Rethinking Users

Michael Youngblood is Principal at The Youngblood Group, an innovation consultancy working at the nexus of social science and human-centered design. Prior to launching his own practice, he was Associate Partner at the acclaimed design and innovation firm Gravitytank, where he was the co-lead of the user research team. Mike has taught design research at the School for International Training, the Maryland Institute College of Art, the Haas School of Business at the University of California–Berkeley, and the Stanford University d.school. His award-winning book, Cultivating Community (2016, SASA Books) explores the participant experience in a mass social movement in India. Mike holds a Ph.D. in cultural anthropology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Benjamin Chesluk is a cultural anthropologist who has been conducting research to understand and improve health care since 2005. He is currently Senior Researcher for Ethnographic Research at the American Board of Internal Medicine. Before coming to the ABIM, he spent several years at a design-research consulting firm, where he conducted ethnographic research in clinics, ORs and ICUs around the world. He has taught at the Stanford University d.school, as well as at New York University and Fordham University. Chesluk is also the author of Money Jungle (2007), an anthropological study of the redevelopment of New York City's Times Square, published by Rutgers University Press. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of California at Santa Cruz. Nadeem Haidary is a product designer working in technology at the intersection of digital and physical experiences. He spent the majority of his career in design consulting at Salesforce Ignite, Gravitytank, Smart Design and IDEO, helping clients uncover human needs and design innovative solutions. Outside of work, Nadeem crafts unconventional objects and explores novel ways of visualizing information. He has spoken about his work at SXSW, his projects have been covered by Fast Company and the Atlantic, and he has contributed to books Data Flow 2 (2010, gestalten) and Drawing Ideas (2013, Watson-Guptill). Teaching what he practices, Nadeem has lectured on prototyping and visualizing ideas at Stanford University d.school and University of California Berkeley. He holds a degree in Industrial Design from Carnegie Mellon University.