HFIG Talks... – Détails, épisodes et analyse

In this episode of HFIG Talks, we sit down with Mario Iannuzzi, Lead UX Design Researcher at Thoughtworks and a University of Toronto alumnus, to explore the evolving landscape of Human Factors, UX research, and AI. With over a decade of experience across industries like finance, media, social technology, and consumer electronics, Mario shares valuable insights on:

• Breaking into UX/HF research and the key skills needed for success

• How UX/HF varies across industries and the challenges of designing for different domains

• The growing role of AI in UX research, including its benefits and limitations

• The future of UX/Human Factors and AI—where the field is heading

• How students and new grads can prepare for careers in UX/HF research

• Tips for staying engaged and continuously learning about emerging trends and technology

Resources Mario recommends:
Hard Fork podcast: https://www.nytimes.com/column/hard-fork
Lenny’s Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/

All opinions expressed are solely Mario's and do not express the views or opinions of his employer.

In this episode, we spoke with Professor Chignell, a Mechanical & Industrial Engineering faculty member at UofT since 1990. With over 40 years of experience in Industrial engineering, Professor Chignell speaks on his extensive educational background and how that brought him to human factors. He also goes in-depth talking about his start in Human-AI interaction research, his main concerns regarding Human-AI interaction, the role of human factors in addressing these issues, areas where Human-AI interaction are either progressing quickly or slow-going, and areas of special interest for him. Professor Chignell leaves off by sharing some valuable pieces of wisdom with listeners interested in pursuing research in Human-AI interaction.

This episode is the second in our 3-part series on Early Career Experiences in UX. We’ll be interviewing various UX professionals to hear about their educational background, paths to UX, career experience, and more. In this episode, HFIG talks to Dr. Anthony Soung Yee, a Senior Healthcare Risk Management Specialist at the Healthcare Insurance Reciprocal of Canada (HIROC). Our guest host for this episode is Professor Deborah Tihanyi from the University of Toronto’s Engineering Communication Program.

Episode music:
The Happiest Side Of Science by MusicLFiles
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6905-the-happiest-side-of-science
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This episode is the first in a series of episodes on Early Career Experiences in UX. We’ll be interviewing various UX professionals to hear about their educational background, paths to UX, career experience, and more. In this episode, HFIG talks to Dandi Feng, a UX Researcher at Thomson Reuters.

Episode music:
The Happiest Side Of Science by MusicLFiles
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6905-the-happiest-side-of-science
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In this episode, HFIG talks to Dr. John Flach, Senior Cognitive Systems Engineer at Mile Two in Ohio, and Dr. Alex Kirlik, Professor of Computer Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Flach and Dr. Kirlik share insights into the past, present, and future of HF, the subjects of ecological psychology and control theory, and many other topics!

In this episode, HFIG talks to Dr. Caroline Cao, a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at IMT Atlantique in France and a Professor of Biomedical, Industrial and Human Factors Engineering at Wright State University, and Dr. Barrett Caldwell, a Professor of Industrial Engineering at Purdue University. We talked about the role of human factors in the design process, how we can educate engineering students and industry professionals about the importance of human factors, and how we should raise awareness among the public about the value of human factors in their everyday lives.

Additional resources:

• Paper by Dr. Caldwell which discussed some of the issues mentioned in the episode:
  Caldwell, B. S. (2018, September). Considering the future of land grant ergonomics education. In Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting (Vol. 62, No. 1, pp. 359-363). Sage CA: Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publications. (link)
• Paper on the importance of human factors in software design:
  Meister, D. (1992, October). Relevance of human factors to design of computer software. In [Proceedings] 1992 IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics (pp. 218-221). IEEE. (link)
• Fun fact: SIGCHI history page refers to the first CHI conference in 1982 as “Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems” in 1982.

Episode music:

The Happiest Side Of Science by MusicLFiles

Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6905-the-happiest-side-of-science License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In this episode, HFIG talks to Dr. Myrtede Alfred, Assistant Professor in the department of Industrial Engineering at University of Toronto. Dr. Alfred shares her academic journey to becoming a human factors professor, the academic hiring process during the pandemic, her research plans at UofT, and her insights into future trends in human factors research. 

Episode music:
The Happiest Side Of Science by MusicLFiles
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6905-the-happiest-side-of-science License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In this episode, HFIG talks to Dr. Ian Noy, Human Factors and Ergonomics forensic expert and Chair of IEA2021, and Dr. Peter Hancock, Provost Distinguished Research Professor at the University of Central Florida and current president of HFES. Dr. Noy and Dr. Hancock share insights from their experiences being involved in HF/E societies and associations and discuss the future challenges and changes in store.

Episode music:
The Happiest Side Of Science by MusicLFiles
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6905-the-happiest-side-of-science
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In this episode, HFIG talks to Dr. Haydee M. Cuevas, an Associate Professor in the College of Aviation School of Graduate Studies at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Dr. Cuevas shares her tips for student professional development, including finding mentors, getting involved in the HFES community, and how to get the most out of the HFES annual meeting.

See this link for a list of articles and resources mentioned in the episode.

Episode music:

The Happiest Side Of Science by MusicLFiles

Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6905-the-happiest-side-of-science

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In this episode, HFIG talks to Professor Ilona Posner, User Experience Consultant and Educator from Toronto, and Dr. Paul Eisen, User Experience Consultant and Instructor at the University of Toronto. Professor Posner and Dr. Eisen share insights from their vast experience in the field of UX Consulting and discuss the current and future state of UX.

Episode music:
The Happiest Side Of Science by MusicLFiles
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6905-the-happiest-side-of-science
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/