If you haven’t watched the new Queer Eye on Netflix, go. Now.
OK! Now we can talk. Like many other Netflix viewers, my life has been permanently bettered by the new Fab 5. What would Tan wear? What would Karamo counsel me to do here? And how can I be as much like Jonathan as possible with every single breath?
One of the most interesting things that has emerged for me, though, is how many lessons I come away with as a UX Researcher.
Everyone Asks The Tough Questions
The way the 5 ask fascinates me. They don’t shy away from the intimate, and they don’t just leave it to Karamo, the closest they have to a counselor. Even Antoni, the foodie whose territory seems like it should mostly consist of Instagram-worthy salads, asks pointed on-screen questions about familial relationships.
The confidence with which they ask is inspiring because it fosters a confidence in answering. The (mostly) straight men don’t shy away, and often answer very frankly. I’ve been inspired to confidently ask questions I used to see as tough — questions about finances, about procrastination, about any number of things I think participants might feel shame about. And like the show, people answer!
When I started asking confidently, I realized I had been projecting my own shame onto participants and impeding the success of my own sessions. By framing the questions without hesitation, I‘m telling participants there’s nothing to be ashamed of, which leads to more forthcoming and honest answers.
Be Vulnerable
The men getting made over aren’t the only ones sharing. My favorite moments are when the Fab 5 share pieces of their own history and deepen their connections. Bobby talking about growing up gay in an evangelical household helps him connect to the Christian father. Karamo sharing his reaction to being pulled over broadens the white cop’s perspective. And … we all cry.
By sharing with participants, I put them at ease and make a connection that helps me get great, honest, organic data. I’m not exactly sharing deep history or past trauma — for example, I recently talked with a nervous participant about our favorite Trader Joe’s snacks (peanut butter pretzels & frozen Indian food, respectively). Her hands stopped shaking, we started making more eye contact and I could see her getting more comfortable — which eventually helped her give great, self-reflective feedback about the designs in front of us.
Be the Bobby
On the show, most of the hour is spent on the guy himself. Hair done, new clothes, a pep talk from Karamo + a cooking lesson and he’s transformed. Meanwhile, Bobby toils in the background toward the big reveal, the part that makes most of the guys (and their families) cry: the house. Unless there’s a proposal (which there sometimes is), this is usually the part of the episode with the most impact.
I recently worked with the incredible GV team on a Design Sprint, culminating in a day of research led by Michael Margolis. While I participated alongside the team in the entire process, Michael was in and out, doing the recruiting, scheduling, scripting and general heavy lifting to make Friday a success. Watching my colleagues follow the sessions — some of them seeing research for the first time — I immediately thought about that moment the audience & the makeoveree see the house for the first time, and how exciting and enlightening that moment is.
Michael stepped back from the day-to-day activity of the sprint to plan for a part of the work that is just as important as the strategy and decision-making, but requires a different kind of labor to be effective. When it all came together, Michael’s craft had the same impact as Bobby’s taste + talent. Well, okay, no one cried, but they definitely felt like they had a clearer vision for their future!
