🤔 What's happening to the UX industry? + 🧠 Enhancing Digital Products with Behavioral Insights

Understanding LLMs from Scratch Using Middle School Math, and Our Interview with a Researcher in 🇵🇹 Portugal. Plus, this week’s top research articles, jobs, podcasts & events. Finally, join us tonight in ⚡Lightning Talks!

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People of Research
October 22, 2024

📢 Announcements

People of Research on Instagram: "👋🇵🇹 Last week, we held our first People of Research meetup in Lisbon, Portugal. Big thank you to all the members and those beyond who came on that very very rainy night ☔️

🇬🇧 London next then 🇧🇷 Sao Paulo!

www.instagram.com/p/DBZJDEFtXGF/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

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We’re a free community, so please share us with your network on LinkedIn, company Slack (especially in the channel with all the researchers), or Microsoft Teams! A simple share goes a long way in supporting our community.

🔬 People of Research Member Interview

People of Research Interview with Illa Branco

We’re excited to open up opportunities for readers to feature in our “People of Research” interview series. This is a fantastic chance to share your career story, promote your work, and engage with our global community. Each story is a source of inspiration and learning, reaching over 1,200 newsletter subscribers, and +2,400 LinkedIn followers across +60 countries.

📰 Article Picks

This week’s article picks!

🔗 You really like this, don’t you? Carien Moolman challenges user researchers to avoid biased questions like “Do you like it?” and adopt more open-ended inquiries. She uses an example from a masterclass to show how such questions can lead to misleading data, advocating for a blend of empathy, observation, and balanced data use to ensure authentic user feedback. Moolman advises researchers to scrutinize the intent behind inquiries to capture true user needs and enhance product relevance and user satisfaction.

🔗 Embracing Discoverability in Design: In “Design for Help, Design to Discover,” Muditha Batagoda provides in-depth insights into improving user experience through discoverability in product design. Batagoda emphasizes the necessity of designing products that are intuitive and easily navigable, ensuring that all users, regardless of their technological proficiency or age, can use the products effortlessly and effectively.

🔗 The art of observation: enhancing digital products with behavioral insights: Simo Herold explores the impact of observational techniques on digital product design. By studying user behaviors like unexpected clicks on non-link text, Herold shows how designers & researchers can align UX more closely with user expectations. He advocates for integrating systematic observation into design processes, highlighting its role in enhancing user satisfaction and product effectiveness.

🔍 Understanding LLMs from scratch using middle school math: Rohit Patel simplifies the complexities of Large Language Models (LLMs) using middle school math in his article, making advanced AI concepts accessible. By comparing neural network processes to everyday decisions, Patel clarifies how machines learn from data. His approach demystifies AI, making it relatable and understandable, proving invaluable for researchers intrigued by how AI technology operates beneath the surface.

Interested in sharing an article that reaches +1200 researchers across +60 countries? 🔗 Submit An Article!

🎟️ Event Picks

Each talk is distinct, offering unique insights and perspectives on topics like research methodologies, design innovation, strategy, and professional development.

Later in the month, you can also join our free 🔥 Fireside Chat & AMA with the ReOps pioneer Kate Towsey on all things research, ReOps and Research That Scales. RSVP via Luma to get your spot!

🔗 🇬🇧 IRL London Social

We’re excited to invite our members in 🇬🇧 London and the surrounding areas to our IRL socials in London! Meet like-minded researchers, exchange ideas, and maybe even bag your next role at our November 6th 🇬🇧 London event.

🎙 Podcasts Pick

In this week’s podcast pick:

What's happening to the UX industry? ft. Darren Hood

UXR Minds Podcast: host Dale Husband sat down with UX veteran Darren Hood to discuss his fascinating journey into the world of User Experience (UX). Darren shares how he fell in love with the field, his thoughts on the current state of UX, and practical tips for newcomers trying to navigate the misinformation that surrounds UX today.

open.spotify.com/episode/4MULPhAGxNZ929YpBoS7eb

💼 Jobs Picks

If you’re a hiring manager and interested in sharing opportunities in research that reach +1200 researchers across +60 countries? ✉️ Email us!

UK & Europe

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Asia

👀 Don’t see roles in your location? Let us know in a reply.

👋 About us

We’re People of Research - a global hybrid community uniting researchers across the tech industry, from UX Research to Behavioural Science. Our mission is to advance the field of research through connection, collaboration, and growth.

✏️ Join +1200 researchers in tech across +60 countries:

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