Curio Research Quarterly Vol. 14
Hello friends! Could it be? Are we finally starting to see the other side of the pandemic? I'm beginning to see friends again. I've made brunch plans. I'm going to see two live shows next month (outdoors). It feels so tentative and exciting at the same time.
Business
Work
I finished up a diary study for BlinkUX. Four days of research activities followed by 17 1.5 hour long exit interviews yielded a 100+ page report detailing how people think and utilize aspects of their devices they don't typically give much attention to. I know 100+ pages sounds like a lot for a report, but the client was happy and intended to divide it up so that each part only went to the team that would find it relevant. At the end of the day, a happy client is all that matters.
Then I did a quick usability testing project for a San Francisco municipal website redesign on behalf of Kalamuna. Then I finished working on a tree test analysis of a Canadian financial services company for No Fixed Address.
Now, BlinkUX has me again to run a series of projects through November testing artificial intelligence and voice interfaces for one of their clients. There will be some breaks between rounds, and I might be able to take on other work as well, but I won't know for sure until I get started.
It's been busy. Every researcher I know is busy. If you have an upcoming project, my advice to you would be to get on your favorite researcher's schedule ASAP, and if they don't think they can fit you in, ask for a referral.
Leadership
I've been nominated to the QRCA board of directors once again. I was up against intelligent and deserving people last year, and this year is no different. Wish me luck!
The QRCA is trying to establish credibility in the UX research field, and one of their efforts is having a UX-focused one-day conference on September 10th, which I 100% support. I think UX researchers would benefit so much from joining the QRCA, and I repeat that so much to people that I could be reasonably accused of either being a broken record or a cult recruiter. Another way I'm supporting the effort is by making connections between UX tool vendors, such as UserZoom and Lookback, and the sponsorship committee. If you know of a company looking to reach qualitative researchers in UX and beyond, send them my way.
Public Speaking
I did an Ask-Me-Anything with an online product management group called Potlatch on July 14th. I fielded questions from product managers and entrepreneurs on using research appropriately for everything from usability testing to feature prioritization.
I don't have any other speaking engagements until the QRCA UX event on September 10th. There I'll be joining a researcher from BlinkUX to talk about using qual analysis tools and video clips in reporting.
After that, I've been invited back to the User Centered Design Gathering in November to present my talk on research-based decision making.
I don't have anything else on the schedule for 2021, but considering how busy my Q1 and Q2 were with speaking engagements, I'm okay with that. A break is good.
Writing
I was quoted extensively, along with several other very smart people, for an article by Oliver Lindberg for the Shopify partner blog. I wrote 1500 words on the subject of in-app surveys, and Oliver picked some of the quotes to write How to Build Powerful In-App Surveys: Put the User First. My thesis was basically, 'Please don't do it, but if you must keep it super short, and this is how you do the analysis.'
I submitted my article on research accessibility to the International Journal of Market Research. I don't know when it will be published, but I'll post links on Twitter and LinkedIn when it's available.
Personal
Health
I'M FULLY VACCINATED. Team Astra Zeneca/Moderna for me. In Canada, we were allowed to mix and match our vaccine doses, and studies showed that pairing Astra Zeneca with an mRNA vaccine was highly effective. So that's the route I chose.
Home
The new place is slowly coming together. The painter took over our home a few weeks ago, and we vacated while he did his thing. Well worth it too. He did a great job. The ombre treatment to the wall in my husband's workspace looks terrific, and the color blocking in my office/guest bedroom has completely transformed the space from a blank room into a dark and colorful creative space.
Next, the wallpaper hanger came by to do the powder room and an accent wall in our bedroom. I was warned that wallpaper is expensive, and they weren't kidding, but it looks so good, and I can't wait to fill up the space with furniture to match.
Travel
While our home was being painted, we escaped with the cat to Vancouver Island's Comox Valley. It wasn't a vacation. Just another place to work, but it was nice to go someplace else and explore the area. We found a couple of nice restaurants, did a little hiking along some stretches of the shoreline, and saw some local wildlife. It was a very sedate trip for us, but getting away proved essential.
Provided all goes well with Canada's post-pandemic reopening, we're going on a Montreal to Halifax road trip in the fall. I'm starting to create my map of landmarks, museums, restaurants, and oddities I'd like to visit. Fingers crossed we make it. It will be nice to travel again finally.
Media
I think the shows I've been most impressed with lately haven't been on Netflix. One was The Great, a historical comedy about the rise of Catherine the Great of Russia starring Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult. Fanning did an excellent job evolving her character from a wide-eyed romantic into a ruthless idealist, and Hoult was stupendous as a total jackass version of Czar Peter.
The other was the BBC drama, Normal People, which told the story of an on/off youthful relationship as they go from high school to college and eventually embark on the rest of their lives. There was nothing grandiose about it. When you're not thinking of how sweet the couple is, you're groaning as you watch them sabotage themselves into an inevitable yet unnecessary breakup.
Giving Back
My last few donations expanded beyond environmental issues:
UNICEF for international pandemic relief
Fair Fight to work on voting rights issues in the US
First Nations Caring Society in response to the finding of unmarked mass graves of indigenous children at former Canadian residential school sites.
Thank you for continuing to hire me so I can continue to make these contributions.
If you’re interested in getting this newsletter delivered directly to your inbox, you can sign up here.
