It was time to run a family experiment. I’d heard about how COVID sparked rapid, deep shifts in the way people were working, and I wanted in.

EchoUser team members have different goals for 2022, such as creating space for thinking, better articulation of UX process, building space for thinking, strengthening human connections, more physical activity, better communication, growing intentionally, and more deliberate focus.

Four months into my Peace Corps service in Uganda, my boss stopped coming to work during regular business hours. He would often arrive at 11 a.m., and leave for lunch around 2 p.m. I was puzzled. What kept him at home until the late morning? And why was he leaving so early in the afternoon?

**May 2020**: Life changed for all of us. As we all confined ourselves into our homes, not being able to dine out at restaurants was one of the biggest changes that the pandemic brought to my lifestyle. The entire experience of dining out, with well-set tables and cutlery, hot appetizers, and beautiful ambiance was suddenly missing. 

With 2020 being an infuriating year, we at EchoUser wanted to start this new year with new goals and refreshed energy! EchoUser designers and researchers got together to write their visions, hopes, and plans that they would like to evolve and grow in 2021.

Take a long, deep breath... Breathe in relaxation… Hold it for a moment… Now, exhale, slowly... Let out any tension… Feel your body relax into stillness between breaths... Do that 3 times, 10 jumping jacks, and a 30-second plank, and your brain will be ready for this post. 

What is EchoUser’s North Star? Do our day-to-day actions align with our North Star? We wrestle with these questions periodically and the answers don’t always stay the same.

Healthcare innovation is essential in today's world, as demonstrated by the rapid virtual healthcare advancements due to COVID-19. EchoUser's involvement in healthcare projects with companies like Akili Interactive, Varian Medical Systems, and iRhythm emphasizes the importance of human-centered research and design, leading to improvements in patient care, treatment accessibility, and overall experience.

I have a background in political science, international relations, and modern Turkey studies, I came to the US for a sociology doctoral program, earned a master’s degree in sociology and found myself stuck at a level that academics call “all-but-dissertation”.  

I started leading the latest professional development (PD) series for our team titled “Research Basics: Note-taking through Analysis (and beyond)”. Unlike other professional development cycles that catered to a specific method of design or research, this one was explicitly a “crossover PD” designed for both researchers and designers.

I lead a small design firm. I’m responsible for making sure we do our jobs well. I also believe we should treat people well and be good citizens. Before now, I would not have said that it was our responsibility to fix society’s ills. 

Recently, I've been cooking without recipes, using intuition and my growing knowledge of food chemistry. Embracing the idea that there's no right or wrong in cooking, I enjoy the freedom of going off-script. I've learned to be playful with possibilities and trust my senses, transforming my cooking experience.