Sam Alper, PhD
Director
Sam’s background in HF and industrial engineering has led to his systematic approach to problem solving in which he considers both the technical and the social aspects of challenges. He has reviewed the design of dozens of products, warnings, and manuals for medical devices, consumer products, and agricultural equipment. Sam has been retained as an expert witness in the area of Human Factors and, as an expert, has authored expert reports and provided testimony regarding factors that contributed to accident causation. Sam has a deep research background and has developed and implemented quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. He has a Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Something unique about you summed up in one sentence
Pretty sure I’m the only one in the office who can juggle 5 objects.
Your favorite part of working at Bold Insight
The goal of our work is to make life easier and/or better for people. While maintaining scientific rigor, we make sure to have fun. From top to bottom, each team member wants each of the others to succeed.
In your spare time you would absolutely do this:
I already play hockey. But given spare time in the right location, I’d love to do more SCUBA.
How long have you been in the UX field?
Tangentially, for almost a decade. As a primary focus, for over a year.
Your favorite city in the world is...and why?
Madison, WI. After going to school there for 10 years, I fell in love with the city.
Your ultimate celebrity dinner party guest list would include:
The Dalai Lama for his presence in the moment and his joyfulness. Pope Francis for his thoughts on culture change and helping a group adapt to a new environment. Barack Obama for his ability to stay on message through adversity, even when it put him at a disadvantage. Ellen DeGeneres for her ability to do good with humor.
Long-term personal or professional goal?
I’m curious about whether, and how, we could apply user experience principles to jobs– I think there’s potential to do a lot of good by improving peoples’ experiences at work.
Any other facts to share?
I’m an expert! At least, I have testified as an expert witness in the field of human factors and no one has disputed my expertise.
Read Sam’s bold insights
Is FMEA inadequate for human factors analyses?
As part of the overall human factors effort associated with the development of a medical device, critical tasks1 must be determined and evaluated. To support testing of critical tasks related to a...
5 charities win during Bold Insight’s HFES Health Care Symposium exhibit
Bold Insight had a strong presence at the conference, chairing two panels and presenting three posters. In addition, our exhibit offered the chance for attendees to choose 1 of 5 charities to which the company would donate.
Product design: Why it’s important to see behavior
As designers, we assume users will behave the way we expect them to behave. Unfortunately for us, humans are unpredictable … attempts to model behavior typically predict less than 10% of actions....
Is FMEA inadequate for human factors analyses?
As part of the overall human factors effort associated with the development of a medical device, critical tasks1 must be determined and evaluated. To support testing of critical tasks related to a device, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of the hazards associated with use of the...
5 charities win during Bold Insight’s HFES Health Care Symposium exhibit
Bold Insight had a strong presence at the conference, chairing two panels and presenting three posters. In addition, our exhibit offered the chance for attendees to choose 1 of 5 charities to which the company would donate.
Product design: Why it’s important to see behavior
As designers, we assume users will behave the way we expect them to behave. Unfortunately for us, humans are unpredictable … attempts to model behavior typically predict less than 10% of actions. Consider the Theory of Planned Behavior, which suggests behaviors depend on an individual’s attitude,...
Research shows big payoff when design includes voice of the user
Arriving at a fantastic design rarely happens by magic or luck. More typically, it occurs through a great deal of work … including revisions, iterations, and seeking out the voice of the user. We know this. It makes sense. Yet, stakeholders still cut design cycles short because they can’t be sure...
