Exactly a year ago I purchased the domain name CuriosityTank.com. After 10 years working under the name Ronsen Consulting LLC, I wanted to rebrand the consultancy with a greater focus on user research education.

Where did the name come from?

People often ask me what I love about my work. My typical response is that "design and user research 'fill my curiosity tank' while helping other people."

Imagine my delight when the domain name was available and for only $9.97!! Happy Anniversary domain name (and special shout out to my friend Deyson Oritz for this amazing animation)!

12 Ways to Fill your own Curiosity Tank!

This “Fuel Your Curiosity” edition inspires you to fill your own tank with a slew of UXR events and classes. They are listed sequentially for easy calendaring. I hope you’ll join me and up your curiosity skills.

1. Curiosity Tank: Learn how to author a research PLAN properly and walk away one >> PLAN >> Sunday 5/31 and Wednesday 6/3 @ 9am-12:30pm PST

2. General Assembly: The Art of Conducting Research Interviews: June 2nd @ 9am-12pm PST

3. * NEW PARTNERSHIP Bitesize UX: Hands-On UX Research Challenge: Redesign How Friends Hang Out Remotely: Perform secondary research, and a card sort, and walk away with a case study. June 2nd @ 2:30-5pm PST

4. General Assembly: Introduction to User Research: June 9th @ 6pm-9pm PST

5. * NEW PARTNERSHIP Bitesize UX: Hands-On UX Research Challenge: Redesign How Friends Hang Out Remotely: June 11th @ 6-8:30pm PST (repeat of #3 above at a different date and time)

6. Curiosity Tank: Learn how to author a research survey or screener and walk away one >> SURVEY/SCREEN >> Friday 6/12 and Monday 6/15 @ 3pm-6pm PST

7. General Assembly: FREE FRIDAY: USER RESEARCH METHODS ++: FREE webinar covering a UXR methods, fun activities activities to add into interviews, and an intro to analysis and synthesis, followed by a one hour Q&A. June 12th @ 8am-10am PST

8. * NEW PARTNERSHIP Cascade SF: UXNight: Connecting Research and Design: Cool panel discussion about the intersection of research and design. June 16th @ 5pm-8pm PST

9. Curiosity Tank: Learn how to ask good questions, author a discussion guide, and walk away one >> INTERVIEW >> Sunday 6/21 and Wednesday 6/24 @ 3pm-6pm PST

10. General Assembly: Conducting User Research Bootcamp: June 23rd @ 9am-4pm PST

11. Curiosity Tank: Learn how to tackle stakeholder engagement, explore different note taking strategies, and other fundamental research ops >> ORCHESTRATE >> Monday 6/29 and Wednesday 7/1 @ 9am-12pm PST

12. Curiosity Tank: Explore three essential strategic methods to analyze, synthesize and connect dots faster >> SPOT PATTERNS >> Monday 7/6 and Wednesday 7/8 9am-12pm PST

NOTE: All five Curiosity Tank classes are now offered >> IN A BUNDLE >>. Purchase the BUNDLE and receive 20% off all five classes along with a certificate of completion.

Apprenticeship anyone?

In other news, I am thrilled to reveal that Curiosity Tank just launched—along with Paul Derby as a mentor—a brief apprenticeship in user research.We created a waitlist for people interested in the next cohort.

What I'm Reading

• Should User Research and Market Research Teams be Combined?

• Undemocratising User Research

• Scaling UX Research: how to train an army of (non)researchers

Speak up, get involved, share the love

• Read about Curiosity Tank remote workshops

• Register for Michele's (now remote) General Assembly classes

• Forward this email to someone who you think might enjoy it. Better yet, sign them up here. It will be the gift that keeps on giving.

• Ask us questions related to user research. Seriously, bad research keeps us up at night!

Wow. Yep. No excuses.

One year! Hitting my goals, helping people and loving it!

And now you have no excuses about not knowing how to increase your own user research knowledge and skills!

Hit reply and lmk what your user research goals include this year.

Stay curious,

- Michele

PS. Don't procrastinate! Grab a friend and sign up for a class or event now. You know you want to ;)