Opening Remarks
Summary
Bria Alexander warmly welcomes participants to Day 2 of Advancing Research 2023, introducing the day’s focus on researchers as agents of organizational change. She recaps the previous day’s theme on research as a transformational force and sets expectations for the current and following days. Bria explains logistical details including the conference’s official Pacific Time zone and the flexible option to adjust for attendees worldwide. She highlights plentiful breaks between sessions to reduce scheduling conflicts and encourages active participation via the dedicated Slack workspace, emphasizing it as the main venue for discussion and Q&A. The presence of high-quality, free sponsor sessions running parallel to the main program is noted, with encouragement to attend these Zoom-based events that offer engaging, non-sales content and social activities. Bria gives a shoutout to sponsors like Megabyte, Dovetail, Fable, and more, underlining their essential role in the conference's success. She also promotes the digital swag bag filled with special offers and encourages attendees to take advantage of it. Attendees are reassured that all session materials including slide decks, resources, and sketch notes by David Nicholson will be promptly available online, relieving pressure to take detailed notes live. Finally, she underlines the importance of the community’s code of conduct to ensure a respectful and welcoming environment, offering multiple ways to report discomfort or issues, and invites everyone to fully engage with the conference community.
Key Insights
-
•
The theme of Day 2 focuses on researchers as catalysts for organizational change.
-
•
Conference timing is anchored in Pacific Daylight Time, but attendees can adjust to their local zones.
-
•
Slack is the primary platform for Q&A, community interaction, and networking during the event.
-
•
Sponsor sessions run during breaks, offer high-quality content, and are free for anyone interested.
-
•
Sponsors are vital partners, contributing sessions and resources beyond financial support.
-
•
The digital swag bag contains various sponsor offers accessible via QR code or URL.
-
•
Session recordings, slide decks, and sketch notes are provided promptly post-session for easy access.
-
•
David Nicholson provides live sketch notes, alleviating attendees from taking detailed notes.
-
•
A clear code of conduct is emphasized to maintain a respectful and safe community environment.
-
•
Multiple support channels exist, including Slack help desk and email, to ensure a smooth conference experience.
Notable Quotes
"Today we’re gonna be talking about researchers as organizational change makers."
"The official conference time zone is Pacific Daylight Time, but you can adjust it based on where you are."
"Slack is the way you ask questions to the speakers, and it’s where most of the community interaction happens."
"Sponsor sessions are not sales pitches, they’re incredibly high quality and free to attend."
"You can invite anyone in your family to attend the sponsor sessions for free even if they’re not registered."
"All the content, including slide decks and sketch notes, will be posted promptly after each session."
"David Nicholson is our in-house scribe who produces wonderful sketch notes throughout the conference."
"Please respect our code of conduct to ensure a welcoming and safe space for all attendees."
"If you feel uncomfortable or see bullying, please let us know. We absolutely do not tolerate it."
"We could not do this conference without our incredible sponsors who spend a lot of effort thinking about ways to enrich our programming."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"It doesn’t matter when work is done, so long as it’s done and its quality."
Lavy Kumar Kat Temple Shan Sebastian Tara Jensen Jenn ChouFuture of Work
June 9, 2021
"Leadership buy-in now means we get to focus on bigger, generative research questions instead of just tactical usability studies."
Andreas Huebner Amy Takata Craig BrookesWhat Is It Like To Be Part of The UX Team at Compass?
March 11, 2021
"Customers can answer what the researcher wants to hear in surveys, making attitude only 28% predictive of real behavior."
Ricardo MartinsUnlocking the power of advanced quantitative methods
March 12, 2025
"Learning invalidates being right as the currency of research and product decisions."
Monty HammontreeThe Future of UX Research
December 3, 2020
"The designers started to send notes of thank you to the ex members of the design ops team for making their life easier."
Benjamin RealShowing the Value of DesignOps by Not Having a DesignOps Team
October 21, 2020
"You can own the infrastructure that allows knowledge to flow but you can't actually own the knowledge itself."
Kate TowseyAsk Me Anything (AMA) with Kate Towsey
April 2, 2025
"Trust is built by showing you’re there to help make them succeed, not just push your agenda."
Steve Portigal Chris Chapo Kelly Goto Christian RohrerDiscussion
May 13, 2015
"Consistency reduces cognitive load not just for screen reader users but for people with ADHD and other cognitive challenges."
Sam ProulxOnline Shopping: Designing an Accessible Experience
March 28, 2023
"For screen reader users, you often need to build entirely new prototypes using systems like Microsoft Word or Google Docs to convey semantic information."
Sam ProulxPrototype Reviews, People With Disabilities, and You
October 1, 2021
