Meet Daniel, User Experience (UX) Researcher at Anthro-Tech!
Daniel works with our clients to study their target customers to collect and analyze data. This data then informs the product or service design process. He dives deep into customer problems to understand where products and services are (or are not) working for customers and how organizations can improve.
Tell us about your background and what led you to work at Anthro-Tech (A-T)?
I knew from a young age (5th grade to be exact!) that I wanted to be in research in some way or another. I came into the UX world, and eventually to Anthro-Tech, through the world of psychology research. I initially wanted to dive into academic research on how humans perceive stimuli, what they remember about them, and how that impacts many other fields (aka Social Cognition).
That research was a bit too slow paced and wasn’t focused enough on social impact. UX Research on the other hand, is more applied and user centered. One conversation with my mentor at the time coupled with a small connection at Anthro-Tech led me to discovering the social impact UX work they do, and here I am!
What does a typical workday at A-T involve for you?
Oh my, that’s a fun question! Some days I work with clients, testing a new prototype to improve an existing government agency’s website (such as the Washington State’s Voter Portal). Other days I’ll be collaborating with our team of UX Designers, Content Strategists, and Accessibility Specialists to plan how to best frame our research findings so they’re actionable for organizations, even if they have limited resources.
It is a delicate balance between tactical research, presenting, and advocating for the customers’ needs, and working with others to ensure what we do is holistic, collaborative, and evidence driven.
What are three words to describe A-T?
Empathetic, driven, and collaborative. We believe in understanding others and their experiences in order to make decisions. We deliver and develop products that are human-centered while improving people’s lives through social impact. We also aim to work with change makers within organizations who want to leave behind a legacy of human-centered design, rather than a simple set of deliverables.
What are the values that drive you?
A belief in connectedness and holistic approaches, and a desire to give back through the skills and education I have.
I am often reminded that the world is interconnected, both in macro and micro scales. To me this means that a problem or situation is caused by many things, and simply saying, “This one thing is causing this other problem to occur,” is almost never the full picture. I remind myself this to ensure I remain curious, to repeatedly ask “Why?”, and to look for more answers, more data, and more connections. This hopefully will help me view my work and my world around me as more holistic and well-rounded.
This also means that my experiences outside work inform my day-to-day life, whether it’s working in other software creatively and generatively or connecting with others at coffee shops. It comes down to understanding how others’ work could impact my career or hobbies.
The other core value that drives me is the idea of giving back. Social impact UX work is one framing of this, which through Anthro-Tech improves products and services in government and non-profits for those who rely on them to live their lives. I feel rewarded in using the skills and education I have for this, while improving the world for others, even if on a small scale. I live a relatively privileged life, so it feels necessary and right to work in a space that makes others’ lives easier. Anthro-Tech is just one outlet for me to do that.
Daniel’s passion for creating a social impact through UX Research has helped our clients create products and services that improves their customers’ everyday lives. From websites to mobile transit applications, Daniel has helped collaboratively address complex and diverse problem spaces while formulating solutions that work.
Connect with Daniel on LinkedIn!