User Experience Professionals Association (UXPA), NJ chapter

What does democracy and activism have to do with the user experience, you might ask? Certainly, the Founding Fathers did not envision the Internet, social media, and the bevy of enclaves and specialized groups that have been created and which have proliferated in recent years. As citizens, we realize that a shared understanding may be the first essential step to both leading and problem-solving.

So how can UX designers and researchers lend their skills and experience to promoting understanding, cooperation, collaboration, and the achievement of great things in the civil and political spheres? Is there a place for them in these conversations and organizations, and if so, what is that place? What are some of the possibilities and opportunities for UX designers and researchers to get involved, and to benefit, from participating in this growing area? Can we as UX professionals support democracy and democratic values in a non-partisan and professional way? Let's explore some options.

Our speaker, Chris Hawkins, will provide us with an overview of some of the ways in which UX professionals are "naturals" when it comes to the areas of civics and activism. The same UX skills and guiding principles that we use in our work as designers and researchers are the very ones needed in activist organizations of a variety of types. These include organizing participants, training others in what are thought of as both "hard" and "soft" skills, and providing guidance and leadership.

Chris will begin by presenting a brief overview of her own personal journey, and how she got to where she is today. Chris promises a short number of bullet points, leaving us with lots of time for a lively, extended question and answer session.

About Our Speaker:

Chris Hawkins is a UX Consultant who has worked in the UX field for 20 years, turning activist in 2016.

Chris currently is the founder of Voting for our Lives Indivisible, accessible via TikTok @votingforourlives, FaceBook (private) www.facebook.com/chris.hawkins.524, Instagram, Threads, BlueSky, and YouTube. See her Reel People Shorts, or the What's Your Story Playlist or Currents Playlist for a collection of stories about how folks are affected by the administration.

Her passion has always been "to advocate for a better experience." During her decades-long career, she has worked as a UX researcher and consultant for such organizations as Dun & Bradstreet, United Airlines, California DMV, Inovalon, BioRoad, Facebook Ads, California Community Services & Development, and Healthline, among others.

Chris tells us that the most important tool in her tool chest is active listening. "I was always told by my best mentors to 'listen to understand, not to respond.'"

Chris' tenure includes joining Care2.com, an environmentally and socially activist website, designing their first online petition forms. Later in her tech career, she founded three Indivisible groups, organized volunteers for various activist projects, and continues to build coalitions as a community leader, promoting civic participation and education.

Chris holds an AA degree in Computer Science, a BS in Anthropology and in Music, and an MS in HCI (Human Computer Interaction) from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, NY.

Chris is especially focused on training and her own continuous learning, and applying the principles of eliciting objective information from users, voters, and everyday folks at the grocery store.

Meeting Agenda

7:30 - 7:45 p Welcome, announcements, job seekers/offers
7:45 - 9:00 p Speaker presentation followed by extended Q&A
9:00 pm Closing

Thank you to Professor Rupa Misra and Rutgers University for their sponsorship of this event.

Our UXPA NJ chapter is developing a sponsorship program for organizations, so that they can additionally support and assist our UXPA NJ chapter in serving our growing community. For more information about some possible ways that your organization can further support our mission, reach out to Josephine Giaimo at josephinegiaimo@gmail.com.

Join your friendly, growing group of UXPA professionals and the curious for a special evening of socializing, and more.

There's a full bar, a sushi menu, and the best part? Michael Lawton and his Brazilian band, featuring a singer, will provide us with a special evening of live music.

Feel free to stay for the whole time, or whatever suits you. We know that your schedule might be include other things, especially at the end of the work week, on a Friday evening.

Please RSVP so we know how many seats and tables to reserve. If you change your mind, even up until the last minute, kindly let us know.

This is a social/networking event, so there won't be any speakers or presented topics. But there may be some fun, crafty things to do at the table. It's a surprise.

If you do choose to join us, please plan to buy a drink at minimum. We appreciate the opportunity to be able to meet at this lovely venue, and would like to support the restaurant in this way. If you prefer non-alcoholic drinks, be assured that they have a selection of these as well.

Parking is available on the street on Raritan Avenue, as well as on the cross streets. Mr. Pi's is on the corner of Raritan Avenue and North Third Avenue. Try north or south Third, or on Raritan between Fourth and Second Avenues. Parking is free, no meters in Highland Park, thank goodness.

PS: For those who go back that far, this is the same location of a Charlie Browns in the 1990s. In more recent years, before it became Mr. Pi's, it was a completely different menu. I ate there several times, says Josephine, and we even met there as a UXPA NJ chapter group, at least once. When they opened, I think they were featuring a really good burger. It was called Tete's, it was a really nice Peruvian restaurant. We'll give Mr. Pi's a try, we've been hearing very good things about this place. I hear that they have good ramen, too.

If you are using public transportation, you can take the NEC Amtrak train to New Brunswick and walk about a mile to Mr. Pi's, or take a Lyft or an Uber. Should be a nice time of year for that, not too hot, not too cold.