Why the DesignOps Summit 2024 is a Must-Attend Event for Design Operations Professionals
Are you ready to be part of the forefront of design operations? The DesignOps Summit 2024 virtual conference is just around the corner, and it’s shaping up to be an unmissable event for anyone invested in the future of design. This year, we’ve packed our three-day summit with three compelling themes: resilience, impact, and innovation. If you’re wondering what DesignOps Summit 2024 is all about, you’re in the right place. We’re here to give you a sneak peek of what to expect on September 23-25 and why you cannot afford to miss it.
A Glimpse into the Eighth DesignOps Summit
The DesignOps Summit has come a long way since its inception. As we gear up for our eighth summit, we’re excited about the maturation of design operations as a crucial field—one that molds the infrastructure, organizations, and operations supporting design at its core.
Resilience in the Face of Challenges
In recent times, design organizations have faced numerous challenges including significant layoffs. The key to overcoming these challenges lies in resilient operations. The “Resilience” theme on Day 1 will delve into how well-structured design operations can make organizations not just survive but thrive. It’s about ensuring your design organization remains relevant, impactful, and efficient.
The Importance of Maturing Infrastructures and Organizations
Design operations need to keep pace with the ever-evolving demands of the industry. Mature infrastructures and organizations are not just beneficial but essential for driving impactful results. This year’s Day 2 theme of “Impact” underscores the significance of meaningful contributions made by design operations professionals. By leaning into this theme, we aim to showcase the impactful work being done and set a roadmap for future endeavors.
Innovation Leading the Way
Innovation is the lifeblood of any forward-thinking design organization. Day 3’s “Innovation” theme focuses on the continuous improvement of design operations, leveraging the latest technology and an enhanced understanding of human interaction with design. The goal is to foster an environment where design teams are always at the cutting edge. This theme will discuss the role of design ops professionals in driving innovation and ensuring the design processes adapt to new technological advancements and evolving consumer behaviors.
Invest in Your Future – Don’t Miss Out!
The DesignOps Summit 2024 is not just an event; it’s an investment in yourself and your organization. The knowledge, connections, and insights you gain here will be pivotal for your career and your organization’s growth. Now is the time to focus on the future of design operations—don’t let this opportunity pass you by!
Join us in embracing the future of design operations with a roadmap for impact, resilience to withstand challenges, and innovation to stay ahead. Register for the DesignOps Summit 2024 and get ready to be a part of something transformative.
By attending the DesignOps Summit 2024, you’re taking a significant step towards enhancing your professional skills and contributing to your organization’s success. We can’t wait to see you there!
Apply to speak at Advancing Service Design, a new conference from Rosenfeld
We’re so excited to announce the launch of a new virtual conference: Advancing Service Design 2024! The conference will take place virtually December 3-4; it is curated by Patrick Quattlebaum and Ben Reason, and produced by Rosenfeld Media.
Why do we need a new conference on service design? Because, as a methodology that helps us connect and communicate designed experiences at a systems level, service design is clearly more relevant and important than ever before.
But we feel there’s a dire need to demonstrate service design’s value in new contexts: how its toolkit can support other practices, like product management, and how it can make a difference even broader, more complex settings that are often inter, not intra-organizational.
Whether you identify as a service designer, systems thinker, or something else entirely different, we encourage you to submit a proposal (see form below) to speak at the inaugural Advancing Service Design. Specifically, we’re seeking case studies that demonstrate how service design:
- Integrates with and supports other practices—like product management, agile processes, and corporate strategy—within an organizational system.
- Engages with wider systems that go beyond individual organizations, as required for impact in such areas as healthcare, the green transition, or with advanced technology.
We anticipate that these presentations will run 20-25 minutes (not including Q&A).
Do you have a rich story to tell, or even a formal case study? Then please submit a proposal to speak by completing the form below. Submissions are due by EOD Monday, August 19.
Important notes for prospective presenters:
- Let’s Advance Service Design together. We’re looking for stories in which Service Design is not the hero; rather, it should be a critical ingredient in a cross-disciplinary partnership.
- This is not your grandfather’s presentation preparation process: Our speakers prepare their presentations over the course of 2-3 months in a highly iterative, collaborative process. You’ll be part of a speaker cohort, getting and providing feedback to your fellow presenters with the aid of our curators and a speaker coach. It’s work that requires your commitment (and if it’s not honored, we’ll remove you from the program). But it also offers a unique opportunity to delve into your idea with lots of support and the benefit of time. You’ll ultimately be positioned to give a great presentation, maybe your best yet—whether you’re new to speaking or a seasoned presenter.
- Diverse perspectives are required, not a nice-to-have: You don’t advance a field by recycling the same voices and perspectives again and again. So we employ our CFP to uncover people from underrepresented groups and others who, for various reasons, haven’t presented frequently. Whether or not you intend to make a proposal here, please also encourage others who might not ordinarily consider speaking to submit a proposal.
- Our CFP asks a lot. We appreciate your spending time to seriously communicate your case study: its context, problem statement, and outcomes. Also note that we request DEI information as part of your proposal, and employ a double-blind review process–so please don’t include personally identifying information in your submission except where we request it.
- What happens next. If your proposal is accepted, you’ll receive a complimentary ticket to the conference and a small honorarium after completing your presentation (and remember, it’s virtual, so no travel required). We’ll also promote you and your case study, and help you develop it. If your proposal is not accepted, we’ll let you know by mid-September.
Reminder that the deadline to submit is EOD Monday, August 19. Contact the Rosenfeld team (conferences@rosenfeldmedia.com) with questions.
Introducing our Advancing Research community workshop series!
Join the conversation about the most critical topics in research!
Although Advancing Research 2025 won’t take place for another nine months, we’re already hard at work researching and designing the conference program. Like last year, we’re kicking things off with a series of free, public (virtual) conversations on the topics most important to our field. These conversations are centered around themes integral to research, starring researchers just like YOU!
Stay tuned as we announce the lineup for each event, and register in advance to attend these free sessions!
| July 24, 4-5pm EDT | Watch recording | Theme 1: Democratization Working with it, not against |
| August 7, 11am-12pm EDT | Watch recording | Theme 2: Collaboration Learning from market research, data science, customer experience, and more |
| August 21, 4-5pm EDT | Watch recording | Theme 3: Communication Innovative techniques for making your voice heard |
| September 4, 11am-12pm EDT | Watch recording | Theme 4: Methods Expanding the UXR toolkit beyond interviews |
| September 18, 4-5pm EDT | Watch recording | Theme 5: Artificial Intelligence Passionate defenses, reasoned critiques, and practical application |
| October 2, 11am-12pm EDT | Watch recording | Theme 6: Junctures for UXR Possible futures and the critical decisions to move us forward |
| October 16, 4-5pm EDT | Register | Theme 7: Open Call Propose ideas that don’t match our other workshops’ themes |
Each free virtual workshop is made up of panelists who will share short provocations on engaging ideas to discuss as a group, as well as a leader in our field to moderate. If you’re looking for discussions that challenge the status quo and can truly advance research, look no further than our workshop series.
P.S. We’ll be drawing most of our Advancing Research 2025 conference speakers from those who present at upcoming workshops—so tune in for a sneak peek of what’s to come from #AR2025!
Unlock Organizational Success with Harry Max’s New Book, Managing Priorities: How to Create Better Plans and Make Smarter Decisions
What is prioritization? And why is it so important? How do we step back and pinpoint our pitfalls in prioritizing, and how do we determine the right course of action to get us—and our business—back on track? In this exciting new release from Harry Max—Managing Priorities: How to Create Better Plans and Make Smarter Decisions—you’ll find the answers to those pressing questions and learn how to harness the power of prioritization to boost your business.
What will you gain from reading Managing Priorities?
At its core, prioritization in business is about untangling the web of competing interests, identifying what’s most important, and organizing tasks accordingly. It’s about clarity in the face of complexity, a beacon guiding your team through the noise to achieve their goals. And while it may seem straightforward, mastering prioritization requires a nuanced approach—one that goes beyond simple time management tricks. That’s where Managing Priorities comes in.
Drawing from years of experience in Silicon Valley, Harry Max guides readers through the art and science of prioritization, offering practical tools and insights to help you navigate the complexities of modern business. From understanding the difference between urgent and important to establishing actionable plans that drive results, you’ll learn how to use prioritization to foster success.
Within this book, the costs associated with a lack of intentional prioritization in your business becomes clear: declining company performance, dwindling market share, a suffering brand reputation, poor employee morale, and so on. A business run with clarity, focus, and intention will far surpass one of misalignment, reactivity, and burnout.
Readers will explore different methods of prioritization, including the Eisenhower Matrix, the Analytic Hierarchy Process, and the Max Priorities Pyramid. You’ll learn how to identify, understand, and address your current state or lack of prioritization (the context of your problem, the people involved, and the issues surrounding timing). Finally, you’ll discover how to select and implement the right approach to prioritization for your company’s specific needs.
Who should read Managing Priorities?
Leaders in virtually every industry can benefit from the tools and techniques outlined in Managing Priorities. Anyone in charge of managing a team will gain insight on cutting through the chaos, making more impactful plans, and fast-tracking the most pressing items to the forefront.
Managing Priorities is geared toward new or recently promoted managers and entrepreneurs dealing with strategy activation, planning, or resource allocation. It’s for supervisors on the verge of taking on a wider range of responsibility, who want to stave off stress and burnout by implementing a smart approach to prioritization. This book is also for business students looking for an introduction to management.
What readers are saying about Managing Priorities
Marc Randolph, co-founder and first CEO of Netflix, calls Managing Priorities “required reading for anyone wanting to be a better business leader.” He adds, “People have long known it is important to have clear priorities and then focus on them. But no one ever tells you how to do it. But that’s exactly what Harry Max does.”
Author and XPLANE founder Dave Gray lauds Harry as “one of the smartest people [he knows]” and commends Managing Priorities for its clear outlining of the key elements of prioritization, how it works, and how you can put it to work for yourself, your team, and your organization.
Take a sneak peek inside the book
Ready to take control of your priorities and realize your team’s full potential? This free sample chapter of Managing Priorities gives you a snippet of what’s in store.
Meet the author
Harry Max has been a founder/CEO, operational leader, and strategy consultant with startups, innovators, and global brands, including Apple, Adobe, PDI/DreamWorks, Google, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, PayPal, productOps, Rackspace, Symantec, and Yotascale. His work has received international acclaim in the Economist, The New York Times, TEDx, and The Wall Street Journal. An NLP Master Practitioner, as well as a seasoned executive player-coach and product development leader, Harry Max currently serves as a managing partner at Peak Priorities, LLC.
5 Resources for implementing AI into your UX design process
If you’ve been online in the last couple of years, you’ve seen the recent boom of artificial intelligence (AI) across industries. Chat-GPT and Midjourney are practically household names. Whether you’re an enthusiast or a skeptic, it’s clear that artificial intelligence is becoming more commonplace. Caution with new technology is crucial, but adding AI to certain projects can lead to promising results. A few key benefits of using AI in user experience (UX) design include automating repetitive tasks, reducing user error, assisting with content generation, and more. With the right care, AI can be a helpful resource for UXers.
So, how do we implement AI into UX workflows?
In this post, we’ll cover a few ways to do just that by highlighting some up-and-coming products and resources you can add to your UX/AI arsenal.
Get an assist with your UX writing
First, it’s crucial to start small when implementing something new like artificial intelligence into your workflow. Test AI tools on a limited scale first, and see what kind of impact it makes. One simple yet effective step to begin implementing artificial intelligence into your process is through content generation and creation. Writer’s block affects us all, and staring at a blank page can be daunting, but with the help of AI, the words can keep flowing!
Frontitude, a leading platform for managing UX content, has just the tool to help you maximize your UX writing prowess. Frontitude’s UX Writing Assistant streamlines the UX writing process and empowers design teams to create exceptional user experiences. Make your writing more consistent and efficient through the UX Writing Assistant’s generated suggestions—tailored for your specific context. Powered by OpenAI’s GPT-3.5, the UX Writing Assistant suggests content based on industry standards, product details, target audience, and more. Plus, it integrates with Figma, ensuring a smooth and efficient workflow. By keeping the content creation process within the design ecosystem, teams can maintain focus and maximize productivity.
As an individual, this product is free to use! For teams, there are different tiers for editor seats within the UX Writing Assistant—starting at $10/seat/month—as well as additional guidelines, integrations, and more. Contact Frontitude for more pricing information.
By incorporating Frontitude’s UX Writing Assistant into your UX process, you can unlock new levels of efficiency, consistency, and user-centricity.
Power your prototyping with AI
What is UX without a prototype? This critical step in the UX design process allows designers to iterate their ideas and gather feedback. However, traditional prototyping methods can be time-consuming and labor-intensive, often slowing down the overall design workflow.
Uizard addresses this challenge by leveraging AI to automate and accelerate the prototyping process. With Uizard’s text-to-UI generator, you can bring ideas to life in minutes. With just a few prompts or sketches, the platform’s AI can generate user interfaces, visual assets, and more! This tool not only saves time but also sparks creativity by providing inspiration for new design directions to explore.
Starting for free with unlimited viewers, 2 projects, and 10 free templates, Uizard has three tiers. Pro contains everything in free but with unlimited projects and templates for $12/month (billed yearly). Businesses can opt for the $49/creator/month option to get everything in Pro but with priority support.
Whether you’re a seasoned designer or just starting, Uizard’s AI-driven prototyping tools offer a powerful and intuitive solution to streamline your workflow.
Use AI to generate insights from user research
Another way to implement AI into your user experience research practice is through an AI research assistant. Miro, a leading online whiteboard platform, has introduced a feature called Miro Assist, which harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to streamline the UX design process and enhance team collaboration. Miro Assist uses the information already in your existing Miro board to generate insights, analyses, task lists, summaries, and more.
By analyzing your existing designs and wireframes, the AI can offer suggestions for improvements, identify potential usability issues, and recommend best practices based on industry standards and design principles. This collaborative approach empowers UX designers to make informed decisions and refine their designs iteratively, ensuring a user-centric approach throughout the process. Miro Assist is designed to learn and improve continuously based on user interactions and feedback. As designers utilize the AI-powered features, the system adapts and refines its suggestions, ensuring that the assistance provided becomes increasingly relevant and valuable over time. This continuous learning capability ensures that Miro Assist remains a valuable asset in the ever-evolving UX design landscape. Miro Assist’s pricing is calculated per team member. See here for more information.
Let AI analyze your user interviews
User experience wouldn’t exist without the subject: the user. By conducting interviews, user researchers gain valuable insights into behaviors, pain points, and preferences, all of which influence the creation of intuitive and user-centric products. Yet, transcribing and analyzing these interviews is often tedious, taking up time that could be better spent on other efforts. Enter Fireflies.ai.
Fireflies.ai is an intelligent note-taking tool for transcribing and capturing notes from user interviews. With advanced speech recognition technology, this program ensures accurate and reliable transcriptions, lightening the load of researchers where it is much needed. Instead of capturing every detail, researchers can focus their attention on the interview at hand, actively listening and engaging with the user. Once transcribed, Fireflies.ai uses natural language processing and machine learning algorithms to identify key themes, sentiments, and patterns. UXers can quickly search for pain points or other feedback and transform this information into actionable insights. Plus, Fireflies.ai integrates with Figma, Miro, and Slack for a seamless workflow.
Get educated on the potentials and pitfalls of AI
Artificial intelligence-powered products in the UX field are becoming more and more common, but what if you want to see a real-life example of how AI has been implemented into UX? See the practical applications and ethical considerations of AI in UX at Designing with AI 2024, a virtual conference taking place June 4-5, with optional virtual workshops scheduled for the following weeks. Learn from case studies like this one about AI-assisted documentation in healthcare, demos about streamlining the user research process with AI, and end-of-day panels that dissect the ethical ramifications of each day’s talks. Plus, be inspired by our keynote speakers Dan Hill, author of Dark Matter and Trojan Horses, and Jodi Forlizzi, Herbert A. Simon Professor of HCI, Carnegie Mellon University.
There is immense potential in the integration of artificial intelligence into UX design processes. By leveraging AI-powered tools like Frontitude’s UX Writing Assistant, Uizard’s prototyping platform, Miro Assist, and Fireflies.ai, UXers can streamline their workflows and generate new insights. However, it’s crucial to approach the subject of AI with its impact on the design process and the end-user experience in mind. By staying informed through resources like the Designing with AI 2024 conference, UX professionals can navigate the opportunities and challenges of AI integration, ultimately harnessing its power to create exceptional, user-centric products that truly resonate with their target audiences.
Navigating the future of UX with Designing with AI 2024, a new virtual conference from Rosenfeld
Step into a world where UX and AI come together to shape a new future of user experience. Welcome to Designing with AI 2024, a groundbreaking new virtual conference from Rosenfeld taking place June 4-5. At #DwAI2024, we’ll go beyond speculation about Artificial Intelligence’s (AI) impact on UX professionals. Instead, we’ll dive into two pressing questions: How can AI enhance the effectiveness of UX professionals? And equally important, how do we navigate and prevent potential pitfalls from hasty AI integration? Let’s explore what Designing with AI is all about, and why it is the must-attend event of 2024.
Empowering UX professionals with AI
Designing with AI 2024 isn’t just about discussing possibilities—it’s about action. Discover the ways in which AI can elevate your craft, exploring cutting-edge case studies and demonstrations that showcase practical AI applications in UX design, research, and content creation. From minimizing repetitive tasks to enhancing strategic impact, AI emerges as a powerful ally for conscientious product designers and UX professionals alike.
Navigating the ethical landscape
But with great power comes great responsibility. That’s why Designing with AI 2024 places a strong emphasis on ethical considerations. Each day will close out with expert-led panels that will scrutinize the prior demos and case studies, asking the tough questions meant to question ethical implications and foster critical thinking. You will walk away from this conference having gained insights into harnessing AI in humane and thoughtful ways, ensuring that its integration doesn’t inadvertently create bigger problems.
Engaging with community
Beyond our carefully curated conference program, Designing with AI 2024 offers a robust virtual conference experience. Rosenfeld has cracked the code with virtual—we’ve been doing this since 2020 and pride ourselves on our engaging virtual experience. Attendees will engage in meaningful discussions and forge new connections through our interactive conference Slack channel and unique attendee cohorts program. Whether you’re a UX designer, researcher, writer, or product professional, this conference provides a platform to network with like-minded peers, all centered around one of the hottest topics in UX right now.
Learning hands-on with workshops
But wait, there’s more! Dive deeper into the world of AI and UX with workshops at Designing with AI. These offerings are designed to equip you with practical skills and insights that you can put into action right away. Whether you’re eager to discover more about AI and content design, or the basics of data, models, and algorithms, our workshops have something for everyone. Get ready to learn from seasoned practitioners—we have four workshop offerings available!
Conclusion
Designing with AI 2024 isn’t just a conference—it’s a catalyst for change. By bringing together experts, thought leaders, and curious minds, #DwAI2024 will empower UX professionals to embrace the future with confidence and foresight. As we navigate the complex terrain of AI integration, this event will serve as a reminder to us all that with careful consideration and ethical practice, we can harness AI to create a more inclusive, innovative, and humane future for all.
Unlocking Insights: 3 Inspiring Highlights from the Advancing Research 2024 Conference
Rosenfeld Media’s Advancing Research 2024 conference was a gathering of minds and a celebration of innovation in the field of UX research and design—in-person for the first time since its inception! From captivating keynote sessions to thought-provoking panel discussions, attendees left the conference feeling invigorated and inspired.
Our carefully curated program showcased the best and brightest in UXR, providing valuable insights into the latest trends and challenges in the field. The program consisted of two themes: Excellence in Strategic Influence, and Excellence in Our Craft. Both days were crafted around these central ideas, and pushed the envelope in regards of what UX researchers have the power to do, through elevating their research practice, and executing influence outside of it!
Plus, an in-person conference all meant ample opportunities for attendees to connect their fellow UX research peers. Through facilitated networking sessions and informal discussions, participants were able to share experiences, exchange ideas, and build valuable connections. We also had book signings taking place throughout both days; dedicated fans were able to get copies of their favorite Rosenfeld books (and sometimes more than just books!) signed by Maria Giudice, Rebecca Evanhoe, Tomer Sharon, and Steve Portigal!
Advancing Research 2024 showcased cutting-edge research projects from leading organizations and research teams in over a dozen talks. These presentations highlighted innovative methodologies, groundbreaking findings, and best practices in UX research, inspiring attendees to push the boundaries of their own research endeavors.
Panel discussions at the conference explored emerging trends and future directions in UX research and design. Our amazing speakers shared their perspectives on topics such as AI-driven research, inclusive design, ethical considerations, and the evolving role of researchers in product development.
Now, while we can’t recap the entire two-day conference experience in one blog post, we can give you the highlights.
So, here are three key takeaways we haven’t stopped thinking about since March:
The importance of culture beyond diversity
According to Victor, colonial ways of being and extractive research methods do not produce liberatory knowledge. By leveraging a diverse toolkit of research methodologies, researchers can gain a more comprehensive understanding of user needs and behaviors. It’s all about going beyond cultivating awareness and how we can actually embrace diversity in research—and dismantle the oppressive systems around us.
Researchers have the power to change the status quo
On the #AR2024 stage in New York City, Robin Beers said, “The impact you can have is much bigger than this quarter’s results, or a feature launch. You have an opportunity to make the organization visible to itself, and help it understand where it is in and out of alignment with what customers need.” Robin’s talk highlighted tools such as Jay Galbraith’s star model and Chris Argyris’ double loop learning as ways to reflect organizations’ underlying assumptions. In instances such uncovering biases in AI, researchers have the power to create meaningful change. When using research insights to disrupt an organization’s culture, be explicit, anticipate resistance, build support, play the long game, and trust your gut.
When it comes to AI, take the user out of UX
Tricia Wang closed out day 1 with an enlightening talk about AI. By advocating for a shift from “user researchers” to skilled navigators of human-tech interactions, she sees us as key players in shaping the future with AI. By transitioning from being mere users to becoming shapers of AI, we shift from solely relying on digital tools to actively shaping them.
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We’re so happy with the way Advancing Research 2024 turned out! It was a non-stop program filled with valuable insights and actionable strategies for how we can advance our research practices. From embracing diversity in research methods to harnessing the potential of AI and making an impact within an organization, the conference underscored the importance of innovation, empathy, and ethics in the field of UX research and design.
Missed out on #AR2024? Purchase the conference recordings to watch two days of talks and gain access to sketchnotes, session notes, resource lists, and more for 90 days!
Experience the Future of Research at Advancing Research 2024
Don’t miss the chance to join researchers from around the world at Advancing Research 2024! Advancing Research brings together the best minds in UX research, and this year those minds will be together at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York City—the first time this conference has been in-person since its inception four years ago!
What topics will Advancing Research 2024 cover?
Our research-driven program, carefully crafted by experts, includes two days of sessions led by pioneers in the field centered around what’s top-of-mind for UX researchers in 2024. And this year, the Rosenfeld community got to participate in part of its planning!
Back in August, we held a series of six public, free workshops covering many of the most important topics facing UX researchers today—partnering with AI, emerging methods advancing UX research, creating actionable insight in the face of politics and silos, making UX research leadership more effective, learning from other research practices, and what UX research “maturity” looks like. These six topics were discussed and debated by UX research experts and that laid the foundation for the program our curation team has since created! In fact, you may recognize a few familiar faces in our speaker lineup! Interested in getting a sneak preview of some of our speakers and their talks? You can watch the recordings of these community workshops here.
Who will be speaking at the Advancing Research 2024 conference?
Meet our featured speakers—Neil Barrie, Steve Portigal, Victor Udoewa, and Tricia Wang. These four will be opening and closing out each day of the conference with conversations about product and culture, inclusion in UX, advancing the field of UX research, and collaborating with AI.
Tricia Wang
Tricia Wang, a social scientist, consultant, and thought leader, is on a relentless quest to ensure technology serves humanity, fostering social impact at the intersection of data and humanity. Renowned for helping companies unearth pivotal customer behavior insights to unlock growth, Tricia co-founded Sudden Compass and has advised industry giants like Google, Spotify, and P&G. As an acclaimed speaker, Tricia’s enlightening keynotes and her TED Talk delve into AI, data, and their societal, economic, and personal impacts. Currently penning a book on how humans can be more human in the age of AI, Tricia is documenting an emerging skillset amongst those who work well with AI.
See Tricia at her talk, Redefining Research: Welcome to A New Paradigm with AI.
Victor Udoewa
Having started his career in the design and development of computational tools for scientific applications, Victor shifted his focus to the social impact space and Information and Communications Technologies for Development, both community and international development. He is a practitioner and advocate of participatory design, a meta-methodology he’s used in service and system design for governments, multilateral institutions, nonprofits, for-profits, and communities, to facilitate skill-building and improved employment opportunities for community members. Bitten by the “civic-innovation bug” he is now focused on creating or improving government products and services for citizens, immigrants, and refugees.
Victor has a particular love for design, learning, and design education. He advocates bringing practices such as positive deviance, pluriversal methods, and systems practice into civic design. He helps leads an equity-centered meetup group and Justice by Design as part of his work to decolonize design. Outside of work you can find Victor teaching salsa, singing with his a cappella group, volunteering as a health trauma and crisis counselor, or (mostly) hanging out with his family.
Come watch Victor at his session, Beyond Methods and Diversity: The Roots of Inclusion.
Steve Portigal
Steve Portigal is an experienced user researcher who helps organizations to build more mature user research practices. Based outside of San Francisco, he is principal of Portigal Consulting, and the author of two books: Doorbells, Danger, and Dead Batteries and Interviewing Users.
He’s also the host of the Dollars to Donuts podcast, where he interviews people who lead user research in their organizations. Steve is an accomplished presenter who speaks about culture, innovation, and design at companies and conferences across the globe.
Meet Steve at his session, Looking Back…to Look Ahead.
Neil Barrie
Neil Barrie is an industry thought leader with papers and pieces published in Fast Company, Guardian and Forbes.
Led brand strategy development for the likes of Airbnb, Netflix, Pinterest, Disney, Depop and N26.
(Ad)venturing background at Zag, the ventures arm of BBH partnering with finance, media and entertainment disruptors.
Commercially Creative: during both his years as CSO of Chiat Day LA the agency achieved the joint highest global Effie ranking, sits on the IPA’s Executive Leadership Group and mentor at Techstars Berlin.
Failed Rock Star: graced the stages of London, Paris and Leicester.
See Neil at his talk, Widening the Aperture: The Case for Taking a Broader Lens to the Dialogue between Products and Culture.
We don’t just have these amazing featured speakers opening and closing out each day of the conference—we have even more fantastic speakers sharing their talks all day March 25 and 26.
What does the conference schedule look like?
We’re so glad you asked. You can browse our full program in detail here, and view our schedule at a glance below.
Will there be in-person workshops at Advancing Research 2024?
We’re thrilled to be offering in-person workshops on March 27! Join us for a day full of hands-on learning from experts in the UX research space. Archana J. Shah and Subhasree Chatterjee, Nick Fine, and Steve Portigal will be leading workshops covering topics such as Artificial Intelligence, holistic insights through quantitative research methods, and techniques for user interviews.
Join Archana Shah and Subhasree Chatterjee for their workshop at Advancing Research 2024: Quantitative Methods for Qualitative UX Researchers
Many UX researchers often rely on familiar qualitative methods such as interviews and usability testing, overlooking the potential benefits of combining these with quantitative methods through triangulation. Depending solely on one set of tools can result in blind spots, limiting researchers’ ability to provide comprehensive insights. This workshop aims to address these challenges by offering insights into:
- When and how to apply quant methods for generative and evaluative research.
- How to supplement qual with quant and triangulate different data sources and methodologies to build a holistic story.
- The power of collaboration between researchers and data scientists, and how it can help drive a more data-driven culture across the organization.
Archana J. Shah is a Principal UX Researcher at LexisNexis Legal & Professional in Raleigh, NC, bringing over 15 years of experience in the tech industry. With a commitment to research advocacy, she excels in triangulating insights from various data sources, contributing to impactful changes and informing product development.
Subhasree Chatterjee is a Data Analytics Manager at LexisNexis Legal & Professional in Raleigh, NC, USA. She has more than 10 years of experience working in Data Analytics field generating actionable, interpretative, and implementable insights for different business problems. In her current role, she is leading a team of Product Analysts integrated with multiple product teams to drive data driven decisions across North America. She is a big proponent of combining qualitative and quantitative data to guide decisions in every stage of product development.
Learn from Nick Fine at Advancing Research 2024 with his workshop, Using AI to Support User Research
AI is changing the world, and UX is currently in a period of flux where everything is changing within the context of an unsure AI future. Researchers have many questions that this workshop will answer:
- How can you use AI to increase your value to your organization?
- How can you defend against being replaced by AI?
- What are the pitfalls and dangers of using AI to support User Research?
- How can you use AI safely to take some of the heavy lifting without major risk?
Dr. Nick Fine is an award-winning user experience researcher and designer with over twenty years of experience. He is the creator and founder of UX Psychology, advocating for behavioural design, and is also a science advocate and educator. Learn from Nick at #AR2024, both at his talk and his workshop.
Don’t miss Steve Portigal’s workshop at Advancing Research 2024, Interviewing Users: Uncovering Compelling Insights
Interviewing is undeniably one of the most valuable and commonly used user research tools. Yet it’s often not used well, because:
- It’s based on skills we think we have (talking and even listening)
- It’s not taught or reflected on, and
- People tend to “wing it” rather than develop their skills.
Results may be inaccurate or reveal nothing new, suggesting the wrong design or business responses, or they may miss the crucial nuance that points to innovative breakthrough opportunities.
In this highly interactive workshop, you will learn crucial techniques for successful user research, and have the opportunity to practice and reflect in a supportive environment.
Steve Portigal is an experienced user researcher who helps organizations to build more mature user research practices. Based outside of San Francisco, he is principal of Portigal Consulting, and the author of two books: Doorbells, Danger, and Dead Batteries and Interviewing Users.
Our workshops are designed with you in mind. They combine the cutting edge expertise of some of the world’s leading UX experts with the same high quality that people love about Rosenfeld Media’s UX books and conferences. And at Advancing Research 2024, we’re excited to have an excellent selection of workshops to choose from. Complement your conference ticket with a workshop. In fact, we have bundle tickets!
Did you know that when you bundle a conference and a workshop, you save $100? Maximize your learning this year by registering for both, and leave #AR2024 feeling invigorated and inspired.
We hope you join us at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York City this March 25-27, 2024 for the first ever in-person Advancing Research conference and workshops! Start your year with the groundbreaking conference made by researchers for researchers.
Don’t wait to register—early bird pricing is ending soon! Get your tickets now through February 6 to save up to $300!
See you soon!
— The Advancing Research team
Enhance Your Digital Note-taking with Jorge Arango’s Newest Release, Duly Noted: Extend Your Mind Through Connected Notes
Virtually everyone takes notes: the grad student transcribing a dense lecture, the doctor tracking patient progress, the friend adding your newest movie recommendation to their digital notepad. We constantly absorb information, and often seek to capture that material and document it for later use. But take note (pun 100% intended!): the everyday practice of jotting down information holds more power than you think.
Become a better note-taker to unlock ideas and productivity
The way we take and use our notes can be the difference between unhelpful clutter and critical tools for success. By becoming a better note-taker, you’ll become a better reader, a better writer, a better student, a better teacher, a better thinker—essentially, a better you. Jorge Arango’s newest book, Duly Noted: Extend Your Mind Through Connected Notes, teaches you how to streamline your digital note-taking, organize recorded information, connect your ideas, and supercharge your thinking.
In Jorge’s recent interview on The Rosenfeld Review podcast, he stresses that “externalizing thoughts [through note-taking] is one of the most powerful means we have… one of the most powerful means you have… to think better. And the ‘humble’ note… something that we use every day… if we use it mindfully, if we learn to use it a little bit better, we’re going to be better thinkers.”
What will you gain from reading Duly Noted?
You may think there’s nothing new to learn about note-taking. You’ve been doing it in some form or another since you could write, or even draw! You might say that note-taking is a matter of personal preference and isn’t something that can be done “correctly” or “incorrectly.” And while yes, no one is doing it “incorrectly,” everyone can still benefit from doing it better. Duly Noted provides note-taking best practices so you can take more concise, useful, and organized digital notes. You’re already doing the work, so why not “work smarter, not harder” and give yourself the gift of cohesive, thought-inspiring notes!
When you take your note-taking abilities to the next level, you’ll optimize the work you’re already doing. Throughout your life, you’re always going to be taking notes, so why not learn how to make those notes serve you better?
Within the pages of this book, you’ll find tips on how to consolidate your digital notes in a clear, meaningful way so you can more easily find them—and make sense of them—later on. You’ll also discover how notes can facilitate collaboration with other thinkers, and even AI! What’s more, Duly Noted will walk you through taking your notes in Obsidian, a powerful contemporary digital note-taking tool.
Who should read Duly Noted?
Are you a master’s student? A PhD candidate? A writer? A “creative”? Or anyone surrounded by countless scribbled and typed notes—on paper, on your phone, on your laptop? Duly Noted will show you how to clearly group these bits and pieces of information, and how to set up future-you for success. There’s nothing worse than looking at your notes after the fact and going, “Huh. What was this about? What does this mean?”
If you have minimal time and need to maximize your productivity, Duly Noted can help you turn your untamed thoughts (the “wilderness of your mind”) into an organized, well-maintained “knowledge garden.”
What readers are saying about Duly Noted
Andy Polaine, leadership coach and co-author of Service Design: From Insight to Implementation, says, “In an age of information overload, Duly Noted is a perfectly pitched guide to the principles and practices of connected thinking and tending to your personal knowledge garden.”
Nicole van der Hoeven, YouTuber and Senior Developer Advocate at Grafana Labs, says, “Duly Noted is the definitive book on taking digital notes and creating a modern, methodology-light system for thinking deeply.”
Take a sneak peek inside the book
Ready to dive into the realm of thought transformation? With Duly Noted, you’ll discover how to unleash the power of note-taking through the use of tools, practices, and frameworks that elevate your digital note-taking game.
But don’t take our word for it; check out Duly Noted for yourself: This free sample chapter will give you an idea of what’s in store.
Meet the author: Jorge Arango
In his design consulting practice, San Francisco-based information architect and strategic designer Jorge Arango collaborates with product, design, and innovation leaders to create digital spaces that make people smarter. He’s the author of Living in Information: Responsible Design for Digital Places and co-author of the fourth edition of Information Architecture: For the Web and Beyond. Jorge is a frequent speaker at global UX conferences and serves as an adjunct professor in the Interaction Design program at the California College of the Arts.
Some changes for 2024
2023 is done. Put a fork in it. Fini! And thank goodness.
Moving right along: we’ve got a couple of interesting things queued up at Rosenfeld Media HQ for 2024.
A community that’s easier to use, more wide-ranging in its coverage
First off, we’re making a major change to the Rosenfeld communities (DesignOps, Advancing Research, Enterprise Design, and Civic Design), combining them into a single Rosenfeld community. These curated communities have been educating and connecting, for free, thousands of UX and product people through monthly webinars and conversations, newsletters, and Slack-based discussions. Some go all the way back to 2017. Why would we change this?
Because you and your interests are evolving. So it doesn’t make much sense for Rosenfeld to invest in the same four topics year in and year out—especially at the expense of exploring new areas with you. And there are so, so many new topics on our collective minds (off the top of my head, climate UX, portfolio design, and everything AI).
Instead, we’ll publish one newsletter (more on that below), host a variety of free calls, and Slack discussions that cover a broader and more timely range of topics. We’ll continue to host curated DesignOps and Advancing Research-both videoconferences and Slack discussions—and we’re already entertaining hosting and supporting new interest groups within our consolidated community. (Have a topic in mind? We’d love to hear more.)
Long story short: the new Rosenfeld community will be easier for you to use and for us to maintain. And best of all, a more welcoming home for new topics that you want to discuss.
Reporting on Rosenfeld and more
Second, we’ve just launched the Rosenfeld Report, a new newsletter. “New newsletter” you groan? Who wants one of those? Well, as you’re already reading this, you probably do. In a nutshell:
- There’s so much to keep track of—even just the news out of Rosenfeld Media—that consolidating to one newsletter is a no-brainer. Now you’ll know where to look to keep track of our conferences, new book pre-order announcements and other deals, all the free community events we produce, and more.
- Each issue includes a handful of the most important things you can read about UX and product design, curated by Uday Gajendar. In other words, our newsletter will literally make you smarter.
- We’ll send it every two weeks—nice and predictable, so you can quickly scan it.
Having one newsletter will also reduce the number of announcements we send out overall. We’d like that, and we’re guessing you would too.
If you’re already subscribed to our other newsletters or announcement lists, you won’t need to do anything; you’ll just notice fewer, more useful communications from us. If you’re not, please subscribe here (and tell your pals to do the same). You can preview our first issue, which debuted December 5, here.
What else is happening at Rosenfeld? Lots of new books, a new conference, and the launching of our long-awaited membership service in the new year. I’ll dig into these in more depth very soon—and if you don’t want to miss any of it, be sure you (ahem) subscribe to the Rosenfeld Report.
