I approach my UX Research work as a Design Thinker and Social Anthropologist.
Training
My MSc in Human Computer Interaction w. Ergonomics from University College London (UCL) has equipped me with rigorous user research methodologies, bolstered by a dedication to justify all design decisions against user needs.
My training in Social Anthropology, during my BA in Social Anthropology at Carnegie Mellon University, has made me well experienced with fieldwork and participant observation to collect & analyze data when designing for users.
Outlook
I find societal behaviors, practices, and norms to be absolutely fascinating. I strive to understand it – and going beyond the practice of empathizing– I like to completely immerse myself into the environment I'm collecting data and designing for, akin to in the footsteps of canonized anthropologists such as Mead, Boas, and Malinowski.
Researchers should enter project environments without any prior assumptions, whether it's a novel product or a legacy system. Sometimes the solution lies in the unsuspecting mundane, found in fluid, informal conversations that organically unearth true insights.
UX Community Involvement
I have presented my work to IxDA London and took part in a panel discussion. In addition to IxDA, I'm an active member of UXPA, ACM, and Ladies that UX.
Myself and other presenters on panel discussion at an IxDA London meetup on student design work.
I've attended CHI 2016 in San Jose as a Student Design Competition Finalist, where I participated in workshops and meetups. My team and I had a fan moment with Jakob Nielsen <3.