In this episode, we chat with David Muñoz, Staff UX Researcher at Google, about AI image generation, career growth in tech, and what it means to be a “super IC.” We cover the future of UX, ethical AI, and how research happens at scale. Whether you're in design, research, or just curious about HCI, this one's for you.
🔗 Follow HC-Hive for more real talk on design, tech, and grad school life.
Welcome to the very first episode of HC-Hive, the podcast where Georgia Tech grad students pull back the curtain on what it's really like behind the scenes. In this episode, Kernell, Mansi, and Pooja share their first impressions of grad school, why they chose Georgia Tech, and the projects they're diving into. They get real about the challenges (like managing group work and late-night grind sessions), the learning moments (including some surprise lessons outside the classroom), and of course, life in grad school — the highs, the lows, and the coffee-fueled chaos in between. If you're thinking about grad school, just started, or are curious about life as a Yellow Jacket, this one's for you!
Tune in, follow, and get ready for more honest conversations in future episodes.
New to Atlanta? We've got you covered.
In this episode, current HCI master's students join the Hive to share their real experiences moving to Atlanta for grad school — from navigating the city to defining what success in grad school means to them to building a new community. Whether you're packing your bags or just curious about what’s ahead, tune in for tips, stories, and encouragement! Also, a very hearty welcome to the class of 2027!
Our guests today:
Parnian Vafa - https://www.linkedin.com/in/parvaf3830/
Umme Ammara - https://www.linkedin.com/in/umme-ammara/
Hosted by:Manuni Dhruv - https://www.linkedin.com/in/manunidhruv/Rajath Pai - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajath-pai-k/
Edited by: Manuni Dhruv
The Hive returns this week with an episode on professional envy. As we wade deeper into job and internship hunting season, we thought it would be curious to delve into the nuances of professional envy - what causes it, how might we process it and is there anything to be gained by being professionally envious? Happy hunting!
Hosts: Rajath Pai, Manuni Dhruv
Editor: Manuni Dhruv
Music by: Allen Cai
Research for the episode was done by: Manuni Dhruv
Dearest listeners, we've missed you. This Halloween, return to the Hive as we explore the sinister scene of dark or deceptive design patterns with special guest Caroline Sinders.
Hosts: Rajath Pai, Manuni Dhruv, Vibha Maheshwari
Editor: Junxiao (Dante) Long
Music by: Allen Cai
Research for the episode was done by: Manuni Dhruv, Katie McIntyre
Further information on deceptive design patterns and resources mentioned in the episode are below:
Deceptive Patterns: https://www.deceptive.design/
Design beyond Deception: https://design.pranavainstitute.com/
Caroline Sinders: https://carolinesinders.com/
Convocation Design: https://convocation.design/
The Pudding: https://pudding.cool/
FTC Click-to-Cancel Ruling: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/10/federal-trade-commission-announces-final-click-cancel-rule-making-it-easier-consumers-end-recurring
Dark Patterns subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/darkpatterns/
Tommy Ottolin interviews Rob MacDonald, a new '23 graduate from the Psychology track, in this episode of the HC-Hi! Rob discusses how UX and ethics have been focal points throughout his diversified career path, and he shares what aspects that make up his favorite teams.
HC-Hi! is an interview series showcasing the eclectic personalities of the Georgia Tech M.S. Human-Computer Interaction program. Each episode, a podcast team member chats with a fellow classmate about their projects and passions within and beyond the program.
Madeleine Paulsen sits down with Lydia Burns, LMC class of 2024, in this episode of the HC-Hi! Lydia shares how she got to GT with her advertising background, her mission to learn all aspects of UX, and a hot take about Adobe vs. Figma.
HC-Hi! is an interview series showcasing the eclectic personalities of the Georgia Tech M.S. Human-Computer Interaction program. Each episode, a podcast team member chats with a fellow classmate about their projects and passions within and beyond the program.
Inclusion can be at the forefront of UX design processes, but UX teams do not always reflect that value through having a diverse team. 5 MS-HCI students and alumni discuss their professional experiences as women of color in this episode. Our hosts and guests share stories of making space for themselves and others while teaching us that their perspective is powerful.
Credits:
- Hosts: Tymirra Smith and Lakshmi Seelam
- Guests: Monet Spells, Hannan Abdi, Maria Paula Lengua-Espejo
- Production & Edits: Madeleine Paulsen, Tyler Norman, Tommy Ottolin
- Logo: Vanessa Lin, Stacy Lee
Stacy Lee chats with Sejal Sarkar, a Pyschology student graduating in May 2023, in this episode of the HC-Hi! Sejal explains how her background as a therapist helps and challenges her work as a UX researcher and the value and authenticity of Headspace.
HC-Hi! is an interview series showcasing the eclectic personalities of the Georgia Tech M.S. Human-Computer Interaction program. Each episode, a podcast team member chats with a fellow classmate about their projects and passions within and beyond the program.
While it may be easy to refer to the UX world as synonymous with the world of Human-Computer Interaction, this episode highlights a population that is excluded by that comparison: animals. Melody Jackson, the Animal-Centered Computing lab director, along with two HCI students who worked in that lab, Josh Terry and Cole Anderson, discuss the curious world of researching and designing for animals. They share a variety of projects and findings that help illustrate how UX frameworks are applicable but differ when used in this field of research.
Credits:
- Hosts: Madeleine Paulsen and Taylor Scavo
- Guests: Melody Jackson, Cole Anderson, Josh Terry
- Production & Edits: Tyler Norman, Tommy Ottolin, Madeleine Paulsen
- Logo: Vanessa Lin, Stacy Lee
Stacy Lee kicks off the HC-Hi! interview series with Tommy Ottolin, an Interactive Computing student in the class of 2023. Tommy shares his opinions about and experiences with AI-generated art, pursuing your curiosities, and the music industry.
HC-Hi! is an interview series showcasing the eclectic personalities of the Georgia Tech M.S. Human-Computer Interaction program. Each episode, a podcast team member chats with a fellow classmate about their projects and passions within and beyond the program.
Credits:
- Host: Stacy Lee
- Guest: Tommy Ottolin
- Production and Edits: Stacy Lee, Tyler Norman, Tommy Ottolin
- Logo: Vanessa Lin, Stacy Lee
The Great Resignation is an economic and lifestyle trend in which professionals across industries left their jobs in masses. Whether it was layoffs induced by COVID-19, shifting wages and costs of living, dissatisfaction, or something else, the working world shifted, and we changed. Taylor and Madeleine sit down with three people who navigated the Great Resignation to look back on lessons learned and share hopes for the future.
Credits:
- Hosts: Taylor Scavo and Madeleine Paulsen
- Guests: Rachael Lund, Ruvinee Senadheera, Justin Mckay
- Production and Edits: Tyler Norman, Tommy Ottolin
- Logo: Haley Dabbs, Madeleine Paulsen
Send in a voice message to the team! https://anchor.fm/gt-hc-hive/messages
The practice of HCI requires much energy, empathy, and creativity. Creative burnout unfortunately is an expectation in our world, and each of us has different prevention methods and remedies to deal with these feelings. Taylor and Austin sit down with a few members of the podcast team, Sharon, Stacy, and Tyler, to learn about how creative burnout manifests in their lives.
Credits:
- Hosts: Taylor Scavo and Austin Peete
- Production and Edits: Savannah Phillips, Tyler Norman, Stacy Lee
- Logo: Haley Dabbs, Madeleine Paulsen
Send in a voice message to the team! https://anchor.fm/gt-hc-hive/messages
The After Dark you've been waiting for. Ngoc and Harshali chat with Dr. Henneman, director of the MSHCI program at Georgia Tech, and hear about his experience with prospective students, transforming the program, and of course, Hot Takes.
Credits:
- Host(s): Ngoc Tran, Harshali Wadge
- Production and Edits: Harshali Wadge
- Logo: Olivia Hughes
HCI has roots in old school technology, often funded and researched by the government. In this episode, Ngoc and Harshali hang out with recent graduate Jack to talk about his experiences of working for NASA and the unique challenges of working in the public sector.
Credits:
- Host(s): Ngoc Tran, Harshali Wadge
- Production and Edits: Ngoc Tran
- Logo: Olivia Hughes
In HCI, you always have stakeholders - collaborators, peers, managers, reports, users, and even competitors. In this episode, Ngoc and Harshali chat with Jill and Grace to hear their experiences of working in collaborative environments and how to conquer spaces with differing interests.
Credits:
- Host(s): Ngoc Tran, Harshali Wadge
- Production and Edits: Harshali Wadge and Savannah Phillips
- Logo: Olivia Hughes
We love data, here at the HC Hive. But as data has grown, so have its ethical implications. In this episode, Ngoc and Harshali chat with Yash, Ellen, and Conor to discuss emerging discussions in data ethics.
Credits:
- Host(s): Ngoc Tran, Harshali Wadge
- Production and Edits: Savannah Phillips
- Logo: Olivia Hughes
Stories are at the heart of user experiences - from the setting, to the conflict, to the technological resolution. In this episode, Ngoc and Harshali hang out with Kyle, David, and Ines to discuss how we can become effective storytellers in HCI, and why it's an important skill to build.
Credits:
- Host(s): Ngoc Tran, Harshali Wadge
- Production and Edits: Savannah Phillips
- Logo: Olivia Hughes
Augmented and Virtual Reality tech is all the rage these days. Ngoc and Harshali chat with Morgan to talk about the nuances of building AR/VR projects, gatekeeping in this space, and inclusion.
Credits:
- Host(s): Ngoc Tran, Harshali Wadge
- Production and Edits: Savannah Phillips
- Logo: Olivia Hughes
What's the difference between art and design? In this episode, Ngoc and Harshali chat with Rhea and Sue about inspiration, art education, and how their artistic backgrounds help them in HCI and UX.
Credits:
- Host(s): Ngoc Tran, Harshali Wadge
- Production and Edits: Austin Peete, Taylor Scavo, Savannah Phillips
- Logo: Olivia Hughes
- Music: Teddy Robinson - Rich Boys (ft. Steffen Yoshiki & DOT.KAI)
