gruen design research


Gruen design research llc



Dan Gruen | innovation catalyst



MY APPROACH



Proven methods to drive success



qualitative research





Combining observational methods including semi-stuctured interviews, group discussions, site visits, and analysis of work items to create a deep and nuanced understanding of the current situation, successes, challenges and opportunities.



strategic Design





I apply my background and expertise in human cognition, technology, and business to drive designs that will be useful, enjoyable, sustainable and profitable. Going beyond basic products and services, I consider human motivations, organizational dynamics, work practices and messaging.



design stories





An early innovator and evangelist of storytelling in design techniques, I use the power of stories to capture the essence of a situation and the people in it, including their motivations, goals, backgrounds, knowledge and journey.



collaborative innovation





Drawing from experience as a technologist and inventor with over 50 US and international patents, I guide teams and mentor new inventors to create differentiated, valuable innovations.



about me



I am an experienced design researcher and innovation catalyst with a proven track record driving innovation in high-stakes domains. An inventor with over 50 US and international patents, I am passionate about finding new ways to make the world more productive, healthy and engaging.


I have been described as a deep listener adept at drawing out user needs and requirements. An innovative problem-solver and creator of story-based design methods, I have worked with numerous teams to harness the power of storytelling to capture nuanced user needs and enable effective and adoptable technology solutions.


My background includes years as a research scientist and strategic designer in IBM Research, a PhD in Cognitive Science with Don Norman at UCSD, exploratory work funded by Apple and the NSF, and UX consulting and mentoring in multiple domains. A stint designing trading support systems as a Vice President at a major Wall Street firm gave me early insights into the importance of user experience for business success.




selected past projects



personalized advice app for people with diabetes



Research prototype leveraging explanatory AI techniques to provide personalized, timely, guideline-based dietary advice for people newly diagnosed with diabetes.



visualizing interactions for complex patients



Visualizations showing connections between drugs, diseases, side effects and symptoms to aid in understanding complex patients.



cognitive assistance for cockpit decisions



Reducing cognitive load on pilots by assisting with information gathering and tradeoff analysis.



Beyond discussions collaborative reasoning



Social tools at the sweet spot between freeform conversation and structure to support effective deliberation, brainstorming, evaluation and decision, so discussions are inclusive, clear and lead to action.



social sharing of best practices in a retail chain



App, gamification and incentive schemes to encourage and reward sharing of tips and best practices by sales employees in a large retail chain.



identifying high value m&A Targets through ai and viz



Combining natural language processing, semantic analysis, visualizations and social tools to help business development analysts in a multinational organization identify companies for partnering or acquisition.



visualizing social interaction in large scale events



Highly interactive "river of news" visualization of social posts and images around large popular events.



reinventing
email



Multi-year initiative to reinvent the email experience to reduce overload and increase efficiency and enjoyment. Led to multiple patents and innovations that paved the way for many current email apps.





Contact Me



183 Mill Street, newton, ma 02460



gruen design research llc