“Jen is truly a passionate mentor to have and is deeply vested in guiding UX professionals. During our mentoring session, she provided clear guidance on how to navigate in the UX research space, and reinforced my potential to apply consumer psychology in the UX research domain.
Her advice — “Lead as much as you can, be innovative, push limits and educate people” struck a chord with me and have become my work ethics as I continue to support UX research for complex enterprise systems. ”
“It can be extremely difficult to get the coveted experience one needs to break into the field; especially during a career change; especially during COVID-19. Being my UXR coach, Jen kindly invited me to work alongside her in a week-long usability testing sprint. She moderated, I took notes, and we worked together to compile and deliver findings. Not only is Jen the consummate user research professional, but her humility and empathy were on full display as she treated me with a level of respect and equality that made me feel like a highly-esteemed colleague rather than merely a budding researcher. If you are serious about breaking into the field, you want Jen in your corner! ”
Looking to get into the UX field and unsure of where to start? Want to learn how you can get in and how to negotiate successfully? Want to know tips and tricks for succeeding in industry, government, and consulting? Wondering if you should get a PhD? Have you almost completed your PhD and you are wondering what's next? Want tips on how to improve your resume and interview skills? Want to know what holes you have in your training that you should fill? Want to grow in your current role? These are just some of the types of things we can work on together! Sign up for a 15, 25, or 50-minute session or contact Jen to plan a series.
Aug 4-10, 2024, Big Island Hawaii (with Matt Karakilic)
This intense UX research master course taking place over 7 days on Big Island, catering to local Hawaii businesses, is for researchers, designers, and content strategists who have a basic understanding of user experience research. Participants will have 1:1 and group training activities conducting research in the field, and working with stakeholders.
Key Experiences:
Team-Based Research: Students will collaborate in teams to execute in-depth, in-person UX interviews, supporting local Hawaii businesses.
Findings & Presentation: After conducting research, teams will synthesize their findings and present their insights to key stakeholders.
Guidance from the Best: Engage closely with senior-level researchers throughout the retreat. Benefit from their invaluable feedback, and learn from their real-world experiences in both research and stakeholder interactions.
All Inclusive: Participants will live together in an off-grid oasis on Big Island, Hawaii. Escape into an ancient Hawaiian forest where you can enjoy ocean and mountain views and the quiet peace of being nestled within a private 24 acre native Hawaiian Ohia and Koa forest. This off-grid 9,000 square-foot facility has 11 bedrooms and 5 baths. A wrap-around Lani makes for great gathering spaces to enjoy meals, relax and read, nap, and hang out with other attendees. All meals will be prepared daily by our personal chef.
Local Hawaiian Activities: Participants will partake in local Hawaii activities, such as lei making, sound healing and a luau.
Space is limited to ensure an intense hands-on learning environment. Participants will work closely with each other and instructors and will have extensive personal training and attention.
Not sure if this Intensive is right for you? Join us for an info session to learn more.
Wednesday, February 28 2024, 9:30AM PT | 12:30pm ET
Wednesday, Mar 13 2024, 9:30AM PT | 12:30pm ET
Reach out if these do not work for you, and let’s find time to chat!
UXR Advisory Board
I have teamed up with Rebecca Destello to offer a new kind of coaching - geared towards helping companies establish UX teams! Are you a company ready to set up your UX team and don’t know where to start? Have you found that there are mostly junior-level people available for the senior-level roles you want to fill? Would you like to keep the budget low by hiring junior-level folks but you want senior-level quality? Do you have a research team of 1 and would like to ensure they feel supported by senior-level researchers? We can help you establish a research team! We will provide guidance and training while they grow. Reach out to learn more about packages and engagement models.
Online Classes
Usability Testing for Survey Research for the International Program in Survey and Data Science (IPSDS) - University of Maryland and University of Mannheim
Mar - April 2022
UC Berkeley Extension: User Research for UX (scroll to relevant section)
Jan 23 - Mar 26, 2024: Recorded material taught by Jen; live classes taught by Jewel Seperson
Mar 13 - May 29, 2024: Course taught by Jen
UC Berkeley Extension: Quantitative UX Metrics and Research
Apr 3 - June 5, 2024
UC Berkeley Extension: Accessibility in UX Design
Mar 12 - May 28, 2024
Conference Classes
Testing Parts in Isolation Framework: Reducing Confounds with Experimental Design (with Maranda Bodas)
June 19, 2023 8:30a-12:30p CST
UXPA Conference, Austin TX USA
The Research Challenge Workshop: Upleveling Your Research Planning Skills (with Rebecca Destello and Sabrina Duda)
June 19, 2023 1:30-5:30p CST
UXPA Conference, Austin TX USA
UX Research 101: Methods Overview (with Danielle Cooley)
July 25 2023, 8:30a-12:30p CEST
HCII Conference, Copenhagen Denmark
“Jen is an inspiring professional! Jen was my teacher in the UXR course at UC Berkeley, and her deep knowledge, enthusiasm and passion for the field are translated in her classes and feedback. She delivers far beyond the duty, always willing to teach and mentor with the many resources she comes with. I am grateful the opportunity to learn from such a talented researcher.”
“Jen taught me many things, such as how to successfully work with vendors and adjust their deliverable to be relevant to our roadmap. She has experience working as a vendor in the past, so helping me understand the process from an insider perspective was quite valuable. Jen also was a go-to resource for me to bounce ideas off of, and get feedback on my work. For example, I’ve done practice sessions with her where I presented my work, and her feedback was always very helpful and actionable. Aside from her professional skills, she was someone I trusted to talk about other non-research concerns I had, or to learn the lay of the land from a more experienced veteran. I’m grateful that I had an opportunity to work with Jen, and hope to continue to seek her counsel in the future.”
After we work together, you will feel as happy as a puppy running through tall grass on a sunny day. -Jen