Amy Santee, a UX researcher with a background in applied anthropology, shares her educational journey and professional experiences, emphasizing the relevance of anthropology in design and business. She discusses the evolution of her career in UX research, illustrating how understanding human experiences informs product design and business strategies. Santee encourages pursuing UX research as a career, highlighting the importance of networking, gaining practical experience, and leveraging anthropological skills in various industries.

1. PRACTICING ANTHROPOLOGY
IN DESIGN AND BUSINESS
Amy Santee, UX Researcher @ SpendWell Health
Portland State University
May 19th, 2015

2. 1. Educational History
2. Work Experience
3. Project Examples
4. Reflections

3. @amysantee

4. circa 2000…
Interest in people, culture
Desire to travel
Innate curiosity about the
world
More observer than
participant (socially speaking)
It was decided…

5. MA Applied Anthropology2009-2011
Consumer Researcher
(corporate)2011-2012
UX Researcher / Consultant
(agency)
2013-2014
Lead UX Researcher
(corporate/start-up)
2014-present
2004-2008 BA Anthropology

6. 2004-2008
2009-2011
= Level of
Understanding of
Doing Anthropology
2011-2012
2013-2014
2014-present
Foundational Learning
{ Theory
Methods
Other competencies

7. 2004-2008
2009-2011
= Level of
Understanding of
Doing Anthropology
2011-2012
2013-2014
2014-present
Real World Learning
{
Design
Strategy
Problem Solving
Business Acumen
Collaboration

8. 2004-2008
2009-2011
FoundationalLearning
{
2011-2012
2013-2014
RealWorldLearning
{ 2014-present
= Level of
Understanding of
Doing Anthropology

9. Limited understanding of anthropology
Foundational knowledge and skills: cultural anthropology, writing, research,
critical thinking
Study abroad: cross-cultural experiences
Budding researcher
Developing my own projects on phenomena of interest: The Facebook,
“gay” as derogatory term; research as a way to explore the world
Seeking opportunities to do research: Senior thesis on gentrification
Wasn’t really thinking about anthropology as a career: Except research
2004 - 2008
BA Anthropology

10. Took a year off (highly recommended)
Went back to master anthropology: Urban Anthropology and RESEARCH!
Also, it was the recession (Good timing)
My understanding of the application of anthropology deepened: APPLYING it
to solve real world problems, understand social issues, recommend changes,
improve people’s lives
Problems of interest: Poverty, health care, community development, education
Practicum: community health and social capital, program evaluation
2009 - 2011
MA Applied
Anthropology

11. In grad school, developed a side interest in culture and consumerism.
First job out of grad school
Applying anthropology for realz (i.e., outside of academia)
An anthropologically interesting place to work: Learning the culture of
business - language, practices, beliefs, values, social structure, interaction
A learning experience: How to function in the business world, apply my
skills, communicate with others, convey information, build relationships
2011 - 2012
Consumer
Researcher

12. What was I doing at an insurance company?!

13. Lead and support research projects
Design research plans, collect and analyze data, present findings
Examples:
• Agent office ethnography
• Call center work processes
• Shopping for insurance online
Project management
Recruiting participants, logistics, planning, proposal writing, travel, vendors
My Role at State Farm

14. It’s about being a [insert job title here.]
It’s about solving problems.
It’s about providing value.
…all with an anthropological perspective.
School trains us to “be anthropologists” rather than use anthropology skills in a
job. My experiences helped me realize that practicing anthropology isn’t about
“doing anthropology” and “being an anthropologist.”
I had to rethink my definition of “doing anthropology”
in order to be a successful anthropologist and professional.

15. Anthropology is the perfect training for
business and design.
You have to understand people to design
things for them.
Anthropology gives you the tools to do this.

16. Anthropology Understanding the human experience
Theory
Research
Interpretation
Problem solving
Science
Advocacy
Culture
Multiple perspectives
People-centered
Collaborative
Holistic
Story-telling
Iterative Participatory

17. What is User Experience
(UX) research*?
*a.k.a. Design Research

18. A lot of design and business decisions
get made in rooms like this…
In buildings like this…
(actually, this is where I work) :-)

19. When was the last time you
satisfied or delighted with a product
or service?
How about the last time you were
frustrated and totally let down?

20. Top-down approach
Engineers, designers, product managers, marketers
Ignoring the user, go with “best guesses”
Traditional Product Design: “Trust us, we know what’s best”
The needs, preferences, goals and values of people are at
the center of the design process
They drive business decisions, rather than assumptions or
“internal expertise”
User Experience, part of the User-Centered Design (UCD) Process

21. Understanding how people interact with and experience a
product, service or system.
User Experience Research
Understanding people’s needs, preferences, values, goals.
Incorporating insights and data into the design process.
Creating a culture of empathy.
Validating and disproving assumptions.
Creating relevant and meaningful (i.e., valuable)
products, services, systems, policies.

22. You are not your user.
Understanding > assuming / guessing
Users are experts.
UX Principles

23. Contextual interview
Contextual
observation
Photo
diaries
1:1 Interviews
Video diaries
Research Methods
Card sort
Usability test
Participatory
design research
Task analysis
Remote
interview
Group
interview
Surveys
Customer
support data

24. Contexts
Perspectives
Needs
Preferences
Beliefs
Values
Pain points
Goals
Behaviors
Motivations
Expectations
Desires
Emotions
Decisions
Approach #1:
User Research

25. Approach #2: Usability Testing
Can the user accomplish her tasks and goals
without frustration?
Is the product
easy to learn and understand?
Does the interface provide
the necessary interactions?

26. UX research adds insight to the
design process.
The outputs of UX research inform
the inputs and outcomes of design
and business strategy.

27. Back to work…

28. Moved to Portland and got a new job
Role transition: Internal researcher to agency consultant
Agency: Doing work clients can’t/won’t do (don’t have the internal
expertise or capacity, cheaper to hire someone, want an impartial
perspective)
Clients: Hardware, software and automotive companies
Grew my skills in UX Research (aka Design Research): Role in
product development
More cross-functional collaboration: Designers, developers
2013 - 2014
UX Research
& Consulting

29. Project Examples
Small business technology for productivity
International Android developers
Computer input mode & productivity optimization
Photo and video editing on mobile devices
Luxury vehicle rear seat entertainment systems
UX Research at Empirical...
Similar work to what I did at State Farm
Planning, designing, conducting and analyzing projects

30. In-vehicle interview

31. New job opportunity!: Health care e-commerce
Role transition: Back to an embedded research role ♥♥♥
Product Team & Design Team, Start-up World
Increased responsibilities: Leading the company’s research
strategy as its only researcher ♥♥♥
Role #1: Research
Role #2: Advocacy
Role #3: Stakeholder education, socializing UX/UCD
Having an impact with my work. Every. Single. Day. ♥♥♥
2014 - present
Lead UX Researcher

32. My field site

33. The product I work on…

34. The product I work on…

35. SpendWell Design Team:
Best. Team. Ever.

36. Research Leads to Design and
Business Opportunities…

37. Who we’re designing for…
Health Care
Providers
Care Seekers

38. Project Example:
SpendWell Provider Account
Registration Process

39. SpendWell Provider Account Registration Process
Project Goals
• Obtain user feedback on the experience of registering a provider account
on SpendWell.
• Get feedback on SpendWell’s branding, design, content, features and
value props.
• Understand the efficacy of our website marketing pages and other
communication with providers.
• Build our knowledge base of providers to develop provider personas.
Outcomes
• Improve the usability and overall user experience of our product for
health care providers.
• Refine our marketing and provider communication.

40. Methodology:
• 8 One-on-One remote interviews
• Practitioners and office managers
• 60 minutes in length
• Mix of specialties (primary care, massage, dental, vision, etc.)

41. Provider feedback validated our design hypothesis:
Overall, signing up for an account
on our website is simple, quick and
straightforward for small practices
- but may present issues for bigger
practices.

42. Talking to providers helped us understand:
What entices them to sign up for
SpendWell - saving time, making
money, and business opportunities.

43. Providers reminded us that:
It’s not just about the business of
health care, but the care of patients.
Our solution can help with this.

44. The research helped us get a better idea of:
Which marketing messaging
resonates with small providers.

45. We walked away with a whole list of:
The most frequently asked
questions that providers have about
SpendWell.

46. Our data and insights provided us with:
1. Changes to our website that will lead to an even more efficient and enjoyable
account registration experience.
2. Direction for our website marketing and email campaigns.
3. Content to add to our Provider FAQ page.
4. Ideas for new content/media that helps providers through the process of signing
up for and using SpendWell (e.g., how-to videos, tutorials, etc.)
5. Marketing and design changes that will likely lead to a decrease in calls/emails to
Customer Support.

47. What would these changes mean for SpendWell and its users?
1. Better marketing and communication =
Better understanding of SpendWell and the value it provides, an increase in
providers who sign up, and more engagement with the product.
2. An improved registration process =
An improved user experience, more positive sentiment about our brand.
3. More robust information on the site =
Users who can help themselves, and a decrease in calls/emails to
Customer Support.

48. What does this work mean for me professionally?
I care about two things.
1. Using my anthropology training
Research methods, theory, understanding of culture, critical thinking, etc.
2. Making a difference
Improving our user interface, advocating for our users, convincing stakeholders,
reminding people we’re not designing for ourselves, making sure our product
meets people’s needs and solves their problems, and ultimately improving
people’s experiences with our product.

49. I encourage you to explore
UX Research and Design as a
possible career path.

50. SOME FINAL THOUGHTS

51. Academic anthropology is “pure” anthropology.
Applied anthropology isn’t theoretical enough.
Applied anthropology isn’t intellectually stimulating.
4 Myths
BULLSHIT
Business is evil and you’re a horrible person if you
work there.

52. Network, network, network!!!
Have a solid idea of how anthropology is applicable to the job you want.
Know how to talk to non-anthropologists about your skills & experiences.
Learn the skills you need to go out and solve real world problems.
Get as much hands-on experience you can (internships, projects, etc.)
Have an online presence (social media, blog, website, etc.)
If you want to continue in anthropology and work outside of academia,
get a master’s degree from an applied program.
It’s not just about research - develop some other skills.
Shitty jobs are learning opportunities.
Take classes in business and design if you want to work in User Experience.
It’s possible - and definitely OK - to make good money!
No CVs - only a 1 or 2 page resume.
Find a mentor.

54. “Anthropologists in Practice” Interview Series
- 22 interviews and counting...
- Areas of practice: consulting, technology, branding, consumer research,
health care, community organizing, evaluation, teaching, urban planning, etc.
- Topics: training, career paths, job roles, accomplishments, advice for students

55. PDX Design Research Group
• Networking group for practitioners of UX
research and those who are interested in it.
• Meets every other month in downtown.
• Speakers: researchers working in UX in
different industries, including technology,
health care, consulting, etc.
• Free!
• Sign up: pdxdesignresearch@gmail.com

56. amylaurensantee@gmail.com
@amysantee
www.amysantee.com
.com
Thank you!