Listen Now

In this Anthro to UX podcast episode, Olive Minor speaks with Matt Artz about her UX journey, working in global health, and her current role at Anthro-Tech. Olive earned a PhD in anthropology from Northwestern University. About Olive Minor Olive is an applied anthropologist and UX researcher working at the intersection of global health and technology. Whether in global health or tech, Olive uses her research skills to understand the needs and experiences of vulnerable groups and translates their insights into practical recommendations that improve policies, programs, and products. Olive earned her PhD in Anthropology and Masters in Public Health (MPH) at Northwestern University in 2014. Her dissertation research explored how transgender people in Kampala, Uganda, balanced visibility, and risk in the context of Uganda’s 2008 Anti-Homosexuality Bill. Olive’s MPH thesis examined barriers to HIV prevention and treatment services for transgender Ugandans. One of her proudest accomplishments was in 2014-2015 when she carried out fieldwork with Oxfam’s response to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa sparking key changes in their community engagement strategies. In 2016, Olive was awarded an ACLS Public Fellowship to conduct research and evaluation with the International Rescue Committee. At IRC, she collaborated with research and design partners to identify and find solutions to barriers that refugees face when resettling in the U.S. In 2019, Olive pivoted to design anthropology in global tech, and has carried out research with companies like Google, Facebook, and Etsy. At Anthro-Tech, Olive continues to craft her career from the things she loves: seeing new places, talking with people, and trying to make the world a better place through User-Centered Design. When she’s not working, you might find Olive cruising around Seattle on her e-bike, playing in the park with her daughter, reading fiction, practicing the piano, or practicing French vocab on Duolingo. Recommended Links Olive Minor on LinkedIn Anthro-Tech website

In this Anthro to UX podcast episode, Gigi Taylor speaks with Matt Artz about her UX journey, working in advertising, and the pivot to product. Gigi earned an MA in applied anthropology from the University of North Texas. She was a partner in the Practica Group and is currently a Qualitative UX Researcher at Indeed.com. About Gigi Taylor Gigi Taylor is a cultural anthropologist working as a qualitative UX researcher with Indeed in Austin, Texas. As a research practitioner, she conducts cultural anthropology research for business. As a scholar, she conducts anthropology research of business.  What distinguishes her applied and academic research is that she uses a cultural anthropological lens to study business—advertising, consumers, brands, consumption, users, products, digital experiences, and organizations. She embraces the idea that consumer and user experience insights informed by a cultural analysis can serve as the muse and inspiration for all aspects of product and brand strategy.  The magic of cultural analysis is the theory of interpretive and symbolic cultural anthropology (Clifford Geertz and Victor Turner). She was a partner with Practica Group, a consumer anthropology research consultancy where she conducted ethnographies, focus groups, interviews, diary studies, and observations. She started her research strategy career as an Account Planner at Publics & Hal Riney Advertising in San Francisco and has owned Luminosity Research, a qualitative research consultancy, since 2006. She has a PhD and MA in Advertising from the University of Texas and an MA in Applied Anthropology from the University of North Texas. Her published academic research has appeared in both advertising and anthropological journals. Recommended Links Gigi Taylor's website Gigi Taylor on LinkedIn

In this episode of the Anthro to UX podcast, Peter Leykam speaks with Matt Artz about his UX journey, cryptocurrency, and working in emerging tech. Peter is an anthropology PhD candidate at UC Santa Cruz and holds an MA in anthropology from Hunter College. He is a User Experience Researcher at Coinbase. Previously he worked for Alibaba. About Peter Leykam Peter Leykam is an anthropologist working at the intersection of markets and design. He researched design and business strategy in Chinese businesses while doing graduate studies in the anthropology of capitalism and design at UC Santa Cruz. Realizing that design research was more interesting than researching design, he left academia to focus on user research. He has worked in a number of fields, including wearable AI tech, e-commerce, and is now at Coinbase, where he helps build technologies and platforms for emerging cryptocurrency markets. Recommended Links Peter Leykam on LinkedIn Coinbase Learn The Held Report The Basics of Bitcoins and Blockchains by Anthony Lewis Unchained Podcast

In this episode of the Anthro to UX podcast, Racine Brown speaks with Matt Artz about his UX journey, medical anthropology, and leading a UX team. Racine earned a PhD in Applied Anthropology from the University of South Florida. He has worked for Radiant Digital and is starting a new role at AnswerLab where he will be a Senior UX Researcher. Racine also served a tour in the United States Marine Corps as a platoon leader and staff officer. About Racine Brown Racine Brown is a business anthropologist and user experience researcher with extensive research and leadership experience.  Racine’s perspective on people and on the conduct of research is informed by a wide array of roles filled and activities he has participated in over the last couple of decades. After graduating with a BA in anthropology from Wake Forest University, he served a tour in the United States Marine Corps as a platoon leader and staff officer.  Racine is well versed in theory and practice in biocultural anthropology from his time in graduate school, first completing a Masters’ in anthropology at the University of South Carolina and then a Ph.D. in applied anthropology at the University of South Florida. His post-graduate work includes research on the association between traumatic brain injury and post-injury weight gain during a post-doctoral fellowship at the Tampa Veterans Affairs Medical Center and pro-bono consulting for a couple of Tampa Bay-area non-profits.  Racine’s UX research work includes consulting with startups in the property-tech and fintech spaces and work as a lead UX researcher and research Manager for Radiant Digital, LLC. This week, he will start a new role as a senior UX researcher for AnswerLab. Recommended Links Racine Brown on LinkedIn Racine's UX articles on Radiant Digital

In this episode of the Anthro to UX podcast,  Nadine Levin speaks with Matt Artz about her UX journey, mixed methods research, and democratizing research. Nadine earned a PhD in Social and Cultural Anthropology from the University of Oxford. She has worked for Facebook and is currently a Senior User Researcher at San Francisco Digital Services. About Nadine Levin Nadine Levin is an anthropologist, UX researcher, and writer. A molecular biologist turned anthropologist of data turned strategic researcher, Nadine has been thinking about the social implications of data for years. Nadine started her career by working with scientists, arts and humanities professionals, lawyers, and philosophers on big data practices, open science, and personalized medicine. She then moved on to Facebook as a mixed-methods researcher where she got to play with data to figure out how to make the Facebook experience better for its global user base. Most recently, Nadine moved on to San Francisco Digital Services where she is working to improve citywide systems and democratize research in the organization. Recommended Links Nadine Levin on LinkedIn Nadine Levin on Twitter Nadine Levin on Google Scholar

In this episode of the Anthro to UX podcast, Maria Angelica Lizarazo Tarazona speaks with Matt Artz about her UX journey, product management, and how her information technology skills support her anthropology work. Maria earned a degree in Anthropology from the Universidad Externado de Colombia and works as a UX research lead. About Maria Angelica Lizarazo Tarazona Maria Angelica Lizarazo Tarazona is an entrepreneur and business anthropologist from Bogota, Colombia. She is currently a UX Research Lead at Blackboard-Anthology. She has more than a decade of experience in digital & tech product development for telco, financial and educational markets. Recommended Links Maria Angelica Lizarazo Tarazona on LinkedIn

In this episode of the Anthro to UX podcast, Karl Haas speaks with Matt Artz about his UX journey, ethnomusicology,  the importance of effective UX writing, and his upcoming talk at the UX Writers Conference. Karl earned a Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology from Boston University and works as a UX Writer for the Weather Channel. About Karl Haas Karl J. Haas, Ph.D. is a UX writer and researcher with a background in ethnography and the arts. He is currently a UX writer at The Weather Channel and content strategist for RebelBase, an EdTech startup. An ethnomusicologist by training, he has studied music and culture in Ghana, West Africa, and has taught at institutions such as MIT, Middlebury College, and Berklee College of Music. Recommended Links Karl Haas on LinkedIn Karl Haas's website UX Writers Conference  

In this episode of the Anthro to UX podcast, Astrid Countee speaks with Matt Artz about her UX journey, storytelling, and how software engineering skills support her anthropology work. Astrid earned an MA in Applied Anthropology from the University of Houston and works as a UX research consultant. About Astrid Countee Astrid Countee is a UX research consultant and climate, tech, and business Anthropologist. She conducts research and analysis on technology the creates sustainable systems and communities through her organization Missing Link Studios. She is also affiliated with the Organization for Ethical Source as well as the Texas Justice Initiative. Astrid has a background working in data science, software engineering, tech for social impact, and climate technology. Astrid is the co-founder of Missing link Studios, which uses media and storytelling to analyze and share social and cultural phenomena. Recommended Links Astrid Countee on LinkedIn Astrid Countee on Twitter Astrid Countee's Website Missing Link Studios

In this episode of the Anthro to UX podcast, Bo Wang speaks with Matt Artz about his UX journey, his research in Tibet, and what he learned from working side by side with a design firm. Bo earned a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and works as a User Experience Researcher for Best Buy. About Bo Wang Bo Wang is an anthropologist and user experience researcher at Best Buy. He holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an M.A. in Anthropology with an emphasis on history from Peking University, and a B.A. in Sociology from Nanjing University. Previous to Best Buy, he was a senior postdoctoral researcher at the Lab of Cultural and Social Anthropology in the Institute of Social Sciences at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. Bo also worked as a data analyst in Beijing before entering his Ph.D. program. Bo has conducted research in environmental and medical anthropology with a focus on waste and society, aging care, and public policy. His book project, Sacred Trash, and Personhood: Living with Daily Waste Infrastructures in the East Himalayas, examines how cultural concepts of waste manifest themselves through touristic encounters between Tibetan and Han people in the Himalayan mountain paths filled with solid waste and sacred objects. Recommended Links Bo Wang on LinkedIn Bo Wang on Twitter EPIC

In this episode of the Anthro to UX podcast, Charley Scull speaks with Matt Artz about his UX journey, visual anthropology, and the value of networking and collegiality in business. Charley earned a PhD in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Southern California and works as a Pathfinder for the VR Hardware team at Facebook. About Charley Scull Charley Scull has worked in the consumer insights and innovation spaces since 2005. His work has spanned a range of industries and focal lengths: from the granularity of package design and communication programs to local issues about audience engagement for a botanical garden to system-focused questions in healthcare spaces, global seafood supply chains, and the future of mobility. Charley was trained as a visual anthropologist and that visual sensibility, as well as a cultural framework of analysis, and a continued practice of using video in his work, remain core strengths of his approach. In addition to extensive domestic work, he has also worked in Asia, Latin America, and the EU. Charley is a Pathfinder for the VR Hardware team at Facebook and was previously a partner at Filament Insight & Innovation, and a partner at the Practica Group. He holds an MA in visual anthropology and a PhD in cultural anthropology from USC. Recommended Links Charley Scull on LinkedIn Charley Scull  on EPIC  

In this episode of the Anthro to UX podcast, Qingyan Ma speaks with Matt Artz about her UX journey, medical anthropology, and how design research contributes to product development in healthcare. Qingyan earned a PhD in Medical Anthropology from Temple University and works as a Design Research Lead for the Digital Informatics and Technology Solutions (DigITs) team at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. About Qingyan Ma Qingyan Ma is a medical anthropologist and Design Research Lead for the Digital Informatics and Technology Solutions (DigITs) team at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She received a PhD in medical anthropology from Temple University. Her dissertation research is on the transformation of rural public health in Southwest China’s Yunnan Province with a focus on reproductive risk among ethnic minority women. She also received an MA in medical anthropology from Sun Yat-sen University, for which she conducted field research in Guangdong Provincial Hospital of TCM to explore the sociocultural construction of TCM in 2005. At Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Qingyan's research contributes to the development of digital products for clinicians. Previous to her design research lead role, she was a user experience specialist and user experience researcher at Memorial Sloan. Recommended Links Qingyan Ma on LinkedIn Qingyan Ma on Twitter Qingyan Ma on Google Scholar  

In this episode of the Anthro to UX podcast, Jay Hasbrouck speaks with Matt Artz about his UX journey, visual anthropology, and how ethnographic thinking can contribute to strategy and new product development. Jay earned a PhD in Social Anthropology from the University of Southern California, works as a Pathfinder for Facebook, and is the author of Ethnographic Thinking: From Method to Mindset. About Jay Hasbrouck Jay Hasbrouck has over 15 years of experience working as an anthropologist in industry settings, including both in-house roles and consulting. He currently works as a Pathfinder on the New Product Experimentation team at Facebook. Previously Jay was a partner at Ethnoworks, the founder of Filament Insights & Innovation, a senior human factors specialist at IDEO, and a research scientist at Intel. Jay is also the author of Ethnographic Thinking: From Method to Mindset. About Ethnographic Thinking: From Method to Mindset Ethnographic Thinking: From Method to Mindset argues that ‘ethnographic thinking’―the thought processes and patterns ethnographers develop through their practice―offers companies and organizations the cultural insights they need to develop fully-informed strategies. Using real-world examples, Hasbrouck demonstrates how shifting the value of ethnography from simply identifying consumer needs to driving a more holistic understanding of a company or organization can help it benefit from a deeper understanding of the dynamic and interactive cultural contexts of its offerings. In doing so, he argues that such an approach can also enhance the strategic value of their work by helping them increase appreciation for openness and exploration, hone interpretive skills, and cultivate holistic thinking, in order to broaden perspectives, challenge assumptions, and cross-pollinate ideas between differing viewpoints. Recommended Links Jay Hasbrouck on LinkedIn Jay Hasbrouck's Personal Website Jay Hasbrouchk's Blog - The Ethnographic Mind Ethnographic Thinking: From Method to Mindset on Amazon EPIC 2021  

In this episode of the Anthro to UX podcast, Ana Pitchon speaks with Matt Artz about her UX journey, ecological anthropology, and how UX research can contribute to policy and strategy. Ana earned a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Georgia, works as a Senior Experience Researcher for Facebook, and previously worked in the commercial fisheries sector and higher education. About Ana Pitchon Ana Pitchon is a trained cultural anthropologist currently working in a technology business integrity role. Her research in this space focuses on identifying strategic opportunities through understanding and articulating relationships through systems thinking. Her research is international in scope to inform product, policy, and strategy. She is committed to a qualitative design approach to finding solutions to complex problems, and she is a highly skilled ethnographer and cultural strategist with expertise in diverse data collection methods and analysis. Her work as an applied anthropologist in academia was focused on the commercial fisheries sector, working on sustainable food systems and communities, social resilience, aquaculture, and marine and coastal policy. Recommended Links Ana Pitchon on LinkedIn  

In this episode of the Anthro to UX podcast, Nichole Carelock speaks with Matt Artz about her UX journey, civic tech, and inclusive design. Nichole earned a PhD in Anthropology from Rice University, works as a Qualitative Researcher for Facebook, and previously worked at Ad Hoc LLC. She has also worked with the recent U.S. Presidential Transition team and is on the board of EPIC. About Nichole Carelock Nichole Carelock is a privacy research at Facebook and an anthropologist with 10+ years experience building technical solutions that not only work for people, but with people. Previously she worked in civic technology ensuring the Presidential Transition Teams were equipped with the right Tech Policy, People and Practices to succeed. Her expertise spans from service design for systems with millions of users, to intimate cottage industry ethnographies. She belongs to and serves many communities including AfroTech, User Experience Professionals Association (UXPA), and the American Anthropological Association(AAA). In addition, Nichole is passionate about digital services for vulnerable populations and prides herself on being a "slow thinker" in her world of "failing fast" "rapid iteration" and "disruption." Through slow thinking Nichole works to ensure that innovation, strategies, processes and products are anchored in what matters to people in their everyday lives today and over time. Recommended Links Nichole Carelock on LinkedIn Nichole Carelock on Twitter EPIC  

In this episode of the Anthro to UX podcast, Ender Ricart speaks with Matt Artz about their UX journey and diversity, equity, and inclusion in UX. Ender earned a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Chicago, works as a Staff UX Researcher for Google, and previously worked at LivePerson, Amazon, and Anthro-Tech. About Ender Ricart Ender Ricart is an anthropologist specializing in UX research for emerging technologies including Cloud and conversational AI. Ender has spoken about creating an inclusive and diverse space in UX and written about how academia has helped with working in UX. Recommended Links Ender Ricart on LinkedIn Tech Circus Pride Month Talk How academia helped me in UX  

In this episode of the Anthro to UX podcast, Elizabeth Rodwell speaks with Matt Artz about her UX journey. Elizabeth earned a PhD in Anthropology from Rice University. Previously, Elizabeth worked as a UX Researcher for Schlumberger and is currently an Assistant Professor of Digital Media at the University of Houston and the Executive Director of the Houston UXPA (HUXPA). She recently published the paper, A Pedagogy of Its Own: Building A UX Research Program. About Elizabeth Rodwell Elizabeth Rodwell is a media anthropologist who is interested in interactivity, television, emergent technology (in general), and artificial intelligence (specifically). She is also a usability researcher (UX). Her first book Push the Button: Interactive Television and Collaborative Journalism in Japan (forthcoming) examines the post-Fukushima tensions in the Japanese journalism and television industries, and seeks to account for the ways that media professionals are responding to increasingly skeptical and distracted audiences.  She also tracks the global debut of interactive television in Japan– a cutting-edge fusion of mediums that represented the most dramatic departure from existing television technology in several decades. She was interested in examining how the concept and practice of participation change as technology evolves the means by which people can contribute. Currently, she is working on a project at the intersection of artificial intelligence / machine learning and user experience (UX). Partnering with UX researchers and designers in companies both in the U.S. and Japan, and she is exploring what it means to think about usability when we’re attempting to replicate human interaction via machine. Recommended Links Elizabeth Rodwell on LinkedIn Elizabeth Rodwell on Twitter Elizabeth Rodwell on Google Scholar HUXPA A Pedagogy of Its Own: Building A UX Research Program  

In this episode of the Anthro to UX podcast, Anthony Shenoda speaks with Matt Artz about his UX journey. Anthony earned a PhD in Social Anthropology and Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard University. He currently works as a Senior UX Researcher at HubSpot. About Anthony Shenoda Anthony holds a joint PhD in Social Anthropology and Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard University. His PhD research was on miracle narratives among Coptic Christian in Egypt. Anthony also holds an MA in Latin American Studies from the University of Arizona where he conducted anthropological and historical research on the ne-Zapatista social movement in Mexico. He taught courses in Anthropology & Religious Studies before leaving academia to serve as a priest in the Coptic Church. For the last several years he has worked as a CX researcher at REI and UX researcher with AnswerLab where he conducted research for Instagram and Facebook. He is currently a Senior UX Researcher at HubSpot where he leads research for the artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML) team. Recommended Links Anthony Shenoda on LinkedIn Anthony Shenoda on Twitter  

In this episode of the Anthro to UX podcast, Lisanne Norman speaks with Matt Artz about her UX journey. Lisanne earned a PhD in African & African American Studies & Social Anthropology from Harvard University and has since gone on to work as a UX researcher at Dell, Visa, and most recently Gusto. Lisanne is also the founder of Black UX Austin and an advocate for inclusive design. Lisanne Norman Lisanne holds a PhD in African & African American Studies & Social Anthropology from Harvard University, where she taught about African American history & education. She has been a UX Research Director & Lead in Austin for the past 5 years working on products as diverse as personal computers to fintech to ecommerce platforms. Her passion to create inclusive, customer-centric products motivates her every day. Recently, she co-founded Black UX Austin, an organization that seeks to provide a safe space for people of African descent in the design community in Austin, while promoting diversity and inclusion within the larger community. Recommended Links Lisanne Norman on LinkedIn Black UX Austin

In this episode of the Anthro to UX podcast, we revisit the 2021 Anthro to UX sponsored Anthro Day event which discussed how we as anthropologists can make anthropology more public. If you weren't able to catch it for the live stream, now you can stream it as a podcast episode! About the Anthro Day Event Increasing the Visibility of Anthropology, an Anthro Day 2021 live-stream event, features five anthropologists discussing their efforts to situate anthropology in the public eye. They shared how they have used new media to increase our public influence and what they have learned in the process. The event featured Amy Santee (Anthropologizing), Gabby Campbell (That Anthro Podcast), Phil Surles (Mindshare), Adam Gamwell (This Anthro Life), and is organized by Matt Artz (Anthro to UX). Watch the Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFnQ3e3f1i0 Recommended Links Increasing the Visibility of Anthropology Video on YouTube

In this episode of the Anthro to UX podcast, Laura Musgrave speaks with Matt Artz about her UX journey. Laura earned a Social Science Research Methods and Statistics degree from the University of Amsterdam and went on to do further study in cyborg and digital anthropology. She is a Senior UX Researcher specializing in artificial intelligence (AI), data, and privacy. About Laura Musgrave Laura Musgrave is a digital anthropology and user experience (UX) researcher. Her work has always focused on connecting with people. She started out in public engagement, before moving into user research and participatory design. Today, she works in UK and international research for a FTSE 100 brand. She is also a research scholar in digital anthropology and user experience at the Ronin Institute. Her research specialism is artificial intelligence (AI), particularly data and privacy. Most recently, she has been studying the exchange of privacy and convenience in the use of smart speakers in the UK. Recommended Links Laura Musgrave's website Laura Musgrave on Twitter Laura Musgrave on LinkedIn