Curio Research Quarterly Vol. 21
Hey Curio Research friends! I’m semi-booked for the remainder of the year, but I’ll still be able to fit in other projects depending on the scope and schedule. If you think you’ve got something, we should talk.
Business
Work
Since my last installment, I have finished the card sort project for Kalamuna. The strong supporting evidence I was able to provide helped them understand and trust my recommendations without a tree test verification step which I'm counting as a win.
Now I’m working with a new client, 10up, on an enterprise B2B project for a client that helps municipalities, factories, and buildings manage their water usage. The company has significantly grown through acquisition and is now trying to bring all its branded systems into one dashboard for its customers and resellers. We’re trying to bring a rigorous multi-phase research process to the project that 10up can repeat across all the client’s branded services.
Having a senior researcher like myself on a project is new for 10up. I’m building expectations and research infrastructure as I go.
Leadership
I’m starting to put the pieces in place to give my first term as QRCA president a running start. I formed the task force for redoing the QRCA website. We will partner with Northeastern University’s Experiential Network to let students work on the usability testing for the website in the before and after phases and maybe help us with some SEO when it comes time to work on the content.
I was proud of the work of the nominating committee and myself for the incoming 2023/2024 board of directors. We found enthusiastic candidates representing the organization's diversity in terms of racial/ethnic background, age, and professional background. We made the ballot options challenging for voters, which is a testament to how well we did in the selection process. No matter who wins, we’ll have a tremendous incoming team.
I’ve already met with the incoming executive team to discuss onboarding the new board members and setting the tone for the new term. We’ll give them contextual information about how we got to where we are, how we plan to address it for now, and best practices for board members. It’s everything I wish the executives had told me when I joined the board.
Conferences
I’m all signed up for the QRCA’s World Wide Conference in Lisbon, Portugal. I also bought passes for the cooking class social session for my husband and me. Other social events interested us, but the timing didn’t work.
Next up is the annual conference in Denver in January. Early bird ticket sales start soon, so watch the event page.
Speaking
I spoke remotely at the UX Ghent meetup in Belgium. I was one of a few speakers at their event, and I talked about remote research tools. It was a well-attended event, and the follow-up questions made for an excellent level of engagement.
I also talked to the QRCA’s Young Professionals meeting for members under 35 about why being a QRCA member matters and how to make the most of their membership. My most significant message was that skill building and preparing for management roles was their responsibility, not their manager’s, but that the QRCA offers them classes, workshops, and volunteer leadership opportunities to capitalize on. I didn’t realize it until my 30s, and it made a big difference in my career when I shifted my mindset appropriately. The feedback was great. I hope I’ve turned them into lifelong members or, at the very least, eager volunteers.
I was also interviewed for Little Bird Marketing’s Ponderings from the Perch podcast on the benefits of being a Qualitative Research Consultants Association member. It’s a quick 20 minutes about a topic I genuinely love discussing. Not a snoozer.
Personal
Travel
No travel to speak of this past quarter, but we are planning a quick weekend to Whistler to go hiking and eat well.
I also read this article on ethical travel that others might find helpful. Key takeaways:
Make sure you spend your money at places that benefit the local economy.
Avoid multinationals and chains.
Donate to local non-profits supporting the area.
Learn about and respect the local environment and culture.
Talk to locals, not just other tourists and service workers. This is also a great way to find tips about under-the-radar activities and places to eat.
Learn to say simple words and phrases in the local language. “Hello,” “please,” and “thank you” will do.
Media
Consuming entertainment media just got complicated. I’m going to start with how you can show solidarity with the Writers Guild and the Screen Actors Guild because exploitation sucks:
It’s okay to see a movie and keep your streaming subscriptions, but keep an eye out for a call to boycott.
Contribute to the WGA or SAG/AFTRA strike relief funds. There’s also an entertainment industry mutual aid fund.
Post your support on social media using the WGA or SAG-AFTRA social media kits.
You can write a letter of support for the WGA.
Now that we know it’s okay to watch TV and movies, let’s talk about what to binge:
Succession - They came. They saw. They left sad. They gave us Shakespearean-level insults along the way. All four seasons are available for streaming. Enjoy watching crappy rich people who never enjoy any lasting satisfaction.
The Great - I am going to miss this show SO much. Watching Elle Fanning’s Catherine come into her power, and Nicholas Hoult’s Peter struggle with going from being the ruler of Russia to a supportive husband and father, succeeding and failing along the way, was such fun. Three seasons. All done.
The Diplomat - This was so bingeable. I couldn’t stop watching. A show about someone who actually deserves to have power grappling with her insecurities. With a subplot of her having a supportive husband whom she can’t trust because while he loves her, he loves himself and his career more.
Harley Quinn - This was an entertaining feminist romp featuring the main character learning to prioritize her friendship with eco-terrorist Poison Ivy over a toxic romance with the Joker.
Giving Back
I volunteered with the Stanley Park Ecology Society to remove invasive plant species. My first outing was pulling English Ivy from one part of the park. The ivy tends to cling and climb trees to flower and spread its seed. I was able to free two trees and a small clearing. The next engagement was removing flowering balsam around a creek bed. Balsam doesn’t have a root system making it easier to pull.
I also took advantage of my time between projects to attend climate protests at the offices of two provincial government officials. I expected them to be drawn-out productions, but they were pretty brief. We showed up, held signs, posed for photos for the press, listened to a few speeches, and then went home. Better than staying home and doing nothing.
Until next quarter, do good research and do good things.
