Category: Discovery Log

This week I attended the Facebook UX research panel at the New York headquarters. It was a really interesting event and there were different researchers from different teams. I think one of the key learnings I took from the event was the difference between qualitative and quantitative user research. I was a UX Designer at JCPenney for over a year, and we only did qualitative research with usability studies and research. But a company like Facebook is extremely data driven and heavily on quantitative research.

The panel at the went over all the tools they use and how they interpret data to help designers. The problem solving approach at Facebook was very different and technical compared to JCPenney. This event made me see user research in a whole new way, and there is a lot I still need to learn about research.

I found this documentary on Steve Aoki’s life on Netfilx this week. Steve Aoki is one of the most popular EDM DJ infamous for throwing cake and sushi during his concerts (I have been caked by Steve Aoki). Unexpectedly, this documentary was one the most relatable movies I have seen in a long time.

Like any other documentary, it talks about his rise to success but I think the most interesting part of this movie was the focus on his work ethic which he got from his father, Rocky Aoki “the man with 9 lives”. He cracks over 300 shows a year, is the most travelled artist and is constantly generating new music.

The concept that resonated with me the most about this documentary was when Steve says that he has been given an amazing opportunity and he does not “want to sleep on it”. We all want to be successful and have a big name but we often forget that it requires going the extra mile to get there.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s98lnpTFY50

I have seen clips of people vlogging their lives all over Instagram and Facebook but I never realized massive empires some of these Youtubers have built in just a couple of years through this process.

My research on this topic began with watching videos of Youtubers called “The Ace Family”. I was attracted to their channel because their videos were about pranks and internet challenges. But as I got deeper into the endless loop of their videos, I realized a lot of their vlogs were just about them doing daily tasks of life with million views. This led me to investigate the trend further and what took me by surprise was that there are thousands of channels on Youtube dedicated to people recording their everyday lives as a part of entertainment. Their popularity not only leads them to make millions through their videos but also opens doors into acting, music and fashion businesses. However, this success comes at a price. These vloggers get stalked, robbed and see a lot of hate through this process.

It was interesting to see where entertainment has reached and how people have found unique ways to make money. Having said that, I have mixed feelings about the vlogging career. Yes, it can be super lucrative and can be a great platform to get exposure but it also can become a dangerous job due to the lack of privacy especially for children who might not have signed up for this life.