Hello, I’m Kat Ward.
Open to Contract, FTE or Fractional Roles
I help teams find clarity in the grey area. Using a systems lens, I turn complex, early stage problems into strategic direction everyone can act on.
My best work shows up in the room, literally. Whether we’re developing a co-design workshop, engaging in a stakeholder alignment session, or grappling with messy 0→1 discovery, I bring warmth and rigor to problems that resist easy answers.
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I am a San Francisco based freelance design strategist and research consultant with nearly a decade of experience across edtech, financial services, AI and e-commerce.
I offer strategic services, such as one-time workshop facilitation or embedded fractional research capabilities, for teams navigating problems that have few clear solutions and many stakeholders to answer to. -
My work is rooted in the belief that the people closest to the problem are an innate part of creating any real solution.
Equity-centered design, systems thinking, and deep curiosity shape every engagement I take on, be it a focused research sprint or a long-term fractional partnership.
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I am eager to work with mission-aligned teams that range from startups to more seasoned organizations in a variety of verticals.
You should reach out if you are:
Engaging with early-stage projects with ambiguity and multiple stakeholder perspectives.
Conducting in-person field research, particularly with diverse communities.
Navigating questions about market fit, product definition or validation.
Services
I work in ways that fit your team's pace and stage — from a single workshop to an ongoing research partnership.
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End to end qualitative and mixed-methods research programs from secondary research and landscape analysis through execution and synthesis of interviews, co-design sessions, surveys and usability testing.
Always designed around the specific questions your team needs answered.
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Early-stage sessions to define the problem space, synthesize what's known and unknown, and orient a team before any solutions are on the table.
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Participatory sessions where the people affected by a problem help shape its solution, ensuring decisions stay grounded in lived experience.
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Bringing together decision-makers, subject experts, and end users to build shared understanding and surface competing priorities early.
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Journey mapping, service blueprinting, and participatory research to understand how a service performs across every touchpoint.
How I Can Help
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4–6 weeks of focused research to define user needs, uncover gaps, and deliver clear strategic recommendations.
You get: Postcards from the field, Research report with synthesized findings + actionable direction -
A designed in-person or remote session to align stakeholders, define a problem space, or generate and evaluate ideas.
You get: Facilitation plan + run of show template, session, synthesis report
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Embedded part-time support for teams who need a consistent research or strategic voice without a full-time hire.
You get: Weekly insights, synthesis, roadmap input
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A structured review of your team's existing research practices with a prioritized capability roadmap.
You get: Audit report + maturity assessment
Previous Projects
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![A futuristic science classroom with large windows, holographic displays, and a group of students and teachers engaging with technology and experiments.]()
GATES FOUNDATION | 2024
Led co-creation sessions with educators, students, and policymakers across the US. Translated a complex, contested problem space into a shared vision now informing the foundation's Grand Challenges grant strategy.
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![Two people working at a table with papers, stickers, and pens. One person is writing on a worksheet with a blue pen, another is holding a purple pen. There are various colorful stickers, a closed black laptop, and a clear pencil case filled with markers on the table.]()
RENAISSANCE LEARNING | 2025
Conducted field research with educators to surface unmet needs in early childhood data integration — delivering a 0→1 product concept that gave the team clear direction for a market they hadn't yet entered.
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![Infographic about stability seekers with a quote from a student about their career goals, an illustration of two people, and text discussing self-advocacy, autonomy, and structural considerations.]()
AI SOFTWARE COMPANY | 2025
Mapped first-generation student experience to shape AI product strategy. Supported primary research program and translated findings into the strategic student and faculty archetypes + journey map. -
![A detailed flowchart with multiple sections and colored sticky notes representing different stages or elements of a project or process. Sections include overall navigation, structure, questions, video features, numbering questions, completing homework tasks, hints, and checking.]()
STEALTH AI STARTUP | 2025
Supported early-stage product prototype testing for an AI-supported Calculus 1 courseware. Provided recruiting support and recommendations for new research opportunities in pilots to come.
