Understanding our customers, shaping our future with Janna

Ever wonder what goes into making the digital world safer and easier to navigate? At McAfee, a dedicated User Experience Research team led by Janna, is on the front lines, unlocking the insights that drive intuitive and effective security solutions. Join us as we delve into the fascinating world of UX research through Janna's experiences, exploring the power of asking the right questions, the magic of collaboration, and the serendipitous journey that led her to this dynamic field.

Unlocking insights to enhance user experience 

Leading McAfee's User Experience Research team, Janna and her team play a critical role in shaping the future of McAfee products.

"My team helps McAfee understand what our future and current customers need and expect," Janna explains. "Sometimes, we look for new needs to serve, other times, we gather feedback on concepts we're actively developing. We also look to make our existing products more efficient, effective, and ultimately, more satisfying to use."

While their work involves various tools, Janna emphasizes that the true value lies in their approach. "Our work is sometimes labelled by the tools we use, but to me, that's like saying sculpting is chiseling. The magic comes from the systematic way we answer questions. We always start by getting incredibly specific about the business need behind the research. The need is never to do a survey.'"

For Janna, User Experience research remains a deeply engaging and evolving field. "UX hasn't gotten old yet for me – it's a true passion. I've dedicated my entire career to it.  I’ve applied this problem-solving skillset across a wide range of domains."

 A serendipitous path to UX

Janna's journey into the world of User Experience research began unexpectedly. "I learned about my field through a university tour during high school. 'UX' wasn't a widely known field at the time. I saw a student demonstration at the University of Waterloo of a synchronized swimming routine planner. It looked like a fun project, something I could genuinely enjoy spending hours on. I had always enjoyed designing systems – even as a kid, creating little computer games and designing cities in C64 SimCity."

That experience convinced her to pursue the program the students were in: Systems Design Engineering. "My parents weren’t entirely sure what it was, but thankfully, they were incredibly supportive."

The sweet spot: Impact and opportunity at McAfee 

When asked about her favorite part of working at McAfee, Janna highlighted the unique balance the company offers. "My favorite part of working at McAfee is honestly the size of the company. We're large enough to have the resources we need, yet small enough that individual impact is clear, and researchers can work on a wide variety of problems."

Exploring a new hometown and nurturing growth 

Outside of her impactful work, Janna and her family are enjoying discovering their new home in Toronto. "My family is newer to Toronto, so we're really enjoying getting to know our new hometown. It's exciting to explore different neighborhoods and experience the city's incredible diversity. When the weather is warmer, I especially love biking along the Lakeshore, passing family barbecues, small cultural festivals, and people sailing on the Lake. It's hard not to feel optimistic."

Another of Janna's pastimes is home improvement. "We bought an older home that we're gradually updating. Last year, our focus was the gardens. We have wonderfully fertile soil in our area, so the vegetable garden was quite successful."