UXR Spotlight: Di'eayyah Boney

Hi Di’eayyah Boney, tell us a bit about yourself.
I'm Di'eayyah Boney, a Narrative Personality Psychologist and User Experience Researcher with a passion for diversity and inclusion - currently the UX Research Lead at Amazon Game Growth. As an advocate of women's research, it is my hope that my research will add to the current literature by connecting Psychology, Health Research, and Tech to demonstrate how the merging of the fields of industry plus social responsibility can add to the positive representations, experiences, equity, and well being of marginalized social groups.

Beyond the buttoned up answer, I like to think I represent what it truly means to be intersectional. I’m not sure if you know who Megan the Stallion is, but she coined a term “Hot Girl/Hottie” which just means you are living your best life. I like to think of myself as a “full-time scientist and part-time hottie.” I like to show women and especially little Black girls that we are both Black and women, but we have so many identities outside of that and you don’t have to be one or the other. You can be each of those at the same time. You can be in a research lab during the day, and have fun grabbing drinks, going out, going shopping on the weekends (or doing the week, if that works for you).

What energizes you about your career?
I am most excited about seeing the impact of research on product design and business decisions. I like that I can represent the unbiased voice of the customer, but I acknowledge that our biases are not always a bad thing. Being part of a double minority as a Black woman in tech, I definitely take it upon myself to also make sure to speak up for  minority voices to ensure that everyone is represented in my work and in our business. Additionally, being in an environment in which I am encouraged to be my authentic self and am valued for not only my work, but for who I am - energizes me to continue to consistently deliver high quality results.

What does your perfect evening look like after a day full of user studies?
The perfect evening after a day full of user studies for me consists of cuddling with my fur baby, Givenchy. After a full day of human interaction, nothing makes me happier than quality time with him while watching influencer youtube vlogs. I follow that up with dinner, an extensive night time routine, and sleepy time tea. I do my best to stay away from screens after my work day. I am a firm believer and advocate for maintaining work-life balance.

How can people learn more about you and your work?
SOCIAL MEDIA! I am a big advocate for the inclusion of people of color in Tech via my social media platforms @abitPSYCHed, on Instagram and Twitter. I recently started a hashtag #BlackInUX, to create a community “for us by us” when I noticed the lack of diverse voices in the UX virtual space. I am excited to see the community continue to grow. I envision that #BlackInUX community will eventually evolve and not only be a virtual space, but transition to meet ups, conferences, and so much more! While much of my industry work cannot be shared, I am always on socials connecting people of color, sharing research tips, and am planning to create a UX research e-guide.

Thank you, Di'eayyah!