🗞 Trouble engaging stakeholders? Create some FOMO

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😌 Humans of User Research with Moyosore Ale

Hi Moyo, tell us a little about yourself!
Hi, I’m Moyo the human and my superpowers are empathy, curiosity and anti-fragility. Being firstly a human is an integral part of who I am and my design philosophy. I’m a humanist but I am also a technologist. I am fascinated by our ability to create phenomena and new paradigms (AKA technologies) both physical e.g. computers ,and non-physical e.g. language, religion. Sometimes I refer to myself as a magician or an alchemist, because I’m able to study these patterns of creation, action and emotions and use that to inform new technologies or ‘magic’. 
Outside of work, I’m an animation & anime nerd, a dancer, an artist, a storyteller, an addicted learner, a professional hobbyist, a great friend and sister. But in this capitalist world, my title would be “researcher & designer”.

What has had the biggest impact on your UX Research career?
Having a life outside of work and engaging with the world around me intentionally. It’s easy to get lost in the cog of numbers and patterns of behaviour that you forget to humanise whatever process you are engaging with. Having hobbies and keeping the other parts of myself sacred especially finding time to be in my body, in the present, in nature and with people has ultimately made me a better user researcher.
One of the biggest compliments I get after my user sessions is how fun, relaxing and interesting my sessions are. I believe it’s because I genuinely see them as conversations with another human and I show up in that way. My goal is always to entertain, inquire and communicate. Analytical and critical thinking are skills and user research is just one way to apply them. Eventually whatever you make space for and give attention to outside of work inevitably transfers to all aspects of your life including work. Sometimes it’s these simple things that make the most difference and are sometimes the hardest to do. Remember, you’re a human being not a human doing.

How would you explain your work to a 6 year-old?
Choosing this question because I love working with kids and had my PhD in child-computer interactions. I will attempt to put myself in the mental frame of a 6-year old and play out an hypothetical situation

6-year old: What do you do?
Me: Hmm, before I answer that, tell me something you like to ask “why” about but don’t know the answer to.
6-year old: Why is the sun hot?
Me: Why don’t we find out together? (We find out why the sun is hot through some research)
6-year old: So the sun is hot because it is big and its core is undergoing nuclear fusion
Me: Yes and this is what I do, I ask “why?” all the time and try to find the answers to my questions by asking other people, reading and learning lots of cool stuff. And sometimes I even get to make other cool stuff with the answers I find.

What would you like to talk about with other researchers and how can they find you?
I would really love to talk to other researchers about the role spirituality, existential philosophy, physical embodiment and universal energy plays in technological designs. I am a geek for embodied cognition and often we fall into this space where we design as if the mind were separate from the body.
The direction of capitalist technological innovation (especially after lockdown) has focused on designing for an attention & disembodied economy rather than wholeness. Hence why I believe we need more conversations about how we can involve the body and make conscious space for human yearning, interconnectedness & community in research. My hypothesis is that this will make the biggest difference when virtual worlds and mixed realities become more accessible financially and physically. You can find me on LinkedIn and also on Medium: @Moyosoreale.

Thank you, Moyo!

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📚 Articles of the Week.

Affinity diagramming for collaboratively sorting UX findings and design ideas
Use affinity diagramming to cluster and organize research findings or to sort design ideas in ideation workshops. Rachel Krause & Kara Pernice 04/26

Benchmarking: how to provide valuable comparisons around UX research
Take snapshots of problematic outcomes to help show the impact of UX. Christopher K Wong 05/01

Defining success: A framework to measure UX research impact (Sponsored)
Proving the impact of UXR is vital to evangelize research and scale your practice. In this article, Roberta Dombrowski, Researcher at Maze, outlines a new framework to define, track & measure the impact of research activities on business outcomes. Read now

Trouble engaging stakeholders? Create some FOMO
Galvanize stakeholder enthusiasm using FOMO. Craft time-sensitive opportunities to evoke a desire for inclusion, driving active participation and commitment beyond initial interest levels. Carl Fisher 04/30

Is the Customer always right? It depends …
Explore the origin and validity of 'The customer is always right'. Understand its historical context and consider its relevance in fostering a customer-centric mindset within businesses. Alexandros Shomper 05/03

Using service design as the bridge to connect research and design
Bridge the gap between research and design with service design. Ensure deeper understanding of user insights, preventing misinterpretations and fostering team alignment for impactful designs. Hui Ling Fu 05/01

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🎥 Video of the Week.

Using secondary sources for UX research
This webinar by UX Researcher, Lade Tawak, is designed to provide UI/UX enthusiasts, newbies, and people looking to transition valuable insights and guidance on conducting a successful UX research. YouTube 04/28

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🔉 Audio of the Week.

The future of UX research and the importance of evaluative research today with Dr. Nick Fine
Explore the future of user research with Dr. Nick Fine. Dive into evolving UX practices, emphasizing evaluative research's significance and anticipating industry shifts over the next five years. Spotify Apple 04/30

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🗓 UserCalendar: Events Next Week.

Crash Course in Strategic Product Research (Free)
May 9 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm EDT
Explore strategic product research, distinguishing it from discovery research. Gain insights into effective evaluation methods for building the right product or feature. Learn more

Maximize User Research’s Impact Through Effective Enablement (Free)
May 10 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am EDT
Anna Reger, Senior ReOps Manager at Babbel, shares insights on supporting insight-gathering and decision making, plus enabling colleagues for effective research. Learn more

Solo UXR Coffee Chat (free)
May 10 @ 12:00 pm – 12:30 pm EDT
Jen Brown is organizing a monthly 30-minute virtual coffee chat for solo UX researchers to share helpful tools and stay productive. Learn more

Chi 2024
May 11 – May 17 EDT
CHI 2024, hosted in Honolulu, invites attendees to explore cutting-edge technology and human-computer interaction trends with a focus on global accessibility. Learn more

UX360 Research Summit
May 16 @ 9:00 am – May 17 @ 7:00 pm EDT
The UX360 Research Summit in Berlin features top speakers, case studies from various industries, and networking opportunities for UX researchers. Learn more