Summary
Tamara from Longmont, Colorado, shares her story about the intersection of bodily modifications, identity, and cultural expectations in professional environments. As a researcher accustomed to adapting her appearance for different cultural contexts—from wearing a headscarf in East London mosques to adopting a Peruvian accent in Peru—she discusses an incident in Tokyo where she removed her piercings to fit Japanese business norms. She contrasts this with her California casual tech background where piercings were embraced. Despite her sacrifices, she encounters a product manager wearing a nose stud, which prompts her to question authenticity and cultural expectations. With insights from her interpreter, she learns the customer perceives her as the serious business leader, regardless of her piercings. Tamara reflects on how these adaptations are acts of respect, survival, and agency, especially for marginalized groups, and how they lead to continual self-reinvention and humility in navigating identity across cultures.
Key Insights
-
•
Bodily modifications are often strategic adaptations to bridge cultural and professional divides.
-
•
Researchers frequently change their appearance and behavior to gain access and respect in varied cultural contexts.
-
•
Identity is fluid and shaped by context rather than fixed or purely authentic.
-
•
Marginalized groups often modify their bodies and practices for protection and to navigate exclusionary spaces.
-
•
Corporate norms vary widely, as seen between conservative financial firms and casual tech environments.
-
•
Visual markers like piercings can be interpreted differently depending on cultural perspectives and customer perceptions.
-
•
External interpretations of professionalism can undermine personal self-image and agency.
-
•
Adaptations to bodily presentation are not necessarily betrayals of self but acts of respect and survival.
-
•
Collaborating with cultural insiders (e.g., interpreters) provides crucial nuanced understanding in cross-cultural work.
-
•
Continuous bodily and identity adaptations contribute to discovering new versions of oneself over time.
Notable Quotes
"I’ve done the headscarf when recruiting door to door at the mosques of East London."
"I traded my butch boots for kitten heels when interviewing scientists who adhere to biblical beliefs of creationism."
"I’ve literally relearned how to walk."
"It’s probably a good idea to remove the piercings my interpreter confirmed."
"To some people, acts of bodily modification may seem inauthentic, maybe even a betrayal of my unique self."
"Women, people of color, LGBTQ folks, and other minorities are deeply familiar with having to modify bodies and bodily practices as steps for protection and self preservation."
"My heart sank. What the F? Clearly this guy didn’t understand."
"What was important was that in the eyes of the customer, I conveyed the part authentically."
"Whatever image I had attempted to create was always subject to interpretations that I could not control."
"I have learned not to hold on too tightly to the ideas I’ve constructed about myself."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Why don’t we do what we do for users but apply it to our own careers? Absolutely nutty, right? So we did."
Ian SwinsonDesigning and Driving UX Careers
June 8, 2016
"Every operation is going to have whirlwinds and fires all the time; strategy doesn't end that."
Kate TowseyAsk Me Anything (AMA) with Kate Towsey
April 2, 2025
"We actively coach Department of PFML staff to shadow and eventually run their own research sessions so they’re empowered long-term."
Lisa Spitz Nikki BrandBuilding Trust Through Equitable Research Practices
November 18, 2022
"Early on, getting stakeholders to attend syncs felt like pulling teeth, but later it became their favorite meeting."
Elena Naids Liza McRuerThe Power of Difficult Conversations: A Case Study on How We Introduced Design Ops in the Federal Government Space
October 2, 2023
"If you’re doing research with people with disabilities, consider using the Accessible Usability Scale to get more accurate insights."
Sam ProulxSUS: A System Unusable for Twenty Percent of the Population
December 9, 2021
"Even though we are virtual, we are still community and must treat each other with kindness and respect."
Bria AlexanderOpening Remarks
November 17, 2022
"The Shakers’ artifacts allowed moments of silence and moments of song—balancing rationality with spirit in design."
Daniel GloydWarming the User Experience: Lessons from America's first and most radical human-centered designers
May 9, 2024
"Middle management often blocks collaboration despite desires from people underneath to work together."
Cennydd Bowles Dan Rosenberg Lisa WelchmanDay 1 Panel
June 4, 2024
"Unmoderated tools can achieve 100% completion rates and rapid insights if designed thoughtfully."
Anna Poznyakov Richa PrajapatiGet The Most Out Of Stakeholder Collaboration—and Maximize Your Research Impact
March 12, 2021
