Simon Posner

I'm a UX researcher trained in the discipline of anthropology where I've developed expertise in the social studies of technology.

My interest in technology first arose during my undergrad when I took courses on the anthropology of technology. Looking at technologies across different cultural and historical contexts pushed me to think about these objects not as discrete artifacts that remain the same wherever they travel, but rather as assemblages that have varying meanings and effects in their relations with society.

I carried this interest in technologies in my MA research during which I conducted ethnographic research in Songdo, a mega-scale urban development on the western edge of South Korea. For this project, I tried to understand how the city etched itself into the lives of its residents and workers, and how in turn, they etched themselves into the material and symbolic makeup of the city.

Following my MA, I decided to pursue a PhD where I conducted ethnographic research alongside blockchain and cryptocurrency enthusiasts in Seoul, South Korea. For this project, I looked at how these emerging technologies intersect with the practices and strategies enthusiasts deploy to make sense of the increasing volatility and uncertainty of the world around and beyond them.

My training in anthropology brings a unique lens to industry research. I've learned to think laterally and expansively across different siloed plains -- online and offline, business and consumer, qualitative and quantitative -- to generate precise and holistic insights in my work.