The Connected Researcher is in connection with themselves, linked to their own bodies, their own minds, and their own hearts. This connection to self is what really gives them what appears to be superpowers. They know when someone is saying something they don’t actually feel comfortable saying because they can feel it, based upon their own experience. They wield empathic abilities that come with great responsibility, and they do so with a sense of ethics and genuine care for the customer, their team and the broader community.

We’ve also included resources in this training to provide the support you may find helpful on this journey of self-discovery. We hope that you will use these skills as a means of making technology more human-centric and more heart-centric for all of us.

MEETING TIMES/DAYS:

We will meet online through Zoom on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, between 7-9 PM.

WEEKLY SCHEDULE & OVERALL TOPICS:

Weekly classes, Tuesday/Thursday evening 7-9p

Week 1: Introductions and Intention Setting

(Tuesday): Introductions & Overview

• Names and fun facts

• Play the Heart of UX Connection Card Game

• Discuss our Personal Goals for this course

• Overview of Heart of UX Foundations

(Thursday):

• “Sankalpa” exercise - Using Intention to chart your learning and career course

• Experiential exercises

Week 2: Making a Plan
(Tuesday):
To pick the method, you need to understand the question (basic definitions of UX vs. Market research, questions are fateful, understanding the many different UX methodologies)

• UX/Market Research

• What method do I pick to answer what question?

  • Usability Study

  • RITE testing

  • Ethnographic/fieldwork

  • Diary Studies

  • Focus groups

  • Surveys

  • Take-home - pick your method (students will start with a research question and be asked to propose method)

(Thursday): Study planning 101 and Positive Presence

• Introduction to Positive Presence

  • Practice exercise - Reframing a Problem

• Questions are Fateful

  • Introduction to Appreciative Inquiry

  • Technique: Reflective listening to understand needs

• Sample Study plan

Week 3: Creating your Guides

(Tuesday): Mindfulness is the foundation of good UX

• Introduce Mindfulness

• Working with Mindfulness

• When Mindfulness goes wrong (i.e- Mindfulness is not meditation)

(Thursday): Write the script!

• How to write a Moderator’s Script

• Holding loosely to the script

• Technique: Follow the Aliveness

Week 4: Seeing the Congruence

(Tuesday): Everyone matters

• Stakeholder Interviews

• Bringing in all the voices
  

(Thursday): Claiming your Bias

• What is Bias?

• Brain dump technique

• Becoming The Intentional Observer
  

Week 5: Follow Aliveness

(Tuesday): The Art and Science of Skillful Moderation

• The Neuroscience of Connection

• Heart Resonance and the Field of Awareness

(Thursday): Next Level Moderation

• Attunement Attuned noticing

• Tracking 

  • Intro to AI

  • Technique: Reflective listening to understand the need

• Contact Statements

Week 6 - Synchronism, Debriefing and Data Analysis

(Tuesday): Synchronism

• Experimental attitude

• Your BIG why

(Thursday): Debriefing and Data Analysis

• Best practices for debriefing

• I have mountains of data - now what? How to get started with data analysis

• Field-tested Pattern Recognition techniques

Week 7 - Resourcing and Reporting

(Tuesday): Resourcing yourself to stay happy, healthy and effective as a researcher

• Boundaries

• UPR

• Self care

(Thursday): Reporting

• Best practices for writing a report

• Making video Clips

• Experiential exercise- remembering your Sankalpa

• Group closing ritual