Alicia Quan chats with leaders from the Prodigy Education team. We cover some tough and important questions, including: - How do Product Management and Product Design work together? - How does the team manage business viability with learner efficacy? - How do they balance this learner efficacy with student desirability? In other words, is it just a fun game or are students really learning math? - What does it mean to be a growth designer? - What is on the horizon for Prodigy? Our three guests th...
Mar 23, 2021•36 min•Ep 30•Transcript available on Metacast Alicia Quan chats with Asia Hoe, Senior Product Designer at Newsela. Their discussion includes: - Relating the work of design systems with the work against systemic injustice - Unpacking and refreshing your design process - Tips for designers in the EdTech space - Reflections as a woman of color in tech and design - Newsela’s anti-racist curriculum work 👉 Email Series: Exploring EdTech Product Design, UX, and Education HERE ⭐ Star of the Show - Connect with Asia Hoe: - Twitter - LinkedIn - Clar...
Mar 16, 2021•44 min•Ep 29•Transcript available on Metacast How do you thrive in an EdTech role? Alicia Quan chats with Bridget Weis , Senior Design Manager at Microsoft Education . They discuss: How teaching experience influences her design position today Unpacking the decision to pursue building Microsoft Teams for Education vs. Microsoft Classroom Tips for transitioning into the EdTech space Advice for EdTech product designers Stress management and navigating burnout Insight on selecting a role in EdTech (not just design) 👉 Email Series: Exploring UX...
Mar 09, 2021•41 min•Ep 28•Transcript available on Metacast What should you consider when designing for kids? Alicia chats with Debra Gelman , the author of Design for Kids , a Rosenfeld publication. She is also the SVP of Experience Design at Bottle Rocket. They cover a lot of ground, including: Book’s origin story The difference of designing for a 7-year old versus a 9-year old. Outstanding apps for children Hurdles of writing a book on design Changes she would make to the book for 2021 Some of the major pitfalls people fall into when designing for kid...
Mar 02, 2021•26 min•Ep 27•Transcript available on Metacast Alicia chats with Sabina Idler , the founder of UXKids . She is passionate about interactive media and designing for a very special and unique target group: children. UXKids is the first research and consulting firm in the Netherlands that is specialized in UX research and Interaction Design for children. At UXKids they believe that the best children products are developed WITH kids. 📧 Interested in collaborating and working together? Let’s connect below. 👉 Email Series: Exploring UX and Educa...
Feb 23, 2021•47 min•Ep 26•Transcript available on Metacast Alicia chats with Justin Chando, the Director of Design and Vision at Flipgrid, Microsoft. This conversation is packed with insight as we dive into this powerhouse of a tool for the classroom. Topics include: The origin story of Flipgrid (founded by an educator) Justin’s journey and background in entrepreneurship Portfolio and resume tips for designers seeking EdTech positions Encouragement for educators as designers and future founders The role of teacher and student voice in product design Wha...
Feb 16, 2021•31 min•Ep 25•Transcript available on Metacast Alicia chats with Finlay Thorburn , a product designer at Wakelet, about designing for teachers and students and why he has gravitated towards working with the education community. The team effort required to design for the education community Tips and advice for product designers in the EdTech space What is on the horizon for Wakelet and the design team 👉 Email Series: Exploring UX and Education HERE Connect with Finlay Thorburn: - LinkedIn - Twitter - Wakelet Connect with Alicia & the Pod...
Feb 09, 2021•31 min•Ep 24•Transcript available on Metacast Alicia chats with Colin Gray, PhD, who headed up one of the first UX undergraduate programs at Purdue University. They chat about: Building one of the first UX design undergraduate programs Advice in building a UX education program How does LX stand out from UX and ID How do academic research and actual practice interact and influence one another Recommendations for UX students of all sorts and stages Finding meaning in your work 👉 Email Series: Exploring UX and Education HERE Connect with Coli...
Feb 02, 2021•51 min•Ep 23•Transcript available on Metacast Alicia chats with Lauren Schaefer, the Director of UX/UI at Nearpod. Listen to get a look at the design approach behind Nearpod as they discuss a variety of topics for designers and educators: The role teachers and students play in the design work Advice for product designers working in EdTech Portfolio tips for UX designers The role of Director of UX What’s on the horizon for Nearpod fans 👉 Email Series on EdTech Product Design HERE Connect with Lauren: - Nearpod - South Florida UX Meetup - Li...
Jan 26, 2021•36 min•Ep 22•Transcript available on Metacast Alicia chats with Kim Ducharme , the Director of Educational User Experience Design at CAST. She works at the intersection of user experience design, instructional design, and the learning sciences. Kim leads the creative process from brainstorming through prototyping to product launch. She is committed to harnessing the power of design to tackle the educational challenges of our time. Our discussion includes defining edUX and where this domain is headed in the future. 👉 Email Series exploring ...
Jan 19, 2021•27 min•Ep 21•Transcript available on Metacast Alicia talks with Alison Park Douglas , a UX Manager in EdTech currently at SMART Technologies. We discuss several topics: Taking the bootcamp route and transitioning careers EdTech product design considerations Doing user research with teachers Limits in EdTech for students Portfolio/resume advice and red flags 👉 Email Series on EdTech Product Design HERE Connect with Alison: - UX Career Change Article - LinkedIn Connect with Alicia & the Podcast: - LinkedIn - Twitter - YouTube - Instagram...
Jan 12, 2021•39 min•Ep 20•Transcript available on Metacast Alicia talks with Elyse Klaidman , former Director of Pixar University and a founding leader for Pixar in a Box and Imagineering in a Box supported by the Walt Disney Company. Beyond Pixar and Disneyland, Klaidman and the “ X in a Box ” team are working with other companies to package their resources for students across the globe. They are committed to working towards an equitable education system that provides opportunity for all. - What it is like to work at Pixar - How companies can grow thei...
Jan 05, 2021•55 min•Ep 19•Transcript available on Metacast Alicia talks with Yannick Dupont, a concept designer for LEGO Education. He reflects on his journey as a middle school science teacher, a freelancer specializing in LEGO Robotics and instructional design, and his eventual move to Billund, Denmark to work at LEGO. What’s it like to work at LEGO Education? We get a glimpse here and inspiration for any design work in the education realm. Explore UX and the EdTech space: https://sendfox.com/ux.edtech Connect with Yannick: LinkedIn LEGO Education Lea...
Dec 16, 2020•36 min•Ep 18•Transcript available on Metacast Alicia talks with the founder and co-founder of Gimkit , Josh Feinsilber and Jeff Osborn. Gimkit is a live quiz learning game that positively ignites classroom engagement and rivals the type of excitement produced in a Kahoot! set. Listen in on several topics: - How to make an EdTech product that is successful in the classroom - How the team understands the pain points teachers and students experience - The role of social media in their product design - New game mode proposals and how to get you...
Dec 08, 2020•56 min•Ep 17•Transcript available on Metacast Alicia talks with Maurice Woods , Founder and Executive Director of Inneract Project and Principal Designer at Microsoft. Inneract Project (IP) serves primarily middle and high school youth who identify as Black, Latinx and/or of low-income backgrounds. IP offers a pathway of free design classes and initiatives, in order to introduce youth to the field of design and help channel their creativity into viable career paths. Maurice offers insights on a variety of topics, including: The intersection...
Dec 01, 2020•41 min•Ep 16•Transcript available on Metacast Alicia talks with Morgan Chin , a former elementary teacher and current UX designer completing her masters in Human-Computer Interaction at Georgia Tech and having recent internships at The Home Depot and Facebook for AR/VR. She spends her free time learning about and designing interfaces that will further bridge the gap between education, technology, and people. Listen in as she describes her ideal workspace that brings together her love for kids and education with her work in technology ...
Nov 24, 2020•33 min•Ep 15•Transcript available on Metacast Need inspiration as a creative leader and educator? Do you design for learners? Alicia talks with Miguel Cardona, an interdisciplinary designer and professor teaching New Media Design courses at RIT College of Art and Design. We chat about all things Figma and education! If you are a creative educator, leader, or designer for learners, you don’t want to miss this episode. UX / EdTech Goodies Connect with Miguel Cardona: - Website - Twitter - Sketchcups Connect with Alicia & the Podcast: - Yo...
Nov 10, 2020•51 min•Ep 14•Transcript available on Metacast Alicia talks with three members of Backpack Interactive , a creative strategy, UX and design company in the EdTech space. As EdTech specialists, they believe in the power of thoughtful design and delightful UX to enable better teaching, learning, and communication. Monica Sherwood - UX designer specializing in EdTech; former Special Education Teacher Milagros Montalvo - Sr. Interactive Project Manager; former teacher with a background in early childhood education Sean Oakes - Principal and Creat...
Oct 20, 2020•54 min•Ep 13•Transcript available on Metacast True or False? UX + ID + UI = LXD What is Learning Experience Design (LXD)? How do you become an LX designer? Should you hire one? Where are the LX designers in the K-12 space? Alicia discusses these questions and features multiple guest voices throughout the show. Explore UX and the EdTech space: https://sendfox.com/ux.edtech Connect with the Guests: Pamela Hogle Article: https://learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/lx-design-shifts-emphasis-from-elearning-content-to-learners Alex Salas: https://w...
Oct 13, 2020•32 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast What kind of education, background, and experience make excellent UX professionals in the EdTech space? Alicia talks with the president of Openfield, Adam Sonnett, about this and the current landscape in EdTech. They chat about what should be considered by EdTech companies in 2020 and beyond. Adam also unpacks how their agency functions and their vision for the future. Openfield is an agency of UX professionals with deep domain experience in the EdTech space. Explore UX and the EdTech space: htt...
Sep 28, 2020•43 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast Alicia talks with Dannielle Rivera, a 2nd grade teacher, about what it is like to use EdTech tools in our current distance learning environment. If you have a hand in designing products for learners, you definitely want to check out this conversation! It is sprinkled with “on the ground” insights of usability and high level reflections on takeaways for product designers. Listen in if you want to be freshly reminded of what teachers are considering in an EdTech tool today. Connect with Dannielle:...
Sep 21, 2020•1 hr•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast Alicia talks with Belinda Medellin , a Texas “Teacher of the Year” who has created one of the first UX course pathways for high schools in the United States. Listen to find out about her process and opportunities to collaborate with both Belinda and Alicia. Designers, Teachers, Students: Interested in partnering to develop a high school UX course in your area? Connect here for a starter kit and next steps: https://sendfox.com/ux.edtech Connect with Belinda: High School UX Pathway: https://www.bu...
Sep 14, 2020•41 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast Alicia talks with Suj Premachandran about his work on a UX course designed for 8-11 year olds. Suj is the CEO of Digital Influx, an EdTech consultancy that aims to bridge the gap between education and employment. We chat about the influence that UX principles can have on education globally. Don’t miss out on this vision for educating children. Connect with Suj: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suj-premachandran-b630b444/ UX Course Demo: https://www.digitalinflux.com/courses/ux-for-kids Conn...
Sep 08, 2020•26 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast Alicia talks with Alex Britez, Director of User Experience at MacMillan Learning and adjunct professor at NYU. Alex has also received his graduate degree in Digital Media Design for Learning from NYU. He unpacks his journey from graphic design to his pivot towards educational technology and design as he discovered his “why” and purpose as a designer. We discuss how learning science affects our application of AR/VR and voice interfaces in education and we consider how to prepare for more online t...
Aug 03, 2020•51 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast How important are the research phases of UX and product development? Alicia connects with Alesha Arp , a Senior UX Research at MIND Research Institute. MIND is an EdTech math organization supporting K12 students and educators. They chat about the role of research in developing educational technology products. Connect with Alesha Arp: Twitter: @AleshaArp ( https://twitter.com/aleshaarp?lang=en ) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alesha-arp-078b853/ MIND Research Institute: https://www.m...
Jul 27, 2020•58 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast Alicia connects with Eva PenzeyMoog, Principal Designer at 8th Light and Founder of the Inclusive Safety Project. They chat about her former experiences at an education nonprofit, her transition into UX and the tech industry, and her current work in designing against domestic violence. Join us as we explore what a mission-driven mindset can look like throughout multiple fields of work. Connect with Eva: The Inclusive Safety Project: ( https://www.inclusivesafety.com/ ) “Designing Against Domesti...
Jul 20, 2020•38 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast Alicia connects with John Lewis, a Special Education teacher of 13 years moving into the field of UX. They chat about his experiences as a teacher, a boot-camper at Springboard, his research on Google Classroom, and what it is like to change careers and transfer his skills to a new field. Connect with John: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-lewis-userex1/ Connect with Alicia & the Podcast: Twitter/Instagram: @ux_edtech ( https://twitter.com/UX_EdTech ) LinkedIn : https://www.linkedi...
Jul 13, 2020•41 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast Alicia connects with Jules Bennett, a former social studies middle school teacher, and they chat about his past experiences as an educator and the path he took to his current career as a UX/UI designer. Connect with Jules: Blog Post - Why Every Teacher is also a UX Designer ( https://medium.com/@julesdylan/why-every-teacher-is-also-a-ux-ui-designer-103e35cbf7d3 ) Blog Post - The $10,000 UX/UI Bootcamp. Is it worth it? ( https://medium.com/nyc-design/the-10-000-ux-ui-bootcamp-is-it-worth-it-facd9...
Jul 06, 2020•29 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast Alicia connects with Alice Barton, a former high school Biology Teacher, and they chat about her experiences as an educator and a designer. Connect with Alice: Blog Post - Teachers: Natural Born UX Designers LinkedIn - Alicewbarton Connect with Alicia & the Podcast: Twitter/Instagram: @ux_edtech LinkedIn Music: Scott Buckley Send in your thoughts and perspectives!...
Jun 29, 2020•24 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast This episode launches listeners into a journey of collaboration. What can happen when experienced educators and UX designers come together on the topic of EdTech? Alicia shares how she began this process and extends the invite your way. Q: If you are an educator, what are some things you wish the designers behind EdTech knew about your world? Q: If you are a user experience designer, what are some things you wish the educational community knew about your role and craft? Let me know! You can send...
Jun 21, 2020•16 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast 
