How I Found My Way Into UX Research

Image credit: ReImaginationPrints via Etsy

I fell down the rabbit hole like Alice in Wonderland and I didn't want to come back up.

That moment happened in a research session. My first ethnography. Two days before my professor looked at me and said three words: "Walk that plank."

The earth fell out beneath me. I saw rainbows. Stars. Unicorns.

I asked questions. Real ones. Directly to the people I was designing for. And then I got to follow up. In the moment. Right there.

I immediately understood, viscerally, what a better designer I would have been with these skills. How much more impactful my work could have been. How much more strategic. How much time I would have saved. How many wrong turns I could have avoided.

But I need to back up.

I raised my hand in class and asked if anyone wanted to trade. I'd design their whatever. In exchange, they'd do my research.

My professor, Susan Worthman — rest in peace — wasn't having it. She said "walk that plank" before anyone had a chance to take me up on it.

And before Susan, there was Julie Shriver — rest in peace.

Julie was my manager at Wells Fargo. The last year she was alive, she gave me my bonus. To the penny, it covered the tuition for the CCA innovation fellowship program.

She never told me what to do with it. She didn't have to. She knew I would know. Julie made the fellowship possible. Susan made me walk the plank.

Sadly, neither one is here to see where it led.

I was a trained graphic designer. 2D. 3D. 4D. Packaging. Brand. Merchandising. Store design. Product design. Medium agnostic from the start.

But research? I didn't think it was for me. I mean, EW, who would want to TAWK to people?

Both of my professors at CCA hired me shortly after. Susan + Elizabeth Glenewinkel, TYSM again! I moonlighted for nearly a year before I left my corporate job and went out on my own.

At first, I was known for my design chops. I only took design work where I could also conduct research to inform it. Slowly, I phased out the pixel-pushing entirely.

Research and insights became my jam.

I built CuriosityTank from the ground up. Ask Like A Pro, the first hands-on end-to-end user research training program for unmatriculated students in the world.

Still available. Still selling. Still very, very relevant.

I started in 2D. Moved to 3D. Then 4D. Then product. Insights. AI.

I just didn't know where it would all land. I'm still not sure I do.

Giddy. Confused. A little scared.

Like Alice, I fell down the rabbit hole, and I'm not sure I've found the bottom (or top?) yet.

So, here's to all the Alices in the world right now.

I see you!

Tell me about your rabbit hole.