🗞 Unlearning my way to a Head of Research role

😌 Humans of User Research with Fisola Famuyiwa

Hi Fisola, tell us a little about yourself!
Hello! My name is Fisola and I am an Experience Researcher at Adobe. I really appreciate intuitive design and I enjoy user research. I just graduated from University of Michigan’s UX/HCI master’s program and it’s been about 5 months since I have been an “official UX Researcher”. My first real industry experience in UX was while I was in grad school, where I spent some time as a Product Designer for a local B2B company called Nutshell. I must admit that at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic I was forced to really think about what I wanted to do. Before attending grad school, I had completed a bachelor's degree in Neurobiology with the intention of pursuing medicine; however I soon realized that I loved evaluating and researching cool technology that I used everyday.

What energizes you about your career?
Interviewing people and reflecting on interviews with people.

1. I love meeting new people and hearing their stories - their joys, their struggles and how they try to overcome them, and most importantly, their favorite digital products (and least).
2. My second favorite part of working is hopping onto a Team's video call with a nicely, organized miro board with a fellow researcher or designer. I just really enjoy collaboration and organization (especially with colorful sticky notes!).

What is your ideal user testing environment – real or fictional?
Fictional- I wish I could have users wear a VR headset during user interviews. I would have them view their exact work or creative space as they reflect on their experiences with digital applications on their preferred device. Maybe it would help increase the reliability of their responses and help researchers understand where users focus their eyes and hands in a given situation.

How can people find you?
You can find me on Linkedin or check out my website!

Thank you, Fisola!

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Unlearning my way to a Head of Research role
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It is time for UX Research to go strategic or go home
Design researchers are rediscovering their ethnographic roots, shifting from traditional "UX" boundaries to tackle broader systemic issues, and strategically integrating with product management, market research, and strategy functions for enhanced impact. Salvatore Larosa 01/13

A bright future for UX Research
UX researchers, according to Judd Antin, have thrived within a broken system but can unlock their true potential by shifting from the service model to fostering continuous engagement in the product process, signaling a transformative evolution in leveraging researchers and insights for future success. Judd Antin 01/08

Immersion and influence—the work of the modern UX researcher
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🎥 Video of the Week.

The UX Research reckoning is here | Judd Antin (Airbnb, Meta)
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Happy Researching,
🗞 Jan