#141 - The Chaos Theory of Event Networking with Bryan Dosono of eBay

02/21/24 • 41 min

In this episode of Awkward Silences, Carol and Erin dive into the world of conference networking and planning with Bryan Dosono, a staff UX research lead at eBay known for his extensive experience curating and organizing conference programs.

Bryan share insights on how to prepare for conferences such as using apps to schedule meetings and emphasizing networking over solely focusing on content. He also discusses strategic scheduling to align conference participation with career goals and offers advice on making spontaneous, serendipitous connections.

The conversation also covers practical tips for adding value during small talk, how to approach and connect with other researchers, and the importance of being open, vulnerable, and willing to face rejection in the pursuit of meaningful interactions. Bryan provides guidance for both newcomers to the UXR field and seasoned professionals: overcoming imposter syndrome and leveraging transferable skills from related fields.

Episode Highlights

03:58 - Navigating the Unpredictable: Strategies for Introverts at Networking Events.
08:24 - Strategic Networking: Maximizing Opportunities Before and During Conferences.
12:33 - Networking strategies for academic and professional growth.
22:36 - Balancing Attendance: Prioritizing Conferences with Active Roles.
28:03 - Maximizing Remote Networking: Strategies for Engagement in Virtual Conferences.
33:07 - Conference Insights: Making the Most of Your Experience through Pre-Planning.

About Our Guest
Bryan Dosono, PhD, is a user experience research leader in the consumer technology space. He applies human-computer interaction research methods with visual storytelling to modernize the design of global marketplaces and online communities. He currently volunteers as a Conference Chair at UXPA International and serves on the User Interviews Research Council.

Looking for a UX community? Here are 16 to join for networking and development.

Episode Highlights

03:58 - Navigating the Unpredictable: Strategies for Introverts at Networking Events.
08:24 - Strategic Networking: Maximizing Opportunities Before and During Conferences.
12:33 - Networking strategies for academic and professional growth.
22:36 - Balancing Attendance: Prioritizing Conferences with Active Roles.
28:03 - Maximizing Remote Networking: Strategies for Engagement in Virtual Conferences.
33:07 - Conference Insights: Making the Most of Your Experience through Pre-Planning.

Looking for a UX community? Here are 16 to join for networking and development.

Previous Episode

#140 - Should You Leave Academia? Advice for Researchers with Joe Stubenrauch

The decision to leave academia can be difficult. Often, it involves giving up a stable career path and a lifetime commitment to a particular field of study.

But as Joe Stubenrauch explains, the move also offers researchers the opportunity to pursue new career paths, improve work-life balance and geographic flexibility, and reinvent their lives.

And he should know: Formerly a professor of history, he walked away from tenure to join a big tech company as a UX Researcher at AWS. In this episode, Joe discusses his decision to walk transition to the private sector and shares thoughtful advice for others considering a similar move.

Highlights from the episode

[04:06] Joe reflects on feeling burnt out, bored, and doubtful in academia
[11:23] What makes you happy? Joe weighs the pros and cons of things like mental health, geographic mobility, and proximity to family and friends.
[19:41] Breaking into a new field, experimenting, and talking to people.
[34:47] The importance of having a portfolio that includes compelling stories
[41:35] Tactical advice for job seekers (resumes, LinkedIn profiles, job interview strategies, etc)
[44:23] Working in a team environment as a former academic

About our guest

Joe Stubenrauch is a former professor of British history at Baylor University, and the author of a prize-winning book published by Oxford University Press. During the height of the pandemic, he walked away from tenure and joined a big tech company in order to redesign his life. Now as a UX Researcher at AWS, Joe has found unexpected similarities between his work as Victorianist and his work in the cloud. He also writes regularly about the transition from academia to industry and is obsessed with how people can reinvent their lives and careers.

You can follow Joe on LinkedIn.

Next Episode

#142 - Quantifying Research Impact with Ruby Pryor of Rex

In this episode Carol and Erin are joined by Ruby Pryor, founder of Rex, a consulting firm specializing in UX research and strategic design.

They explore the world of measuring the impact of UX research. with Pryor introducing a four-level impact assessment framework. Ruby shares a four-level assessment framework and the conversation moves to prioritization, making "strategic" decisions, and increasing your research influence.

This episode also gets into what it means to demonstrate the "business value" of one's work, specifically how researchers can and should quantify their impact in terms that are tangible to the company. Ruby will share ways to score early wins, build momentum, and overcome communication frictions to find shared value.

Episode Highlights

03:14 - UX researcher impact: insights, optimization, prioritization, strategy
09:14 - Understanding organizational structures and strategy development collaboration
20:22 - Challenge of quantifying impact and strategic level
21:33 - Measuring strategy impact: challenges and indicators
30:04 - Prioritizing investments based on strong market indicators
38:51 - Stakeholders prioritize growth, revenue, and cost reduction

About Our Guest
Ruby Pryor is the founder of Rex, a service design and UX research consulting firm. Her previous roles include UX research at Grab, strategic design at Boston Consulting Group and management consulting at Nous Group. She has taught courses on increasing the impact of UX to learners from 5 continents and has spoken about design and UX at conferences in Asia and Europe.

Resources on UX Research Impact