Lead UX Researcher,
Social Scientist
I’m a lead UX researcher and social scientist. Currently, I lead the UXR for mobile applications at Intact Lab, a 700+ technology department at Intact Financial Corporation. As a hobby, I publish research and speak about topics relevant to technology, productivity, UX research, and the future of work. I am always open to speaking engagements and research collaboration — feel free to get in touch!
About Me
I have nearly a decade of experience in research. I’ve researched productivity and collaboration software, telematics-based driving apps, insurance products for mobile and desktop, healthcare apps and more. In my previous career, I worked in strategic communications and marketing, mainly in fast-paced agencies. This experience enables me to amplify the story within the data, guide strategy, and make insights actionable on tight timelines. I have a PhD from the London School of Economics (LSE), where I conducted an ethnography in tech and studied workers’ use of platforms.
My Research
I unearth cultural assumptions and values embedded in technologies and social contexts. Such assumptions might include who users are and the kinds of lives they lead. I do this by conducting human-insights research in digital and in-person settings. I have a research background in computer-mediated communication, work and organizations. Research and strategy for digital products are some of my favourite areas, especially those that deal with the fuzzy front end.
Selected Publications and Other Writing
Ciccone, V. (2023). “Transparency, openness and privacy among software professionals: Discourses and practices surrounding use of the digital calendar.” Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, Special Issue: Technology and the Future of Work: 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcmc/zmad015
Ciccone, V. (2023). “Vulnerability at work: Instrumental vulnerabilities among software professionals.” Sociological Research Online: 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1177/1360780423120694
Ciccone, V. (2021). “Technology of optimization: An emerging configuration of productivity among professional software employees.” European Journal of Cultural Studies 25(1): 132-147. https://doi.org/10.1177/13675494211030281
Ciccone, V. (2021). “The rewards and challenges of corporate ethnographic fieldwork.” LSE Research-to-Business Collaboration Stories. Access the article.
Ciccone, V. (2020). “‘Vulnerable’ resilience: The politics of vulnerability as a self-improvement discourse.” Feminist Media Studies, 20(8): 1315-1318. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2020.1830926
Conference Presentations (selected)
Ciccone, V. with R. Stupart and O. Nantermoz, November 19, 2020: (Virtual). NYLON Conference. Presented/workshopped “Writing oneself into research: Workshop.”
Ciccone, V. January 10, 2020: (Brighton, U.K.). MeCCSA annual conference held at the University of Brighton. Presented “Vulnerability as a therapeutic discourse” on the Internet and Everyday Life Panel.
Ciccone, V. June 3, 2019: (Vancouver, BC). Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences Congress held at the University of British Columbia. Presented “100 per cent in within the age of the side-hustle.”
Ciccone, V. with C. Davis, June 1, 2017: (Toronto, ON). Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences Congress held at Ryerson University. Co-presented “New social risks and non-standard employment in the cultural sector: The case of Ontario screen workers.”