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Join us for an in-depth conversation with Bryant Foster, a human factors expert who's worked with industry giants like Google to make complex products simpler and safer. With a background in cognitive psychology, Bryant shares insights on designing user-friendly products, from surgical systems to smart thermostats, all while keeping the end user at the center of the design process.

Main Topics:

• What drew Bryant into human factors and user experience design
• How to define and achieve simplicity in product design
• Advanced usability testing tools: eye tracking, pupilometry, and facial emotion analysis
• Why users don't always give honest feedback and how to work around it
• Providing critical design feedback without demoralizing teams
• Cost-effective approaches to human factors testing
• Safety considerations in medical device design
• Use-related risk analysis and task analysis methodologies
• Lessons learned from working at Google X
• Building successful human factors consulting teams

About the guest: Bryant Foster is the Vice President of Human Factors and User Experience at Research Collective, a user-centered research consultancy serving clients from startups to major companies like GE Healthcare, Microsoft, and Medtronic. With over a decade of experience in applied psychology and usability research, he specializes in ensuring products are safe, intuitive, and user-focused.

He holds a Master’s in Applied Psychology (Human Factors) from Arizona State University and began his career at the Cognitive Engineering Research Institute, later working at Google X as a UX researcher. At Research Collective in Tempe, Arizona, he leads a team that uses methods like ethnography, eye tracking, and biometric analysis.

In addition to his consulting work, Bryant mentors students and supports local entrepreneurs through programs like LEAP, blending scientific rigor with empathy in fields from medical devices to consumer tech.

Links:

Bryant Foster LinkedIn

Research Collective Website

Aaron Moncur, host

About Being An Engineer

The Being An Engineer podcast is a repository for industry knowledge and a tool through which engineers learn about and connect with relevant companies, technologies, people resources, and opportunities. We feature successful mechanical engineers and interview engineers who are passionate about their work and who made a great impact on the engineering community.

The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with medical & other device engineering teams who need turnkey equipment such as cycle test machines, custom test fixtures, automation equipment, assembly jigs, inspection stations and more. You can find us on the web at www.teampipeline.us