank, Standard & Poor’s, GLG, Epsilon, HNW, Merrill LynchMedia Relations

Media & Consumer

The New York Times, McGraw-Hill, Houghton Mifflin, Granatar, Perfectly Posh, Amtrak 

Professional Experience

Director of UX Research & Strategy
OHO Interactive, Massachusetts
1/22/2016 – present

  • Leads strategic research engagements for 40+ higher education, healthcare, and nonprofit clients

  • Designs and facilitates audience research across interviews, focus groups, field studies, surveys, and usability testing

  • Translates findings into actionable IA, content, messaging, marketing, and enrollment strategies

  • Develops program finder tools, sitemaps, wireframes, and high-conversion content architectures

  • Collaborates with UX, content, and design teams to execute full-funnel digital experiences

  • Presents webinars and published widely read articles on higher ed trends, video testing, AI chatbots, and research tools

Practice Lead: Digital Strategy & User Research
OHO Interactive, Cambridge, MA
5/15/2014 – 1/22/2016

  • Spearheaded cross-disciplinary discovery efforts for major clients across higher education and healthcare

  • Developed comprehensive digital strategies grounded in primary and secondary research

  • Led workshops and stakeholder engagements to align digital goals with user needs and organizational capacity

Associate Director of REsearch & Information Architecture
OHO Interactive, Cambridge, MA
5/15/2012 – 1/22/2014

  • Planned and executed research programs to inform IA and content strategy

  • Conducted expert interviews, surveys, and usability testing across multi-audience platforms

  • Created site maps, wireframes, prototypes, and IA recommendations for large-scale web redesigns

Principal Consultant – UX Strategist & Content Lead

Independent Consultant – Various Clients 2004–2012

  • Directed user research, content audits, and digital strategy for clients including State Street Bank, Partners Healthcare, and The New York Times

  • Built and tested wireframes, prototypes, and IA models to support website redesigns and platform launches

  • Guided branding, messaging, and content strategy efforts for both startups and enterprise clients

Senior Content Strategist

HNW, Granatar, GLG, Houghton Mifflin – Various years

  • Shaped editorial voice and messaging frameworks for financial and publishing clients

  • Created multimedia content across digital and print to support brand positioning and product marketing

  • Led editorial and digital operations for divisions within Houghton Mifflin Company

Creative Work & Leadership

Founder & Producing Artistic Director
Helltown Players (Nonprofit Theatre Company)
www.helltownplayers.org>>

  • Founded and led a mission-driven performing arts organization producing bold, socially relevant new work

  • Directed and produced stage plays and short and feature films featured in national and regional festivals

  • Managed fundraising, board development, community outreach, and strategic planning

Playwright / Director / Producer / Filmmaker
www.jimdalglish.com

  • Published and produced playwright with numerous regional, national, and international awards

  • Work featured on public radio, international stages, and independent film circuits

  • Applies story structure, emotional resonance, and creative direction to UX, messaging, and digital engagement

Education

Brown University (MFA) Playwriting
University of North Dakota (BA) English with emphasis on writing, theatre, and journalism

Professional Affiliations

  • User Experience Professionals' Association (UXPA)

  • Human Factors International (HFI)

  • Nielsen Norman Group  (NNG)

Articles / Blogs

Your Next Research Assistant Might Be a Bot — Here’s How I Trained Mine - by Jim Dalglish, 2025
earn how to build and train your own AI assistant using ChatGPT to support both qualitative and quantitative research — from surveys to interviews to synthesis. View article >>

AI Is Changing How Students Choose Colleges — Here's What You Need to Know - by Jim Dalglish, 2025
New research reveals that nearly one-third of prospective students now use AI tools like ChatGPT to explore colleges, compare programs, and assess fit. This blog unpacks key trends, what students are really asking, and how colleges can adapt their websites and content strategies to stay visible in the AI-powered search era. View article >>

Colleges Are Missing the Employer Education Market — Here’s How to Catch Up - by Jim Dalglish, 2025
New research reveals that nearly one-third of prospective students now use AI tools like ChatGPT to explore colleges, compare programs, and assess fit. This blog unpacks key trends, what students are really asking, and how colleges can adapt their websites and content strategies to stay visible in the AI-powered search era. View article >>

White Papers

AI and the College Search - 2025. Download White Paper >>

Mobile Usability: Testing your website in the real world -   November 1, 2011. Download White Paper >> 

Speaking Engagements 

Improving Online Lead Generation for Bank Applications:  - The Face of Finance Conference, Bentley University, Waltham, Massachusetts, 10/30/2013   Bentley University Presentation > 

Motivatability: Driving the Clicks that Lie Beyond Usability  - World Usability Day, Microsoft NERD Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 11/8/2012. World Usability Day Presentation Video >>  

The "New New" in Usability: B2B is Going Consumer - Gilbane Conference, Weston Boston Waterfront, Boston, Massachusetts,  11/30/2011