About Dan Berlin

Like many user experience practitioners, Dan serendipitously discovered the field when he participated in a usability study himself. Finding that the field was the perfect melding of his BA in Psychology from Brandeis University and his passion for computer geekery, he quit his job and earned an MBA + MS in Human Factors in Information Design from Bentley University.

Dan then spent the next thirteen years living the agency life, conducting usability studies and other UX research activities for a wide variety of clients across myriad industries. He led the UX research team at Mad*Pow for ten years before striking out on his own and starting Watch City Research in 2021.

He also stays involved with the local community, having served eight years on the UXPA Boston Board of Directors, including three as president. He also facilitated the blind review process for their annual conference from 2012 through 2021. In the past he’s also helped with the UXPA International Conference and the IA Conference. In 2021 he edited the O’Reilly Media book 97 Things Every UX Practitioner Should Know. Dan teaches in the Bentley University UX Certificate program and is currently enrolled in the Bentley University Executive PhD in Business program.

Dan’s passion for conducting usability studies on different types of experiences led him to open Watch City Research. He has conducted research in many different settings and hopes to continually prove something he often says: Every user experience can be observed and tested. Whether it’s in a car, on an appliance, in store, on a computer or mobile screen, even in a patient ward, there’s always a way to get actionable information from users, and use that to improve their experience.