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Amanda Wirth Lorenzo is a Principal at Buro Happold and Director at brightspot strategy, now a Buro Happold company. She leads the research and engagement practice to ensure the development of successful strategies based on quantitative and qualitative evidence.

Amanda is a strategist who builds solutions through in-depth user research, data analytics, and collaborative engagement. For more than ten years she has led user research that meets people where they are, engages participants in interactive methods, and generates insights to guide strategy and design.

Her research and engagement has guided the transformation of student experience at Metropolitan State University, the partnership between academia and industry at Marquette University’s Innovation Alley, and insights on the impact of COVID-19 on the future of work for WeWork. Her approach to evidence-based planning and strategy has guided the design of new facilities for innovative and premier programs such as the Iovine Young Academy at USC and McIntire School of Commerce at UVA.

Amanda also leads standardization and productization at brightspot, outlining the processes and creating the tools for each service line ensuring the consistent and timely delivery of projects.

Amanda completed an MBA and Master of Design from the Institute of Design at IIT Chicago and a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design. From her experience she has taught as a design research instructor at Parsons School of Design, presented at conferences such as Tradeline Space Strategies and Design Thinking, and has published in SCUP’s Planning for Higher Education journal.