User Experience (UX)

 
 

Hello!

I’m a technical writer and UX researcher. My main interests are human geography, artificial intelligence, and innovative products with humanitarian purposes.

I mainly work with startups who provide SaaS (Software as a Service) and mobile apps. I’ve also worked with clients in creating or improving user guides and knowledge libraries.

 
 

Technical Writing + UX Design


Whether you need technical manuals or reader-friendly user guides, I can assist you with any writing project you need. My methods include conducting in-depth research, interviewing subject matter experts, and then articulating the data in a user-friendly publication for the target audience.

  • Visio

    LaTex

    Prezi

    MadCap Flare

    InDesign

    Acrobat Pro DC

    Robohelp

    Litepaper

    Notepad++

    Markdown

    Oxygen XML Author

    SGML

    PDFelement

    Perforce

    Epic Editor

    Isodraw

    Quick Silver

    Paligo

    Heretto

    FrameMaker

    JIRA

    • Chicago Manual of Style, AP Stylebook, APA, MLA

    • NASA Technical Standards System (NTSS)

    • MIL-PRF/MIL-STD/MIL-DTL/MIL-SPEC

    • International Specification for Technical Publications

    • Interactive Electronic Technical Manual (IETM) Development

 

Case Studies

 
 
 
 

  • My job entailed briefings with Product Owners and SMEs (Subject Matter Experts); writing both technical and marketing scripts for video assets; writing how-to articles and guides via JIRA and Drupal; working with animators and researchers, among other tasks.

    • Working with clients to understand business needs and to craft UX research solutions

    • Moderating remote and in-person user experience research studies or conducting interviews in-field

    • Analyzing the research findings

    • Developing PPT presentations to communicate findings and recommendations

    • Contributing to the team’s knowledge library (i.e., Confluence)

 
 

UX Research

UX research, or User Experience research, is the process of understanding user behaviors, needs, and motivations through various research methods. UX research involves gathering data, analyzing it, and using the insights to improve the user experience of a product or service. Through UX research, I can assist you with designing products, services, or systems that provide meaningful and relevant experiences to users.

 
 

  • SharePoint, Node.js, bash, PHP, JavaScript, SQL, HTML, CSS, Python, Qualtrics, Transkriptor, Hotjar, OpenRefine, Sketch, Invision, Zeplin, Figma, Miro, Vizzlo, Canva, Pixlr, BeFunky, Tableau, Adobe Creative Suite, Treejack, Palladio, Social Explorer, JIRA for Agile (Scrum or Kanban), Wrike for Waterfall, JIRA Confluence, Notion, Content Square, StoryMapJS, Transana, Google and Adobe Analytics, WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, Magento, Wistia, MaintainX, Smartling, Dscout, Calendly, Airtable, Trello, Basecamp, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Webex, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Skype

    • Generative Interviews

    • In-Depth Discovery Methods

    • In-Context Interviews

    • 1:1 Usability Studies

    • Kano Studies and Heuristic Evaluation

    • Formative Usability Assessments

    • Summative Usability Evaluations

    • Ethnographic and Demographic Studies

    • Data Analysis

    • Diary Studies

    • Surveys

    • Quantitative Benchmarking Studies

    • Mobile Device Testing

    • Behavioral Analytics

    • Journey Mapping

    • Empathy Mapping

    • Observation Scatterplots

    • User Flow Mapping

    • Opportunity Mapping

    • Eye Tracking and Heat Maps

    • Prototyping - Digital 3D Modeling and 3D Printing

    • Shadowing Participants

    • Card Sorting

    • “Wizard of Oz” Testing

    • Persona Creation

    • A/B Testing

    • Field Studies

 

Editorial and Guest/Ghost Blogging

 


I have been blogging professionally and personally since 2003. I have blogged for multiple companies and publications over the years, whether as a staff writer, a guest, or a ghost(writer). A small sample of my past clients are below.

 
 

  • San Diego Esquire

  • 5by7

  • WebpageFX

Copywriting

I’ve collaborated with various brands and organizations across an eclectic range of industries, either directly or as a contractor for a marketing firm. Copywriting takes more than just clever or persuasive writing; it is also about implementing the right strategies, making due diligence a habit, and thorough analysis of conversion rates. As a copywriter, we ask ourselves at the start of a new project: How can we captivate the audience and retain their engagement in this Twitter-length attention span world? How can project the unique identity of the brand whilst simultaneously engaging customers in a natural way?

 

Past Clients

 
 

Content Planning, Outlining and Strategy

 


I’ve assisted clients with building web content and SEO taxonomies, sitemaps, content structure, content models. As an experienced writer, blogger and SEO consultant, I’ve assisted companies like Advanced Recovery Systems, Coding Ninjas, Money Geek, COVID-19 vaccination clinics in Los Angeles, among many others with planning and outlining their content calendars. From coming up with blog article ideas and keyword analysis to creating well-structured outlines for writers, I can help your organization with various elements of content strategy.

 
 
Content planning and outlining
 

Copy Editing + Developmental Editing

 


I have over 10 years of experience in proofreading and developmental editing, working in various industries such as public health, law, oil & gas, academia, and advertising. In addition, I was formerly a writer and editor for Coding Ninjas, and a copywriter and proofreader for the popular stock photography company Unsplash.

 
 
Proofreading_Michael Raqim Mira 1.JPG
Proofreading_Michael Raqim Mira 2.JPG
Proofreading_Michael Raqim Mira 2.JPG
Proofreading_Michael Raqim Mira 3.JPG
Proofreading_Michael Raqim Mira_Sample 1.JPG
Proofreading_Michael Raqim Mira_Physics Textbook Intro.jpg

Page Quality Rating (Google STandards)

 
This is an example of Page Quality Rating format using MS Excel. This client is one of the largest rehabilitation clinic network in the U.S. and needed to optimize their content to meet Google’s Search Quality Raters Guidelines.

This is an example of Page Quality Rating format using MS Excel. This client is one of the largest rehabilitation clinic network in the U.S. and needed to optimize their content to meet Google’s Search Quality Raters Guidelines.

Your website’s quality is a factor in SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) ranking. Using Google's Search Quality Raters Guidelines, I help clients evaluate their website’s page quality and relevancy rating based on certain keywords/key phrases (user intent and search query).

I’ve assisted clients in various fields and industries like The Recovery Village—one of the largest addiction rehabilitation and recovery clinics in the United States—and Money Geek, a personal finance online publication written by experts. I was then hired to help develop content based on the PQR data. What resulted was well-structured and organized content that not only adhered to Google page quality standards, but also applied SEO best practices.