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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

A young woman with black hair, wearing a dark denim jacket, smiling while standing inside a cafe near a large window.

Services

I work in ways that fit your team's pace and stage — from a single workshop to an ongoing research partnership.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Participatory sessions where the people affected by a problem help shape its solution, ensuring decisions stay grounded in lived experience.

  • Bringing together decision-makers, subject experts, and end users to build shared understanding and surface competing priorities early.

  • Journey mapping, service blueprinting, and participatory research to understand how a service performs across every touchpoint.

Work With Me

How I Can Help

Two people working at a table with sticky notes, pens, a notebook, and a laptop.

  • 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

  • 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

  • A structured review of your team's existing research practices with a prioritized capability roadmap.

    You get: Audit report + maturity assessment

Previous Projects

  • 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.

    View Project
  • 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.

    View Project
  • 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.

    Available on Request
  • 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.

    Available On Request