User Research & Design, Part I: Validate Before You Build

Creating products customers actually want starts with understanding their needs. Whether you're developing a new product, refining an existing offering, or looking to improve your innovation process, using a structured approach can help you reduce risk, validate ideas, and build solutions with confidence.

This workshop led by Janice Rohn will introduce practical frameworks and proven methods for product strategy, customer research, and user-centered design. Drawing from decades of experience leading product development and UX teams at companies like Apple and Intel, Janice will share the tools and processes used to create successful products from concept through validation.

You'll walk away with:

• A framework for defining and refining your business and product strategy
• Techniques for conducting customer research to better understand your target market, user needs, and pain points
• Practical methods for creating user profiles and prioritizing product features
• An understanding of how to develop product roadmaps and design prototypes
• Strategies for gathering user feedback, testing concepts, and validating ideas before development
• Best practices for transitioning validated designs into efficient product development

About the Speaker

Janice Rohn is a pioneering leader in User Experience whose career began at Stanford before joining Apple, where she co-authored the Macintosh Human Interface Guidelines and designed innovative products. Over more than 25 years as a vice president, she founded and led product design and development teams at Fortune 100 companies and startups, overseeing thousands of successful products.

At Intel, Janice co-founded a customer research-focused incubation program, developing its framework and leading cross-functional teams through the innovation process. She has also played a significant role in advancing the UX profession as a founding Board member and past President of the Usability Professionals' Association, an inventor with multiple design patents, and a contributor to ISO and NIST standards. Janice has authored more than 75 publications and has taught User Experience to more than 16,000 professionals worldwide through Nielsen Norman Group, industry conferences, and university guest lectures.