#142 - Quantifying Research Impact with Ruby Pryor of Rex

Awkward Silences

#User Interviews #User Experience #Tech #Software Development #Business #Research #Productivity #UX Design #Product Management #Research Ops #UXR #Ethnography #Customer Interview

26:28

Squid Game is back—and this time, the knives are out. In the thrilling Season 3 premiere, Player 456 is spiraling and a brutal round of hide-and-seek forces players to kill or be killed. Hosts Phil Yu and Kiera Please break down Gi-hun’s descent into vengeance, Guard 011’s daring betrayal of the Game, and the shocking moment players are forced to choose between murdering their friends… or dying. Then, Carlos Juico and Gavin Ruta from the Jumpers Jump podcast join us to unpack their wild theories for the season. Plus, Phil and Kiera face off in a high-stakes round of “Hot Sweet Potato.” SPOILER ALERT! Make sure you watch Squid Game Season 3 Episode 1 before listening on. Play one last time. IG - @SquidGameNetflix X (f.k.a. Twitter) - @SquidGame Check out more from Phil Yu @angryasianman , Kiera Please @kieraplease and the Jumpers Jump podcast Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts . Squid Game: The Official Podcast is produced by Netflix and The Mash-Up Americans.…

about a year ago 47:44

MP3•Episode home

In this episode Carol and Erin are joined by Ruby Pryor, founder of Rex, a consulting firm specializing in UX research and strategic design.

They explore the world of measuring the impact of UX research. with Pryor introducing a four-level impact assessment framework. Ruby shares a four-level assessment framework and the conversation moves to prioritization, making "strategic" decisions, and increasing your research influence.

This episode also gets into what it means to demonstrate the "business value" of one's work, specifically how researchers can and should quantify their impact in terms that are tangible to the company. Ruby will share ways to score early wins, build momentum, and overcome communication frictions to find shared value.

Episode Highlights

03:14 - UX researcher impact: insights, optimization, prioritization, strategy
09:14 - Understanding organizational structures and strategy development collaboration
20:22 - Challenge of quantifying impact and strategic level
21:33 - Measuring strategy impact: challenges and indicators
30:04 - Prioritizing investments based on strong market indicators
38:51 - Stakeholders prioritize growth, revenue, and cost reduction

About Our Guest
Ruby Pryor is the founder of Rex, a service design and UX research consulting firm. Her previous roles include UX research at Grab, strategic design at Boston Consulting Group and management consulting at Nous Group. She has taught courses on increasing the impact of UX to learners from 5 continents and has spoken about design and UX at conferences in Asia and Europe.

Resources on UX Research Impact

How to Track the Impact of Your UX Research
Leading an Impactful User Research Team
Use Stakeholder Interviews to Drive Impact

172 episodes

Awkward Silences

#142 - Quantifying Research Impact with Ruby Pryor of Rex

Awkward Silences

80 subscribers

published about a year ago

MP3•Episode home

In this episode Carol and Erin are joined by Ruby Pryor, founder of Rex, a consulting firm specializing in UX research and strategic design.

Episode Highlights

03:14 - UX researcher impact: insights, optimization, prioritization, strategy
09:14 - Understanding organizational structures and strategy development collaboration
20:22 - Challenge of quantifying impact and strategic level
21:33 - Measuring strategy impact: challenges and indicators
30:04 - Prioritizing investments based on strong market indicators
38:51 - Stakeholders prioritize growth, revenue, and cost reduction

Resources on UX Research Impact

How to Track the Impact of Your UX Research
Leading an Impactful User Research Team
Use Stakeholder Interviews to Drive Impact

172 episodes

#User Interviews #User Experience #Tech #Software Development #Business #Research #Productivity #UX Design #Product Management #Research Ops #UXR #Ethnography #Customer Interview

All episodes

Awkward Silences

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#171 - Summer Throwback: Kate Towsey on Starting a ReOps Practice 44:24

18 hours ago44:24

44:24

Welcome to Summer Throwbacks, where we revisit some of our favorite episodes. This week's guest is Kate Towsey, who helped spotlight the relevance, urgency, and importance of Research Operations (ReOps) to business. This conversation is from her time leading ReOps at Atlassian. She breaks down the rationale for ReOps and the steps folks can take to start a practice of their own. These days, Kate's investing in Cha Cha Club , a space for ResearchOps pros to connect and learn. Stay tuned for an exclusive podcast series with Kate and Cha Cha Club...coming soon. More ReOps Resources What is Research Operations and Why Does it Matter The State of Research For Non-Researchers Building an Accessibility Research Panel…

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#170 - Summer Throwback: Andrea Amorós on Influencing Stakeholders with Strategic Research 45:26

15 days ago45:26

45:26

Welcome to Summer Throwbacks, where we revisit some of Awkward Silences' most memorable episodes. This week, Andrea Amoros, a Senior Principal Researcher at Ingram Micro talks strategic research (which is different from a research strategy). Andrea shares her definition of strategic research, its value for a company, and showcasing that value for stakeholders and partners. Strategic Research Resources What is a UX Research Strategy? Creating ROI from User Research Strategic vs Tactical Research Projects…

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#169 - Summer Throwback: Eniola Abioye on Breaking into User Research 51:37

29 days ago51:37

51:37

Welcome to Summer Throwbacks, were we revisit some of Awkward Silences' most memorable episodes. This week, Eniola Abioye, UX Researcher at Meta, discusses what it takes to break into the user research industry. Her advice on creating application materials, searching for roles, and preparing for the interview process offer evergreen insight for any job seeker. UX Career Resources Free on-demand course with Eniola: User Research 101 The Ultimate UX Research Job Board Getting started with freelance UX research…

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#168 - Summer Throwback: Amy Chess on Asking Better Questions 40:00

6 weeks ago40:00

40:00

Welcome to Summer Throwbacks, where we revisit some of Awkward Silences' most memorable episodes. This week features Amy Chess (then at Amazon) unpacking arguably the most important research skill: asking questions. She shares what makes a "good" question, how questions should connect to insights and impact, and how you can improve your question-creation ability. Research Question Resources A Guide to User Research Questions 70+ User Testing Question Examples Writing Better User Interview Questions…

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#167 - Summer Throwback: Teresa Torres on Continuous Discovery Methods 42:26

8 weeks ago42:26

42:26

Welcome to Summer Throwbacks, where we revisit some of Awkward Silences' most memorable episodes. This week brings back an evergreen conversation with Product Talk's Teresa Torres on continuous discovery methods. Since this episode first aired, more companies have brought non-researchers (such as Product Managers, Designers, and Developers) into the process. Continuous Discovery is a practical, repeatable, and accessible way to expose your team to the value of user insights and design research more broadly. Continuous Discovery Resources A Launch Kit for Using Continuous Interviews A Practical Application of Continuous Methods A Framework for Using Continuous Discovery…

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#166 - Summer Throwback: Erika Hall on Why Surveys (Almost Always) Suck 43:35

10 weeks ago43:35

43:35

Welcome to Summer Throwbacks, where we revisit some of Awkward Silences' most memorable episodes. This week features a conversation with Erika Hall on the misuses of surveys. They're overused, often shoddily designed, and can get in the way of a better approach for the question (which might include not doing research at all). This topic has only grown in importance as development and decision cycles shorten, putting pressure on researchers to get insights to stakeholders faster. Erika also recently updated her landmark book, Just Enough Research , to take into account these and other changes in the UX landscape. Research Survey Resources A Complete Guide to Survey Research Creating Surveys to Identify User Problems Use This Checklist for Better Survey Design…

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#165 - High Impact Research on Embedded Teams with Hannah Ghidey of Etsy 35:16

13 weeks ago35:16

35:16

Embedded research teams—where UXRs are dedicated to a single product area—are popular. The proximity to design, product, and engineering stakeholders increases subject-matter expertise and user insight integration. But how can those working in this structure balance deep diving product-specific work with longer-term strategic opportunities? Hannah Ghidey, Senior Research Manager at Etsy has successfully navigated this balance, finding big, strategy-setting questions while maintaining product-specific influence and know-how. It’s a great conversation for anyone working as a UXR on a product team or searching for a scaleable way to build a responsive team that’s also strategically-oriented. Highlights 03:09 Strategic Research in Business Innovation 07:30 Effective Collaborative Research Planning 11:03 Harnessing Team Insights for Innovation 15:01 Building Trust in Research Collaboration 20:15 Sustaining Research Relevance 29:53 Integrating Research into Business Strategy About Hannah Hannah Ghidey is a UX leader, currently at Etsy. She is a creative, strategist, and researcher, helping teams shape experiences at the intersection of user needs, business goals, and data. Resources Ultimate Guide to Research Strategy Research x Product Collaboration Report Build a UX Research Team From Scratch…

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#164 - UX Lessons from a Decade Researching AI with Jess Holbrook of Microsoft 49:29

15 weeks ago49:29

49:29

Much of the conversation around AI in UX involves how it will shape and change researchers' work. Today's guest, Jess Holbrook, who leads UX research for Microsoft AI, has been thinking a lot about how this technology can be improved with design and UX best practices. Jess has spent over a decade working on the UX of AI at companies like Meta and Google. He's also helped develop foundational principles for the ethical use of LLMs. Jess joins Erin and Ben to reframe the AI conversation, focusing on how UXRs can and should adapt, what working on these systems has taught him about the UX discipline, and his philosophy for building teams that are ready to take on the innovative challenges of tomorrow. Jess's recommendations: Matt Webb , Maggie Appleton , and the Pessimists Archive Newsletter . Highlights 07:15 Human-Centered AI Evolution 17:53 Evolving AI Forecast Strategies 24:04 Diverse AI Team Building 33:27 Navigating Responsible AI Challenges 37:01 Qualitative Analysis with AI Tools 40:15 Optimism and Concerns About AI About Jess Senior Director of Research specializing in human-centered AI. Early stage investor in AI, AI hardware ecosystems, climate, and anything that seems like the world would be better with it in it. Currently leading UX research for Microsoft AI. Previously led the Generative AI team and supported all UX functions for the Responsible AI and data transparency teams at Meta. I also served on the Board of Forging Youth Resilience, a nonprofit that empowers young people to build physical and mental strength for life by providing access to a national network of community-based fitness programs and mentorship. Resources The AI in UX Research Report 20+ Tools for Every Research Phase Using AI in UX: A Day-in-the-Life…

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#163 - Creating Mindful Product Experiences with Jay Vidyarthi of Still Ape 48:46

17 weeks ago48:46

48:46

In this episode, Erin and Ben chat with Jay Vidyarthi, designer, author, and founder at Still Ape. Jay is a leading thinker around designing mindful product experiences. He's also published a new book, RECLAIM YOUR MIND , which examines the balance of technology use and mindfulness in our everyday lives. Jay shares his journey to working in the mindful technology space, how we can shift our frame from "user" to "life" experience design, and the benefits companies see when their products consider the whole person on the "other end." Jay also shares strategies for maintaining mindfulness during our own technology use, and ways we can carry these practices into research and design practices. Highlights 03:55 Design for Mindful Well-Being 08:13 Mindful Design: Impact Over Intentions 14:54 Broadening Design's Impact on Life 25:20 Holistic Recruitment Strategies 34:10 Enhancing Connection Through Mindful Presence 42:48 Understanding Technology's Emotional Pull About Jay Jay Vidyarthi is the author of RECLAIM YOUR MIND and an accomplished designer, entrepreneur, and thought leader at the unique intersection of mindfulness and technology. As the founder of Still Ape, he’s been involved in over fifty technologies that have helped millions of people improve their well-being, including Muse, the Healthy Minds Program, Sonic Cradle, and many more. His work and ideas have been featured by Harvard, MIT, TED, Forbes, CNN, Fast Company, and Vice. Resources The Self Care Playbook for UX Researchers Cultivating Empathy for Your Colleagues Wellness and UX: Going Beyond the User Experience…

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#162 - Empowering PwDR Using Research Education with Daniel Gottlieb of Microsoft 48:37

19 weeks ago48:37

48:37

Many research activities are completed by non-researchers, but whose work is benefited from user insights. Generally, these folks—designers, PMs, developers, among others—are called "PwDR" or "people who do research." In addition to their own work, many UX researchers and operations specialists are focusing on educating and empowering this group. When stakeholders and colleagues are better informed on the hows and whys of user research, more of it gets done, more insights are integrated, and customer experiences improve. Daniel Gottlieb, Head of Research Operation for Microsoft's Developer Division, has spent a lot of time designing research education programs. He joins to discuss his success creating workshops that empower and inspire non-researchers to get involved. He shares the parts of a good workshop, ways to keep attendees engaged, and how he measures success. This is a revealing conversation for anyone who has wondered what successfully "democratizing" user research could look like. Daniel brings pragmatism and positivity to research education. You'll leave with a better sense of how to begin educating your own stakeholders on the power of user research, and maybe even get a democratization practice up and running. Highlights 12:12 - Empowering UX Researchers Multiplies Impact 17:21 - Collaborative Research and Customer Insights 22:08 - Guided Customer Research Workshops 27:22 - Building Excitement Through Coaching 36:38 - Benefits of Diverse Group Dynamics 38:25 - Empowering Developer-Led Research Showcase About Daniel Daniel Gottlieb is the Head of Research Operations for Microsoft’s Developer Division User Research Group. He received his PhD in Animal Behavior from the University of California, Davis, where he focused on animal welfare (quality of life) and primate (monkey) behavior. Daniel moved from researching monkey behavior, to managing research logistics at a National Primate Research Center, to managing UX Research Operations in Microsoft’s Developer Division. He is passionate about making research easy and accessible, teaching, and finding ways for disparate groups to work together to support a unified research mission. Resources PwDR questions answered live by UXpert Nikki Anderson Discovery research exploring "people who do research" The " State of Research for Non-Researchers " Report…

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#161 - Learn More Faster About Customers with Michael Margolis of GV 51:09

21 weeks ago51:09

51:09

This episode is all about learning from customers...early and often. Our guest, Michael Margolis, UX Research Partner at GV (formerly Google Ventures), has made a career of helping teams do this successfully. He joins to share his Bullseye Customer Method, which is the result of his experience (it's also the subject of his latest book, "Learn More Faster," which is available for free ). Michael breaks down the Bullseye Customer Method, including best practices for recruitment, question design, and analysis. He's found that research is more successful when it's a team effort, and shares ways to promote cross-team collaboration throughout the Bullseye process, like using watch parties for share-outs. Michael also weighs in (using his 30+ years in the industry) on topics like the current UX job market, the impact of AI on researchers, and the power democratization for resource-limited teams. It's a must-listen for anyone working on early-stage products or struggling with visibility and buy-in from stakeholders. Highlights 06:33 Defining Core Value Proposition 16:29 Founders' Key Concerns Analysis 21:58 Clarifying Customer Understanding 26:38 Effective Open-Ended Survey Questions 31:46 Leveraging Associations for Networking 43:01 Benefits of Team Watch Parties About Michael Michael joined GV in 2010 as the venture industry’s first UX research partner. As a UX researcher with over 30 years of experience, Michael has boosted conversion, tested new concepts, streamlined workflows, and defined bullseye customers for hundreds of companies. He helped develop the design sprint method made famous by the seminal book, Sprint . He has also written about his research work for startups at medium.com/@mmargolis . Resources Choose the right method with this selection tool Making research essential to company success The steps to asking better UX research questions…

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#160 - Where Design Thinking Went Wrong with Brett Krajewski of Accelerant Research 44:12

23 weeks ago44:12

44:12

In 2022, the UX community experienced a series of convulsions: layoffs, reorgs, and reduced budgets. A common thread throughout was accountability: user researchers faced frequent questions about their direct impact on and importance for the business. "Doing" UX research and "being" a design thinker was no longer enough. Today's guest believes these questions present opportunities for UX researchers. Brett Krajewski, VP Research and Growth at Accelerant Research, joins Erin and Carol to share strategies for researchers to stay sharp, stay relevant, and stay valuable. These include balancing business goals with user needs, being more experimental with methods, reframing how we use time for research, and more. Highlights 06:30 Justifying UX ROI Amid Economic Challenges 12:02 Integrating Insights for Improved UX 18:50 Balancing User Needs and Business Goals 21:07 Scalable Research in Fortune 500 Companies 29:47 Innovative Strategies in Research Planning 38:30 Storytelling's Role in Research Impact About Brett Brett Krajewski is the Vice President of Research & Growth at Accelerant Research, where he leads the research and client solutions teams, delivering innovative insights to empower businesses and many fortune 500 companies. With a career spanning both in-house industry roles and consulting/agency leadership, Brett has built and led high-performing, multi-method research teams for Fortune 50 companies. His past roles include Head of Design Research: Customer at Walmart and Lead of Product Research at Lowe’s, where he drove customer-focused innovation and strategy. Resources Complete Guide to UX Research Methodologies On-Demand Business 101 for Researchers Course Panel Discussion on the Future of UX Research…

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#159 - Building Cross-Functional Research Impact with Judy Xu of Salesforce 33:31

25 weeks ago33:31

33:31

Creating strong stakeholder relationships is important for UX researchers at any company. Doing this at "enterprise" companies—large organizations with many products and an international footprint—can feel daunting. Our guest, Judy Xu, has successfully navigated the scale of enterprises like Hubspot, Meta, and Salesforce, where they work as a Senior Researcher. They join Erin to take us inside the enterprise, unpacking how research "happens" and what this has taught them about building cross-functional relationships. Specifically, Judy shares the value of using environmental inputs (like whether it's B2B or B2C) to map stakeholder structures, identify (and start using) meaningful metrics, and choose the right method for the moment. Together, these strategies have helped Judy create lasting UX impact, building influence and trust with key stakeholders. Listen to learn how you can start creating more impact inside your organization, whether it's an enterprise or a startup. Highlights 06:16 Learning and Research Challenges in Large Organizations 10:56 B2C vs B2B: User Metrics vs Revenue Focus 15:43 Adapting Research Insight Presentation to Stakeholder Needs 17:43 Collaboration with Key Stakeholders and Functional Diversity 22:39 Understanding Matrix Structures: Cross-Functional Roles & Incentives 26:55 Embrace Details: Mastering Business Processes Efficiently About Judy Judy is a Senior Researcher at Salesforce, where she uses I use qualitative (e.g., interviews, codesign) and quantitative (e.g., text analysis, surveys) approaches to tackle strategic, exploratory, and evaluative research questions. She has worked at Meta, Hubspot, and Simplisafe, and has a Ph.D. in Psychology from Columbia University. Resources Learn the fundamentals of business with this free course Use these five steps to calculate the ROI of UX research These skills build credibility and influence for more impact…

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#158 - Leading Design as a Researcher with Emily Wurgler of McDonald's 44:17

27 weeks ago44:17

44:17

Erin and Carol are joined by Emily Wurgler, Global Director of Experience Design at McDonald's, whose journey has had many moments of evolution and iteration. She started as an academic researcher in sociology, transitioned to innovation research at growth stage companies, and ultimately to her leading enterprise research and design teams. Emily talks about the unique value researchers bring to design leadership, how she's had to adapt her approach, and explains how product experiences are iterated and improved at large companies with a strong design-research partnership. Emily also shares how she's preparing her team of designers for the future of UX work and the characteristics she looks for in a new hire. Highlights 07:30 Essential User Understanding for Product Success 13:50 Identifying Users for McDonald's Enterprise Products 24:38 Developing Innovative Product Solutions for Shift Leadership 30:46 Balancing Innovation with Existing Workflow Challenges 34:56 Cultivating Patience and Persistence for Organizational Change 39:05 Ranking Four Attributes: A Favorite Interview Question About Emily Emily Wurgler is the Global Director, Experience Design at McDonald's. She has over a decade of research experience at places like PeaPod Labs, dscout, and Over the Shoulder. She has a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Indiana. Resources UX Designer's Guide to Research Working in Design Research Consulting Design Thinking for Better Partnerships…

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#157 - The Future of Design Collaboration with Andrew Hogan of Figma 41:09

29 weeks ago41:09

41:09

Few companies are most closely associated with UX design right now than Figma, which not only helps designers get their work done, but serves as a bridge for others to get more involved in the process. Erin and Carol are joined by Andrew Hogan, Figma's Head of Insights, to explore the nature of collaboration today and how the structure of that collaboration can impact our ability to effect UX change. Andrew shares some of his team's own research on design collaboration, from how it's changed , what still needs improving, and how UX professionals can collaborate better. This includes the growing and evolving impact of AI. He also talks about what he learned during his recent parental leave—including the pervasiveness of screens—and how he's applying that learning to his own team. Highlights 11:13 Design's Role in Software and Team Collaboration 18:01 Diverse Methods for Sharing Research Insights 20:46 Uncertain Future of AI: Expectations Reset 24:34 AI's Impact on Productivity and Team Collaboration 29:49 Overcoming Challenges: Standing Out in Content Saturation 33:05 Perceptions of Change: Exploring Role Spikiness About Andrew Andrew Hogan conducts research on the design industry and design practices to figure out what’s happening. He love anecdotes, anecdata and data. He also likes to write and speak about what he finds, sometimes in the form of jokes and is occasionally quoted by places like Fast Company, WSJ, Forbes, CNN, Business Insider, AdAge, CIO.com and Tech Republic. In the past he authored/co-authored 50+ Forrester reports about design, UX, CX and the design industry, and created CX certification training modules on journey mapping and data/AI + design. Resources A Designer's Guide to UX Research Product x Research Collaboration Report The 2024 AI in UX Research Report…

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#156 - Change Management with Graham Gardner of U.S. Bank 35:44

31 weeks ago35:44

35:44

Change is an important and inevitable part of developing as a user experience professional. But what does change look like when it happens at the organizational level? That is the focus of this episode, featuring Graham Gardner, VP of UX Design Research Operations at U.S. Bank. He joins Erin and Carol to talk about change management, which is the practice and process of evolving and adapting a company's approach to something. Graham takes us inside his strategy for this, including how team structures can affect change (and their impact on research tooling). He also unpacks just how important Research Operations (ReOps) is to planning, executing, and managing change at an organizational level. Finally, Graham looks ahead to the impacts of AI and how he believes it might help teams like CX, analytics, and marketing work together better. If you've ever wondered about how companies grow and develop, and how these developments can impact user insights, check it out. Highlights 08:16 Enhancing Collaboration through Transparent Tool Mapping 14:37 Harmonizing AI and Human Roles for Success 20:44 From Projects to Service Design: A Strategic Shift 23:46 Research Insights: Steering Through Complexity for Success 28:40 Integrating Research into Client Relationship Strategies 31:37 Insights from Backgrounds: Decoding Environmental Cues About Graham Graham Gardner, VP of UX Design Research Operations at U.S. Bank, is a researcher, designer, strategist, and maker. He brings a human-centered design lens to research ops (thanks to a long stint at IDEO and a background in inclusive education research). He works to collaboratively and iteratively understand and design research and design ecosystems that grow and evolve with the changing contexts of our beautifully messy world and the people that live in it. Conversations with Graham usually involve dad jokes, dog cameos, and snack breaks. More Resources Guide to UX Research Strategy AI in UX Research Report The Importance of Research Operations…

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#155 - Exploratory Design Research with Will Notini of IDEO 40:17

32 weeks ago40:17

40:17

The consulting firm IDEO helped pioneer "design thinking" as a way to create products that better solve customer wants and needs, creating fans. Over 30 years later, the interplay between design and research has never been more important. Will Notini joins to dig into that interplay—how research is at the heart of design and vice versa. In particular, he thinks the best companies are using design research principles to explore new opportunities, both what they create and how those experiences function. Will also shares a framework for researching "fast and slow," the importance of participant recruitment, and how building trust with colleagues creates more impactful, lasting user insights. Highlights 04:11 Uncovering Unbiased Insights Through Exploratory Design 12:20 Finding Participants Who Truly Care and Invest 19:43 Building Trust for Collaborative Design Discussions 24:54 Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Expertise-Sharing at IDEO 30:37 Simulated Research: Addressing Urgency and Resource Challenges 34:10 Iterative Learning: Updating Assumptions and Approaches About Will Will Notini is a Senior Design Research Lead at IDEO, where he is a generalist —drawing on his training in social science research to execute design and innovation work for clients in a range of industries. In his role, he manages multi-disciplinary teams and leads the research. His background is in anthropology and did mixed methods market research in the restaurant industry before transitioning to design research and has been at IDEO since. He has also recently picked up an MBA and a potentially unhealthy (unrelated) obsession with tennis. Resources The Designer's Guide to User Research How to Recruit Participants for Research Storytelling Basics for UX Researchers…

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#154 - Building the UX Team of Tomorrow with Brad Orego of Webflow 45:05

33 weeks ago45:05

45:05

The craft of UX research is at an all-time high. How research leaders structure, staff, and scale their teams is more important than ever. Erin and Carol are joined by Brad Orego, Head of Research at Webflow, to talk all about the ways we can build better research teams. Brad shares their three-step process for creating a research practice that's ready to deliver for the business, including the questions you must ask stakeholders. Using examples from Webflow, Brad also talks about tactical considerations such as managing cross-team research requests, the importance of Operations, and how they think AI will help with democratization. This is must-listen for anyone building a research team, looking for ways to expand their influence or impact, and even early career folks who want a look inside an innovate team. Highlights 03:14 Building Relationships and Networks for Long-Term Success 16:18 Monitoring Customer Trends for Strategic Insights 22:26 Optimizing Best Practices and Research Insights Activation 29:37 Enhancing Efficiency and Reducing Risk Through Automation 36:22 Four Key Questions to Guide Your Research 40:41 Strategic Evolution and Research Maturity at Webflow About Brad Brad (they/them) is a UX Leader, User Researcher, Coach, and Dancer who's been helping companies from early-stage startup to Fortune 500 develop engaging, fulfilling experiences and build top-tier Research & Design practices since 2009. They have helped launch dozens of products, touched hundreds of millions of users, managed budgets ranging from $0 to $10M+, and coached hundreds of Researchers. Resources Building a UX Research Team From Scratch Create Lasting UX Impact With Stakeholders The Three Facets of High-Impact Research…

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#153 - Security-Minded UX with Caroline Morchio of Dashlane 33:55

1 year ago33:55

33:55

In our Season 3 finale, Erin and Carol are joined by Caroline Morchio, Head of UX at Dashlane, a credential management platform. Their conversation explores UX research best practices at a security-minded organization like Dashlane, highlighting other what teams can bring to their own work. Caroline shares the ways she structures the UX team to support the product landscape at Dashlane, their processes for empowering colleagues to contribute to research, and why she prefers a "decentralized" model. The conversation also unpacks the core skills that Caroline emphasizes no matter the company: storytelling, actionable insights, and templates. Together, these help her team maintain rigor while scaling to meet new user experiences opportunities. Finally, Caroline discusses how to balance the security and usability when conducting UX research, and forecasts what the future of data privacy and security might have in store, like passwordless authentication. Episode Highlights 04:27 Implementing research in stages 07:22 The strategic impact of UX on a business 11:23 Focusing on ICP segmentation and user sophistication 18:06 The importance of privacy and data security 23:01 Decentralizing research processes 30:17 The importance of research in complex technology About Our Guest Caroline is a Design leader with experience in innovative companies transforming their industries. She has led design teams through all phases of product development and fostered a culture of open collaboration and feedback. Caroline was previously VP of Design at Handshake, Neuralink, and is now an AWS Design ambassador and Head of UX at Dashlane. More Resources on Security in UXR A Researcher's Guide to Data Privacy Regulations NDAs and Consent Forms for UX Research Examining Ethical Design and Respectful UX…

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#152 - The Future of Research in Three Trends with Jo Widawski of Maze 43:05

1 year ago43:05

43:05

Erin and Carol are joined by Jo Widawski, founder and CEO of Maze, to discuss the major findings from their "Future of User Research" report, which unearthed three trends animating researchers, PMs, and founders alike: 1) the demand for research is growing, 2) research democratization empowers stronger decision making, and 3) new technology—like generative AI—allows teams to scale their research. Erin, Carol, and Jo unpack each of these trends, flagging what they mean for both the work of researchers and the value of research more broadly. For example, these trends signal a rise in importance of the research generalist, the critical value of stakeholder influence, and the skills tomorrow's successful researcher must build today. Together, these trends and skills help create a roadmap for how researcher's can grow from a tactical resource to a strategic partner. Episode Highlights 03:57 The nature of research in organizations 11:01 Transitioning researcher roles: from operational to educational 18:01 The importance of democratization in design 22:43 Overcoming resistance to research in design 30:25 AI's impact on user research trust 37:59 Understanding competitive landscape in building products About Our Guest Jo Widawksi is the Founder and CEO at Maze. He’s a veteran Product Designer & former UX teacher. As a UX lead working with clients like McKinsey, Rocket Internet & PSG, he saw first-hand how hard it is for product teams to get the data, insights, and feedback they need to make confident design decisions. Now he’s co-founded Maze, the continuous product discovery platform for user-centric teams. More Resources Read the 2024 State of User Research Report (from UI) Read the Future of User Research Report (from Maze) Learn how to create stronger stakeholder relationships…

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#151 - Improving Your UX Research Efficiency with Auzita Irani of AirBnB 54:47

1 year ago54:47

54:47

Erin is joined by Auzita Irani, a research manager at AirBnB to discuss being a more efficient user experience researcher. In today's work world, resources—time, budget, headcount—always seem to be in limited supply. How can we balance these things along with other important elements of our research practices? Auzita has been thinking about "doing more with less" for a long time and shares practical strategies. After discussing the challenges facing today's UX researcher, the conversation shifts to what Auzita has seen work for researchers, both those working in large and small companies. Erin and Auzita touch on tools (like AI), tactics (like prioritization frameworks), and collaboration approaches to work more productively with stakeholders and teammates. They also discuss burnout's effects and the ways of combatting it. Finally, Erin and Auzita make some predictions on where UX is headed in the months and year ahead, and what these trends might mean for our work. Episode Highlights 03:53: Challenges and strategies of "doing more with less" 11:23: Addressing time and deadline constraints 21:38: Failure modes and avoiding burnout 32:05: Balancing tactical and strategic work 38:21: Emphasizing your research's impact 44:57: Adapting to blurred work boundaries About Our Guest Auzita has a background in computer engineering and Human Computer Interaction. She currently leads teams dedicated to optimizing customer support experiences and developing cutting edge AI tooling solutions at Airbnb. Prior to this she led the research and annotation teams at Sprig working on streamlining the process of obtaining real-time insights for product teams. More Resources on Research Efficiency Scaling yourself while combatting burnout Doing user research on any budget A blueprint for scaling UX research…

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#150 - The Future of UX Research with Judd Antin, Dave Hora, and Christiana Lackner 50:38

1 year ago50:38

50:38

It's our 150th episode! To celebrate, we brought together three thought leaders for a discussion about UX research's future. Erin and Carol are joined by Judd Antin, Dave Hora, and Christiana Lackner, who bring over 40 years of combined experience in UX research, both as practitioners and leaders. This wide-ranging conversation combines our guests' reflections on the trends that brought UX to its current moment with an analysis of what the future holds—and how we can prepare ourselves (and our teams) for it. From strategies on creating more business value for our work to tips for creating stronger cross-functional partnerships, this conversation will equip you with practical steps to future-proof your research practice. Episode Highlights 09:28 - The evolution of the UX research industry 15:48 - Adapting UX methods for team dynamics 21:56 - Balancing our focus between the business and the user 30:45 - The role of UX research in fostering shared understanding 41:18 - Planning strategically and anticipating team needs 47:27 - The promise of AI for user experience professionals About Our Guests Judd Antin is an executive coach, consultant, advisor, writer, and teacher, leveraging his 15 years of experience as a research, design, and product executive at top companies (Meta, Airbnb) and his PhD in Social Psychology & Information Systems from UC Berkeley to help individuals and organizations achieve their goals and overcome their challenges. Dave Hora is the founder of Dave's Research Co. where he helps product teams drive critical initiatives with the right mix of data, insight, and common sense. He began professional research work in 2011, eventually starting the practice as the first research hire at six companies, including PlanGrid and Instacart. Christiana Lackner is a UX research leader and dot connector. She's building research maturity within organizations so that teams involve the right people, ask the right questions, and act on the answers. More Resources on the Future of UX Research The role AI will play in the future of UXR Connecting UX research to business revenue The 2023 State of User Research Report…

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#149 - Research Tactics for Designers & PMs with Tyler Wanlass of CommandBar 51:26

1 year ago51:26

51:26

In this episode, Erin and Carol sit down with Tyler Wanlass, lead product designer at CommandBar, to explore practical strategies for conducting user research without a dedicated research team. They dig into techniques that designers and product managers can use to gather valuable insights efficiently, especially in resource-constrained environments. Tyler's approach is scrappy, flexible, and creative. Tyler shares some of the tools that create his research toolkit, including efficient note-taking, creative approaches to participant recruitment, and mixed-methods continuous discovery methods. He explains how session recordings and account impersonation can offer deeper insights when primary research isn't possible. Tyler reinforces the value of proactive research, such as social listening and competitive analysis. This is a useful conversation for anyone without "researcher" in their title, but who wants to increase their customer engagement, build more thoughtful products, and do so in a way that respects both budgets and timelines. Episode Highlights 03:16 - The scrappy mindset: learning from real-life experiences 10:21 - Broadening perspective through cross-industry inspiration 16:12 - Proactive user research for connecting and learning 24:17 - Streamlining customer feedback with TL;DR summaries 36:51 - Tools and tactics for customer insights 44:09 - The importance of pricing and packaging About Our Guest Tyler design interfaces for software products, builds internet businesses, and occasionally writes books. In his off time he's renovating a 100 year old Victorian house in the Pacific Northwest. In a past life he designed video games. More Resources on UX Research for Designers and PMs The Product Manager's Guide to UX Research The UX Designer's Guide to Research Uncomplicated Recruitment for Non-Researchers " People Who Do Research ," a Discovery Study…

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#148 - Connecting Research to Revenue with Claudia Natasia of Riley AI 51:25

1 year ago51:25

51:25

In this episode, Erin and Carol tackle one form of research impact growing in importance and necessity: revenue. Their guest is Claudia Natasia, co-founder and CEO of Riley AI. Before starting Riley, Claudia grew product teams at early-stage companies and worked in the financial industry. These experiences showed her the importance of linking user research outputs to the bottom line of a business. During their conversation, Claudia breaks down what revenue typically looks like for a company and where you can find the specific revenue goals for your company. Then she digs into the important processes of weaving those revenue goals into a research strategy from the start, offering examples from her time on product teams. The discussion also explores the importance of triangulation, or combining multiple data types to form a more complete whole. Claudia explains that user researchers should balance conducting primary research with existing information to help clarify how UX is linked with wider business goals. She offers suggestions for teams big and small looking to make impact with the highest level decision makers and company executives. Episode Highlights 06:07 - Strategic frameworks for company growth and revenue 12:05 - Leveraging competitive analysis for market success 22:06 - Creating meaningful insights for your business 30:05 - Tracking research impact: Setting expectations and routine updates 37:13 - Elevating projects: Moving from junior to senior stakeholders 44:39 - Triangulating data: Connecting research to company success About Our Guest Claudia is a leader with 10+ years experience leading product, strategy, and data teams across the enterprise and financial technology space. Her work has directly influenced companywide strategies, leading to a $5B total valuation, a successful international acquisition, and multi-million dollar growth fundraising rounds. She advises and angel invests in early stage startups, in North America and Southeast Asia. Her areas of focus are enterprise, finance, and consumer AI-generated content. Resources on Research Impact and Revenue A guide to showing the value of user research Claudia's textbook of choice for learning about revenue The three aspects of high-impact UX research The Business of Research Slack Community…

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#147 - UX Research in Healthcare with Nadyne Richmond 47:19

1 year ago47:19

47:19

Erin and Carol explore the complexities of healthcare research with Nadyne Richmond, a healthcare design advisor with a background in big tech who pivoted to healthcare research a decade ago to tackle the pressing issues she saw in the system. Nadyne underscores the nuances of conducting user experience (UX) research within healthcare settings, unpacking the intersections of patients' lives, their health, financial well-being, and spiritual factors that can come with many diagnoses. She emphasizes the importance of being well-prepared to manage deep conversations, maintain objectivity while being viewed as human, and handle the delicacy of information with privacy and sensitivity. Nadyne shares practical advice on approaching sensitive research topics, providing control to participants, giving space for the research team, and even using diary studies for a more comprehensive understanding of patient experiences. Additionally, she talks about the intricacies involved when working with healthcare players, from insurance providers to medical staff, and how their differing incentives shape patient care. Episode Highlights 03:56 - Transitioning from tech to healthcare research 13:56 - Challenges when researching with medical professionals 21:32 - Navigating Sensitive Topics when recruiting patients 28:45 - Planning for legal requirements in user testing 35:24 - Data protection in healthcare research 41:11 - The unique rewards of healthcare research About Our Guest Nadyne Richmond is a user researcher and experience design leader with a track record spanning two decades. She has worked and led teams at places like IBM, Microsoft, Included Health, and Babylon. She started her career as an engineer, giving her a unique window in the challenges of creating products and services that are excel technically and meet the demands of customers and the business alike. Resources From Nadyne Crucial Conversations book An Arm and a Leg Podcast Interviewing Users book More Healthcare Research Resources A researcher's guide to data privacy guidelines Designing experiences for healthcare companies UX research strategies for building healthcare apps…

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#146 - Building a UX Research Team From Scratch with Julian Della Mattia of the180 49:10

1 year ago49:10

49:10

Erin and special co-host Ben Wiedmaier are joined by Julian Della Mattia of the180 for a deep dive into being UX team-of-one. Julian has been the first user researcher at a number of companies and shares his top to-dos, milestones, and things to consider before accepting such a role. The episode digs into the ways a solo UXR can start making an impact, but in a strategic, sustainable way. Julian identifies questions to ask stakeholder teams, processes to consider standing up, and the tools to consider investing in from the start. We also discuss the dual hat-wearing of UXR and Ops on smaller teams/teams-of-one. Julian shares how he balances his time between executing on business-critical work and organizing research workflows so that other teams can start connecting with customers. Even if you're not a solo UXR or a team-of-one, Julian's experience building bridges between/across departments and his suggestions for aligning user research to core business goals from the start will help you and your team be more impactful. Episode Highlights 03:49 - Strategies for success as the first researcher in an organization 12:52 - Strategies for building bridges as a researcher in a new organization 19:16 - Building essential processes for small research teams 27:59 - Comparing research repositories and insights hubs 30:47 - Triangulating insights from different teams 35:11 - Strategies for scaling your research capacity About Our Guest Julian is a UX Researcher specialized in Research Operations (ReOps), founder of the180 and based in Barcelona, Spain. Whether in-house or working with clients, he repeatedly found myself building Research teams from scratch as the first Researcher in the team. This experience helped him develop a real knack for infrastructure, so he decided to fully specialize myself in ReOps. He likes to talk about this as his switch "from Finder to Builder". More Resources for Building UX Research Teams Use this checklist to organize and build your UX team The steps to build and lead an impactful UX team How to scale yourself while avoiding burnout…

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#145 - Kick-Start Creativity Using Desk Research with Victoria Sakal of Wonder 39:42

1 year ago39:42

39:42

In this episode, Erin chats with Victoria Sakal, Head of Growth at Wonder, all about desk (or secondary) research—think web searches, checking internal resource libraries (like repositories), or interviewing colleagues. Desk research is a critical step when starting a new project. Victoria shares her framework for thinking about the differences between primary and secondary research, suggesting that instead of distinct categories, they exist on a continuum. She argues that primary research is sharper, more impactful, and has better ROI when it's supported by secondary research. In addition to sharing best practices for desk research, Victoria walks through research her team conducted on how organizations approach research, offering strategies to maximize your efforts based on specific company growth stages and product demands. The episode closes by exploring how desk research is changing in light of emergent technologies such as large-language models and the benefits of reading widely. Episode Highlights 06:39 - Integrating desk research into your research strategy 12:30 - Desk research techniques and best practices 17:41 - Unpacking trends in the kinds of questions asked during desk research 23:31 - How desk research is evolving alongside AI technology 25:14 - The role of curiosity in desk research and innovation 34:20 - How research repositories and agile methods impact desk research About Our Guest With a passion for turning complex inputs (data, research, behaviors) on customers, market dynamics, and competitors into smart strategies that drive growth, Victoria has spent the last decade helping companies ask better questions to get better data, source more powerful insights, and stay on top of important dynamics that matter. Previously at Morning Consult and Kantar, Victoria now focuses on all things demand gen, product marketing, market research, and growth strategies to deliver more value for Wonder users. More Resources on Desk Research How to conduct (and write) a research literature review UX research is better with market research collaborations This database showcases AI-powered desk research tools…

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#144 - The Craft of Sample Sizes with Lauren Stern of WHOOP 46:46

1 year ago46:46

46:46

In this episode, Carol and Erin dive into all things research sample sizes with Lauren Stern. No matter your experience with user research, you'll need to recruit folks, making this an evergreen topic. Lauren has coached both new-to-research and junior UXRs on this critical topic and she shares some of her best advice. Lauren shares importance considerations and nuances around different types of studies and even analysis approaches. She also unpacks her approach for international samples, the impact of drop-off rates, and participant compensation strategies. Going beyond sample sizes, we conclude with a discussion of how to better engage with stakeholders when advocating sample sizes, making these conversations about "how many to recruit" more informed. She also shares resources to use when making the case to stakeholders. Episode Highlights 05:41 - Crafting research goals and parameters: a collaborative journey 13:48 - Flexible research design: navigating sample sizes and methodologies 19:57 - Tailoring sample sizes to research objectives: finding the right fit 26:30 - Qualitative confidence and stakeholder expectations 34:11 - Diverse methodologies in quantitative research: beyond surveys 43:05 - Departing research wisdom on sample sizes generally About Our Guest Lauren Stern is a mixed-methods research leader focused on creating the most human-centered technology possible. Over the last ten years her work has explored how perception and social cognition shape our experiences with automated systems from military zones to living rooms. Whether exploring individual experiences in the field or looking at large-scale data collections, she loves the puzzle of study design and coaching new researchers through the process. Resources on Sample Sizes This free calculator gives sample ranges based on your study needs. Need some research-backed sample size help? Bookmark this today. You must pay participants. This calculator helps ensure an fair amount.…

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#143 - Harnessing AI For Better Insights with George Whitfield of MIT and FindOurView 40:40

1 year ago40:40

40:40

Carol and Erin welcome George Whitfield, an expert in applying AI to the analysis of qualitative data. George discusses the intricate challenges of leveraging language models to interpret expansive open-ended data (like interview transcripts), emphasizing the importance of context and not just keyword or topic identification. They'll dig into the crucial role of human oversight in AI, what preliminary analysis might look like using AI, how to check and refine the work of an AI assistant without derailing your project delivery date, and recommendations for etiquette regarding the reporting of AI-informed results. The episode closes with an exploration of the limits of AI and where user experience researchers can play a larger role in its development. George believes AI can (and should) inspire new directions of research, but not dictate them. Episode Highlights 03:48 - Innovating consumer insights using AI 12:21 - Importance of human involvement in AI tools 20:04 - Enhance discussion sections with AI tools 26:50 - AI-inspired insights provide inspiration, not guidance 34:12 - Interpretation beyond analyzing transcripts 36:46 - Applying engineering rigor to the process of building a business About Our Guest George Whitfield is an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship, Lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management, and CEO at FindOurView. As CEO of his most recent company FindOurView, he launched a Gen AI product to help user researchers synthesize insights faster from high volumes of customer interviews. George holds 4 patents and has 3 degrees from MIT including a Bachelors in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and a Masters and Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering. Resources on Qual Data and AI Our AI in UX Report shares findings from a survey of over 1,000 researchers What does it mean to "code" qualitative data? This breakdown explains it all. Interested in trying an AI tool for your analysis? Here are 20 worth considering .…

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#142 - Quantifying Research Impact with Ruby Pryor of Rex 47:44

1 year ago47:44