Mali Schaefer
Associate, Human Insights @Ocad U Co
Signup · Get unlimited contacts
WORK HISTORY
Associate, Human Insights @Ocad U Co
Toronto, ON, CA
OCAD U CO is the strategic innovation studio of OCAD University, focused on applying human-centered design and creative problem-solving to complex business and societal challenges. The studio collaborates with public and private sector partners to drive insight-led innovation through design research, co-creation, and strategy development.I partner with OCADU CO in Toronto on a project basis. These engagements have focused on uncovering deep human insights and translating them into meaningful strategy and design. I’ve led user research, co-facilitated design thinking workshops, and trained executives on the foundations of user-centered research. This work has strengthened my ability to collaborate across disciplines, coach stakeholders through ambiguity, and shape research into tools for alignment and innovation.
EDUCATION
Hawaii Pacific University
Travel Industry Management
OCAD University
Bachelor of Design, Industrial Design
SKILLS
ABOUT MALI SCHAEFER
I\'m a design researcher and human insights strategist with over 10 years of experience helping organizations understand the people they serve and translate that understanding into clear strategic direction. My work sits at the intersection of qualitative research, behavioural insight, and experience design. I specialize in the discovery and synthesis phases of research: finding patterns in complexity, building frameworks from raw human insight, and turning what people feel and experience into something teams can act on.Much of my career has been spent in high-stakes, emotionally complex research contexts, such as healthcare decisions, patient and caregiver experience, or professional identity - where surface-level data isn\'t enough and understanding the human behind the behaviour is everything. That depth of practice translates directly into any domain where the stakes are high, where rationality should be driving behaviour but implicit emotion is doing the real work, and where decisions can be consequential.One lens I bring that\'s often missing in research is a deep awareness of how culture shapes behaviour, decision-making, and need. Having lived and worked across Japan, Germany, and Canada, I understand that the frameworks we use to study people are themselves culturally situated. Meaningful insight requires accounting for that, whether you\'re working across global markets or within Canada\'s own diverse communities. Most behavioural science and UX research are built on Western assumptions. I know how to look beyond them.My design research practice is grounded in my OCAD U training in Design Research and Experience Design. I\'ve deepened that foundation through an ongoing collaboration with senior faculty at OCAD U Co, bridging academic rigour with real-world client application.I work across sectors including healthcare, services, education, and product and service innovation, and I\'m fluent in English, Japanese, and German, with experience leading cross-cultural research across North America, Europe, and Asia.I\'m currently open to senior design research and human insights roles, particularly in healthcare, financial services, and service innovation.
This profile is compiled from publicly available professional sources. Unifers is not affiliated with or endorsed by LinkedIn. Request removal of this profile.