Reimagining Experience Research

Cecilia Henriques is co-author with Denise Pilar and Elizete Ignácio of the first Brazilian book on UX Research, UX Research com Sotaque Brasileiro (Portuguese). She holds a PhD in Knowledge Engineering and Management, a Master s degree in Education, specialized in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Applied to Education, as well as an undergraduate degree in Pedagogy. She has been working in UX Research since 2012 and in Research Operations since 2019. Her professional background includes projects across several industries, such as accounting, fiscal, logistics, oil and gas, education, financial services, and retail. In parallel, she also teaches at institutions such as UniRitter, UniSenac, and UNEMAT. Her work integrates research, knowledge management, and strategy, focusing on generating evidence to support decision-making and the development of people-centric products and services. She believes that UX Research should bring organizations closer to their users, deepening the understanding of their contexts, needs, and experiences to guide more informed decisions, foster more human-centric products, and build more meaningful relationships between companies and their audiences.

Denise Pilar is co-author with Cecilia Henriques and Elizete Ignácio of the first Brazilian book on UX Research, UX Research com Sotaque Brasileiro (Portuguese). She holds a PhD in Cognitive Psychology, a Master s degree and an undergraduate degree in Computer Science, and an MBA in Positive Psychology with a focus on Leadership for Change. She has been working in UX Research & Strategy since 2009. Her career includes roles at SAP and Nubank, and, more recently, a position as a professor of UX Research and Product Design at SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) on-site, in the US, where she led product design projects that won international awards such as the Red Dot Award, IDA, and the European Product Design Award, among others. She believes in UX as a means to execute business strategy while best accommodating user needs and limitations. She now operates at the intersection of UX Strategy and Decision Intelligence, translating behavioral complexity into executable strategy for C-level leaders and their teams.

Elizete Ignácio is a researcher, author, and executive leader with over 20 years of experience translating human behavior into social impact and business growth. Holding an M. Sc. in Cultural Anthropology and Sociology from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), she has led research, product operations, and design teams at top Latin American financial institutions, including Banco BV, Itaú, and Nubank, where she has focused heavily on anti-fraud initiatives, developing user-centered security features, and mitigating false positives through data and UX Research. Founder and former CEO of Clave de Fá Consultancy, she has also served as a Professor of anthropology and qualitative methodology at renowned academic institutions such as FGV, UFRRJ and FAAP. She believes that UX is the interpretation of the users perception about the digital or physical environment to propose an (un)reachable experience that transforms people and business realities. She is currently pursuing an MBA at Saint Paul Business School, deep-diving into AI-driven UX leadership and management. She has authored several books on culture and technology, including co-authoring UX Research com Sotaque Brasileiro, with Denise Pilar and Cecilia Henriques the first Brazilian book on the field.