Awkward Silences

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. Highlights03:14 Building Relationships and Networks for Long-Term Success16:18 Monitoring Customer Trends for Strategic Insights22:26 Optimizing Best Practices and Research Insights Activation29:37 Enhancing Efficiency and Reducing Risk Through Automation36:22 Four Key Questions to Guide Your Research40:41 Strategic Evolution and Research Maturity at WebflowAbout BradBrad (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.More ResourcesBuilding a UX Research Team From ScratchCreate Lasting UX Impact With StakeholdersThe Three Facets of High-Impact Research

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 Highlights04:27 Implementing research in stages07:22 The strategic impact of UX on a business11:23 Focusing on ICP segmentation and user sophistication18:06 The importance of privacy and data security23:01 Decentralizing research processes30:17 The importance of research in complex technologyAbout Our GuestCaroline 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 UXRA Researcher's Guide to Data Privacy RegulationsNDAs and Consent Forms for UX ResearchExamining Ethical Design and Respectful UX

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 Highlights03:57 The nature of research in organizations11:01 Transitioning researcher roles: from operational to educational18:01 The importance of democratization in design22:43 Overcoming resistance to research in design30:25 AI's impact on user research trust37:59 Understanding competitive landscape in building productsAbout Our GuestJo 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 ResourcesRead 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

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 Highlights03:53: Challenges and strategies of "doing more with less"11:23: Addressing time and deadline constraints21:38: Failure modes and avoiding burnout32:05: Balancing tactical and strategic work38:21: Emphasizing your research's impact44:57: Adapting to blurred work boundariesAbout Our GuestAuzita 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 EfficiencyScaling yourself while combatting burnoutDoing user research on any budgetA blueprint for scaling UX research

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 Highlights09:28 - The evolution of the UX research industry15:48 - Adapting UX methods for team dynamics21:56 - Balancing our focus between the business and the user30:45 - The role of UX research in fostering shared understanding 41:18 - Planning strategically and anticipating team needs47:27 - The promise of AI for user experience professionalsAbout Our GuestsJudd 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 ResearchThe role AI will play in the future of UXRConnecting UX research to business revenueThe 2023 State of User Research Report

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 Highlights03:16 - The scrappy mindset: learning from real-life experiences10:21 - Broadening perspective through cross-industry inspiration16:12 - Proactive user research for connecting and learning24:17 - Streamlining customer feedback with TL;DR summaries36:51 - Tools and tactics for customer insights44:09 - The importance of pricing and packagingAbout Our GuestTyler 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 PMsThe Product Manager's Guide to UX ResearchThe UX Designer's Guide to ResearchUncomplicated Recruitment for Non-Researchers"People Who Do Research," a Discovery Study

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 Highlights06:07 - Strategic frameworks for company growth and revenue12:05 - Leveraging competitive analysis for market success22:06 - Creating meaningful insights for your business30:05 - Tracking research impact: Setting expectations and routine updates37:13 - Elevating projects: Moving from junior to senior stakeholders44:39 - Triangulating data: Connecting research to company successAbout Our GuestClaudia 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 RevenueA guide to showing the value of user researchClaudia's textbook of choice for learning about revenueThe three aspects of high-impact UX researchThe Business of Research Slack Community

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 Highlights03:56 - Transitioning from tech to healthcare research13:56 - Challenges when researching with medical professionals21:32 - Navigating Sensitive Topics when recruiting patients28:45 - Planning for legal requirements in user testing35:24 - Data protection in healthcare research41:11 - The unique rewards of healthcare researchAbout Our GuestNadyne 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 NadyneCrucial Conversations bookAn Arm and a Leg PodcastInterviewing Users bookMore Healthcare Research ResourcesA researcher's guide to data privacy guidelinesDesigning experiences for healthcare companiesUX research strategies for building healthcare apps

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 Highlights03:49 - Strategies for success as the first researcher in an organization12:52 - Strategies for building bridges as a researcher in a new organization19:16 - Building essential processes for small research teams27:59 - Comparing research repositories and insights hubs30:47 - Triangulating insights from different teams35:11 - Strategies for scaling your research capacityAbout Our GuestJulian 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 TeamsUse this checklist to organize and build your UX teamThe steps to build and lead an impactful UX teamHow to scale yourself while avoiding burnout

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 Highlights06:39 - Integrating desk research into your research strategy12:30 - Desk research techniques and best practices17:41 - Unpacking trends in the kinds of questions asked during desk research23:31 - How desk research is evolving alongside AI technology25:14 - The role of curiosity in desk research and innovation34:20 - How research repositories and agile methods impact desk researchAbout Our GuestWith 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 ResearchHow to conduct (and write) a research literature reviewUX research is better with market research collaborationsThis database showcases AI-powered desk research tools

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 Highlights05:41 - Crafting research goals and parameters: a collaborative journey13:48 - Flexible research design: navigating sample sizes and methodologies19:57 - Tailoring sample sizes to research objectives: finding the right fit 26:30 - Qualitative confidence and stakeholder expectations34:11 - Diverse methodologies in quantitative research: beyond surveys43:05 - Departing research wisdom on sample sizes generallyAbout Our GuestLauren 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 SizesThis 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.

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 Highlights03:48 - Innovating consumer insights using AI12:21 - Importance of human involvement in AI tools20:04 - Enhance discussion sections with  AI tools26:50 - AI-inspired insights provide inspiration, not guidance34:12 - Interpretation beyond analyzing transcripts36:46 - Applying engineering rigor to the process of building a businessAbout Our GuestGeorge 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 AIOur AI in UX Report shares findings from a survey of over 1,000 researchersWhat 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.

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 Highlights03:14 - UX researcher impact: insights, optimization, prioritization, strategy09:14 - Understanding organizational structures and strategy development collaboration20:22 - Challenge of quantifying impact and strategic level21:33 - Measuring strategy impact: challenges and indicators30:04 - Prioritizing investments based on strong market indicators38:51 - Stakeholders prioritize growth, revenue, and cost reductionAbout Our GuestRuby 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.

In this episode of Awkward Silences, Carol and Erin dive into the world of conference networking and planning with Bryan Dosono, a staff UX research lead at eBay known for his extensive experience curating and organizing conference programs.Bryan share insights on how to prepare for conferences such as using apps to schedule meetings and emphasizing networking over solely focusing on content. He also discusses strategic scheduling to align conference participation with career goals and offers advice on making spontaneous, serendipitous connections.The conversation also covers practical tips for adding value during small talk, how to approach and connect with other researchers, and the importance of being open, vulnerable, and willing to face rejection in the pursuit of meaningful interactions. Bryan provides guidance for both newcomers to the UXR field and seasoned professionals: overcoming imposter syndrome and leveraging transferable skills from related fields.Episode Highlights03:58 - Navigating the Unpredictable: Strategies for Introverts at Networking Events.08:24 - Strategic Networking: Maximizing Opportunities Before and During Conferences.12:33 - Networking strategies for academic and professional growth.22:36 - Balancing Attendance: Prioritizing Conferences with Active Roles.28:03 - Maximizing Remote Networking: Strategies for Engagement in Virtual Conferences.33:07 - Conference Insights: Making the Most of Your Experience through Pre-Planning.About Our GuestBryan Dosono, PhD, is a user experience research leader in the consumer technology space. He applies human-computer interaction research methods with visual storytelling to modernize the design of global marketplaces and online communities. He currently volunteers as a Conference Chair at UXPA International and serves on the User Interviews Research Council.

The decision to leave academia can be difficult. Often, it involves giving up a stable career path and a lifetime commitment to a particular field of study.  But as Joe Stubenrauch explains, the move also offers researchers the opportunity to pursue new career paths, improve work-life balance and geographic flexibility, and reinvent their lives. And he should know: Formerly a professor of history, he walked away from tenure to join a big tech company as a UX Researcher at AWS. In this episode, Joe discusses his decision to walk transition to the private sector and shares thoughtful advice for others considering a similar move. Highlights from the episode [04:06] Joe reflects on feeling burnt out, bored, and doubtful in academia  [11:23] What makes you happy? Joe weighs the pros and cons of things like mental health, geographic mobility, and proximity to family and friends. [19:41] Breaking into a new field, experimenting, and talking to people.  [34:47] The importance of having a portfolio that includes compelling stories  [41:35] Tactical advice for job seekers (resumes, LinkedIn profiles, job interview strategies, etc) [44:23] Working in a team environment as a former academic About our guest Joe Stubenrauch is a former professor of British history at Baylor University, and the author of a prize-winning book published by Oxford University Press. During the height of the pandemic, he walked away from tenure and joined a big tech company in order to redesign his life. Now as a UX Researcher at AWS, Joe has found unexpected similarities between his work as Victorianist and his work in the cloud. He also writes regularly about the transition from academia to industry and is obsessed with how people can reinvent their lives and careers. You can follow Joe on LinkedIn. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

How often do you think about content design? The answer, most likely, is: “not enough”. The work of a Content Designer involves fitting the right words in the right places, understanding the nuances of things log in vs. sign in, and knowing the right words to use to engage customers. Content Design is an important part of the user experience—and the ROI is high. Like, “millions of $s saved through content-testing” high. Erica Jorgensen is a Staff Content Designer at Chewy.com and the author of Strategic Content Design: Tools and Research Techniques for Better UX. She joined Erin and Carol on the podcast to discuss the ins and outs of content design, the importance of clarity for effective communication, and how to involve your audience in content design. Highlights from the episode: 00:02:03: What is content design in the context of UX research? 00:06:48: Gaining clarity by thinking about the words you use frequently  00:14:00: How Erica used simplified language to get customers to buy more insurance plans 00:26:42: Using cloze testing to ensure general content clarity 00:29:26: The importance of syllables and length  00:39:46: Resources and guides for better content design 00:42:56: How Microsoft saved $2 million through content testing   Sources and people mentioned BrainTraffic Chewy.com Cloze testing — “Cloze Test for Reading Comprehension,” NN/g. Curtis Kopf, Chief Experience Officer at REI Dylan Romero, Affiliate Instructor at University of Washington, UX at Microsoft Flesch–Kincaid – Wikipedia  Hemingway Editor Jorgensen, Erica. Strategic Content Design: Tools and Research Techniques for Better UX. (2023) — GET 15% OFF AT ROSENFELD MEDIA WITH CODE AS15 MeasuringU (Jeff Sauro) Merriam-Webster Dictionary Metts, Michael and Andy Wefle. Writing Is Designing: Words and the User Experience. (2020) Scott Kubie System Usability Scale Tracy Vandygam, Senior Content Designer at Mozilla Visual Thesaurus Winters, Sarah. Content Design. (2017) About our guest Erica Jorgensen is a staff content designer at Chewy.com and the author of Strategic Content Design: Tools and Research Techniques for Better UX, published in April 2023 by Rosenfeld Media.  She's a content designer, content strategist, and team leader determined to bring greater respect to the content field. To that end, Erica speaks frequently at conferences including UXDX USA, UX Lisbon, Microsoft Design Week, the Web Directions Summit, and Button: The Content Design Conference, and on podcasts like The Content Strategy Podcast with Kristina Halvorson and Content Insights podcast with Larry Swanson. In addition to working in content roles for companies of all sizes, she has taught at the University of Washington and Seattle's School of Visual Concepts.  Erica earned her B.A. from the University of Connecticut and M.A. from the University of Missouri's School of Journalism. In her free time, you can find her exploring Washington State's wineries or hiking with her husband and rescue dog, Rufus. Find her on LinkedIn or X (Twitter) @JorgensenErica --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

“I realized that design is about helping people make sense of the world. And I looked at the world differently then… treating everything like a design problem that's solvable [...] [Design leaders today] don't use the power that we have to engage people, to activate people, to help them believe in something bigger than themselves.” Maria Guidice, author of Changemakers: How Leaders Can Design Change in an Insanely Complex World, joins Erin May and Carol Guest in this episode of Awkward Silences. Together, they examine the qualities of effective change agents and discuss how designers, researchers, and passionate folks can hone and apply these qualities to drive change within their organization.  Throughout the episode, Maria draws on her experience leading global teams at Facebook and Autodesk and a decade of research into the interconnectedness of leadership, design, and change to offer practical advice on how to approach change through a designer mindset. In this episode, Maria, Erin and Carol cover: What is a “changemaker”? The qualities of effective leaders and change agents. How designers can employ their skills to drive change at scale. Treating design as a mindset. Building support and working with people who share a creative and open mindset. Why we need to believe in progress and continuous improvement. 00:04:23 – Design is about helping people make sense of the world 00:09:34 – Maria's research into the connection between leadership, design, and change 00:13:50 – The importance of understanding people's resistance to change 00:16:28 – What is a changemaker? 00:18:04 – Design as a noun, a verb, a mindset that can lead change at scale  00:24:30 – Qualities of effective change agents 00:33:19 – Why Maria hates the term “change management” 00:36:12 – Embracing failure as a learning opportunity 00:39:46 – The importance of passion, purpose, and a belief in continuous progress About our guest For three decades, creative teams and business leaders have sought the provocative vision and mentorship of Maria Giudice, GEW DEECE. After founding the pioneering experience design firm Hot Studio and leading global teams at Facebook and Autodesk, Maria's mission today is to build the next generation of creative leaders.  Through one-on-one coaching, group coaching, and team-building workshops, Maria unlocks the potential hidden in executives and the people they lead. A popular speaker at design and business conferences, Maria is also the author of four design books, including Rise of the DEO: Leadership by Design, and most recently Changemakers: How Leaders Can Design Change in an Insanely Complex World.You can find her on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter). --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

What company isn't “customer obsessed”? Well, a lot, as it turns out.  That's not for lack of caring—but building a customer-centric culture is easier said than done. And how you do this depends on whether you're starting from square one or trying to change a company's culture from the inside. According to Prayag Narula, CEO and Co-Founder of Marvin, changing a culture towards customer centricity requires starting from the bottom-up. Building something new? Leaders should be obsessing over customer feedback, actively placing research and customer insights front and center from the very beginning.  In this episode of Awkward Silences, Prayag sits down with Erin and Carol to discuss his strategies for building a customer-centric product culture at Marvin. Tune in to learn more about what it means to obsess over customers, doing research versus using research, how customer centricity is put into practice at Marvin, and more.

AI is a big part of Notion's strategy for the future of knowledge work, and they're exploring ways to use AI to make people's lives easier. Linus Lee, a Research Engineer at Notion, spends his time researching and learning about AI—how users interact with it, the challenges of building trustworthy AI systems, and its - potential to help people work more effectively. In this episode of Awkward Silences, he sits down with Erin and Carol to discuss Notion's approach to designing interfaces for Generative AI tools.  Tune into this episode to learn more about the challenges of instructing AI, the importance of user feedback to the AI design process, security considerations, use cases, and more. Highlights:  [00:05:03] Tools Linus is excited to see come to market [00:06:50] Generative AI and its function at Notion [00:10:22] Recognizing AI is useful versus finding the use cases for it [00:13:58] Lessons from the Notion design process [00:22:09] Breadth versus depth in workflows [00:26:10] Learning about models in the wild [00:28:52] Security considerations with AI products [00:32:13] Understanding the difference between AI generated and human written text [00:36:34] Should we be scared of AI? Sources mentioned in the episode: Awkward Homepage About Our Guest Linus Lee is a Research Engineer at Notion, prototyping new software interfaces for augmenting our collaborative work and creativity with AI. He has spent the last few years experimenting with AI-augmented tools for thinking, like a canvas for exploring the latent space of neural networks and writing tools where ideas connect themselves. Before Notion, Linus spent a year as an independent researcher in New York City. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

“I think people really connect when you are just genuine and not transactional. I think it's much more easy to get to those kind of opportunities because they just feel genuine.” According to Andrea Amorós, Associate Principal Research at ADP, giving research a seat at the big table is all about building meaningful connections with the people you're presenting to. Andrea joins the Awkward Silences podcast to provide insight into how she learned to make research meaningful for stakeholders at higher levels of the organization. Having been hired to conduct discovery but with no plan set up for her, she took the initiative to interview the leaders within the company to understand their needs and identify opportunities for strategic research.  Tune into this episode to hear Andrea's advice on building relationships with stakeholders, approaching push-back, and creating meaningful change in the current research landscape. Highlights:  [00:00:50] Andrea's motivation to give research a seat at the big table [00:07:46] What bringing research to the big table really means [00:11:06] Presenting research to bigger audiences versus smaller audiences [00:14:08] Making presentations meaningful to the audience [00:17:47] How Andrea made it to the big table [00:22:26] How product-specific research can be escalated to the big table [00:24:53] The marginalization of research today [00:30:27] How changes in research apply to other fields [00:32:23] Andrea's advice for building courage [00:36:17] The possibility of getting to the big table without presentations [00:38:46] Navigating push-back Sources mentioned in the episode:

134 episodes.  That's how long Awkward Silences has been going with Erin and JH as hosts. But now it's time for something new. JH is leaving the show as he is heading to new pastures at a different company. Today, he and Erin reflect on the years. They share a bit of the original background to the podcast, their favorite memories, and even some behind-the-scenes aspects and outtakes that you might need to be made aware of. Tune into this episode to learn all about Awkward Silences and bid a fond farewell to JH

As a researcher, you know the value of using research to drive business decisions—but other stakeholders might not. In order to drive action from research, you need to create alignment with key decision-makers and the research you do.  Pejman Mirza-Babaei joins the Awkward Silences podcast to discuss how to transform research insights into actionable design decisions by collaborating with stakeholders. With over fifteen years of experience doing UXR and interaction design on various applications, Pejman shares insights on the importance of effective communication and collaboration; the need for actionable and cost-effective research; and the challenges and biases that can arise in decision-driven research. Tune into this episode to learn all about the intricacies of decision-driven research

Competition can be scary. But in UX, competitive research is insightful. You don't want to chase your competitors, but you need to know what they are doing to know how you can improve. Rachel Miles joins the Awkward Silences podcast to discuss the value of competitive research in UX and design. As the UX research lead at IBM, Rachel integrated competitive research at IBM to measure their products' performance and to align their existing internal measures with external measures. She shares insights on selecting benchmark competitors or metrics, communicating competitive insights, and navigating legal challenges.  Tune into this episode to learn how competitive research can inform your product development and strategy

In design and UX research, context is king.  Your work doesn't exist in a vacuum; it's a part of a wider ecosystem of stakeholders, beneficiaries, and more. Sheryl Cababa, Chief Strategy Officer at Substantial, recognized a clear gap in design methods that only addressed the individual user and the immediate product benefits: designing beyond the product with a systems thinking approach. As the author of “Closing the Loop: Systems Thinking for Designers”, Sheryl says,  “My goal is not to suddenly become a systems thinking methodology practitioner and leave my job as a designer behind. I need to figure out a way to integrate [systems thinking] into my practice in a way that is actionable and accessible.” She joins Erin and JH today to discuss how systems thinking can address the complexities and interconnectedness of products and their ecosystems, sharing practical strategies for integrating it into your own design practice.  Tune into this episode to learn actionable advice on adopting a systems thinking mindset when designing user experiences

There are 6 key qualities for great facilitation: Starting with your core beliefs Maintaining neutrality Standing in the storm Honoring the wisdom of the group Upholding the agile mindset Honoring the group's agenda According to Marsha Acker, Founder, and CEO of TeamCatapult,  “The job of facilitator is not to become the agile process police that says we have to have a daily standup and every day we have to answer these three questions…Facilitation is all about reading what's happening in a group, [and] tapping into the collective intelligence and wisdom of that group." In this episode, Marsha sits down with Erin and JH to discuss the art and importance of facilitation in group settings, focusing on the 6 key principles of great facilitation she wrote about in her book The Art and Science of Facilitation: How to Lead Effective Collaboration with Agile Teams. Tune in to hear her approach to facilitation, including methods, the preparation process, and how to build your facilitation skills.

How can UX researchers enable other teams to do research? Show, don't tell. According to Helen Devine, UX Research Manager at The Economist, upskilling product people to do research means letting them observe, sit in, and be present during each stage of a research project—not just being told what to do. Helen went from doing scrappy research with 0 researchers to supporting 50 product people at The Economist to conduct great research with the help of 2 other UX researchers. Tune into this episode to learn how she established UX research as a valued discipline at The Economist, plus how to balance developing research as a craft while supporting non-researchers at the same time. 

What does good “scrappy” user research look like? According to Varun Murugesan, Co-founder of Apple and Banana, “You could throw anything at Jason Bourne and he would solve it. Would it be effective? Efficient? No. But would it be effective? That kind of thinking. That's what I think about. I don't need all the fanciest tools or software.” Being good at scrappy user research is like being the Jason Bourne of research: being effective with what you have, even if you're shot down by a tight research budget or limited in bandwidth. Varun joins Erin and JH to discuss his tips for doing scrappy research, advice for finding and utilizing creative techniques in research, and the potential positive and negative effects of the AI explosion. Highlights:  [00:01:38] The value of “scrappy” research in tough economic times [00:05:50] Being “scrappy” is about speed [00:08:51] Innovating with scarce resources during the pandemic [00:17:33] Enhancing creativity through messiness [00:21:40] Sources of inspo for creative research [00:25:07] Re-evaluating your work and success [00:31:03] Research during the AI explosion [000:35:55] 7 years strong doing research, plus new opportunities for the future Sources mentioned in the episode: userinterviews.com/awkward fruitful.appleandbanana.org About Our Guest Varun Murugesan is the Co-Founder of Apple and Banana, a UXR training and development company helping to build better products through fruitful research. He is also the author of Fruitful, an online UX research library and toolkit of resources for researchers and UX teams aimed at conducting user experience research that drives impact. He is also the Senior UK Researcher of SeatGeek, a mobile ticketing marketplace. Before these positions, Varun worked in UXR roles at Best Buy and Facebook. An entrepreneur, author, and researcher, Varun has spent his career immersed in psychology, technology, and design, and has been featured on a various media platforms sharing fruitful research and his personal UXR career journey. A gift from Apple & Banana and Awkward Silences Interested in trying Apple & Banana for your next research project? Use our code AWKWARD-FRUITS-35 to save 35% on Fruitful, an advanced UX research repository used by 100s of teams around the world. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

“There's a certain amount of forgetting that we need to do in order to learn something new.” – Kevin Kelly, Founding Editor of Wired magazine Whether you are designing a research project, prototyping a product, or carving out your career path, unlearning plays an important role in learning new things. But how do we embrace them in a practical way that leads to viable success? For Kevin Kelly, Publisher and Founding Editor of Wired, leaning on failure is a crucial aspect of the creative writing process—and the motions of life in general. From giving advice on embracing mistakes to finding true joy and fulfillment, Kevin Kelly shares a raw perspective on applying important life lessons to both work and life. In this episode we discuss: Understanding “known failures” and “unknown failures” Forgetting and unlearning your bias.  Prototyping and experimentation in research and in life Career advice, tips, and hacks Highlights: [00:01:51] Navigating failure: tractable vs. intractable failures [00:05:37] Understanding other people's beliefs and questioning our own [00:12:25] The value of prototyping and experimentation in life and your career [00:16:47] Redefining success and exploring unique opportunities [00:22:15] Learning what to ignore and discarding unnecessary information [00:33:44] Kevin's current project on a 100-year desirable future! Sources mentioned in the episode: userinterviews.com/awkward https://kk.org/books/the-inevitable About Our Guest Kevin Kelly is an accomplished author, speaker, and “evergreen optimist,” known for his work on technology, innovation, and the future. As the founding executive editor of Wired, Kevin has been instrumental in shaping discussions around technology and its implications on society. He has authored several influential books, including "The Inevitable," which delves into the technological forces that will impact our future. Currently, Kevin is working on a project envisioning a desirable 100-year future. Awkward Silences Survey Take this survey and let us know what topics you want to hear next! userinterviews.com/awkwardsurvey --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

AI has recently become hugely popular with the likes of ChatGPT becoming a staple in day to day life, and it looks like it is here to stay. Could it replace the job of a researcher completely? Mike Adams, CEO and Founder of Grain doesn't think so. Join the conversation as they discuss the potential perks and limitations of utilizing AI in research and product development, tips for getting started in the world of AI, and an insight into the current shift in the roadmap for research products. In this episode we discuss: [00:02:37] The potential of AI for automating away the monotonous  [00:14:23] Utilizing AI: building versus buying [00:18:05] Tips for getting started with AI applications [00:25:55] A shift in the roadmap of potential research products [00:31:43] How utilizing AI could go wrong for researchers Sources mentioned in the episode: userinterviews.com/awkward grain.com About Our Guest Mike Adams is the CEO and Co-Founder of Grain, a communication platform for teams that helps capture video snippets with ease. Self-describing as a three-time founder with over ten years of experience building skills for job education software programs, Mike is a pioneer for fully immersive cohort-based education. His current mission with Grain is to help teams to share more understanding with each other and the people they work together to serve, thus creating a more cohesive working environment. Mike has authored several useful articles, including “The Founder's Guide to Actually Understanding Users”. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

Sylvana Rochet, Founder and Principal Coach at Elan Vital Coaching, visits the show to discuss what UX business coaching entails and how to maximize your professional growth opportunities with business coaching. Sylvana shares her past experiences coaching in the world of UX so you can learn what to expect from business coaching, how coaching works, and what the path of building a coaching career looks like. In this episode, we discuss: What does coaching entail? The individual benefits of coaching Finding the right coach When is it a good idea to consult a coach? What qualities do effective coaches have? Advice for aspiring coaches Highlights: [01:48.73] Sylvana defines coaching and shares her career journey [07:05.40] Sylvana explains why most people look for leadership coaches [10:59.60] The difference between mentorship and coaching [19:40.69] When not to call a coach and the duration of a coaching arrangement [21:52.00] Factors to consider when choosing a coach [27:14.36] What you can expect from working with a UX coach [39:51.76] Career tips for aspiring coaches  Sources mentioned in the episode: http://userinterviews.com/awkward https://www.linkedin.com/in/sylvanarochetbelleri https://www.linkedin.com/company/elan-vital-coaching About Our Guest Sylvana Rochet is the Founder and Principal Coach at Elan Vital, a leadership coaching and personal development company that helps founders and executives tap into their full potential and achieve their goals. Before founding Elan Vital, she worked as a Partner and Executive Coach at Evolution, a leading coaching, consulting, and investment firm that specializes in working with high-growth companies. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

A solid UX research strategy serves as the compass that guides research ops and helps ensure repeatable success. But how do you envision, create, and execute a strategy that helps you achieve your goals in the most effective way possible?  In this episode of Awkward Silences, Devin Harold, Director of Research at Capital One, unpacks how to craft and refine a winning UXR strategy, including tips to help you make team playbooks, win stakeholder buy-in, and inform your strategy with maturity models. In this episode, we discuss: The significance of a robust UX research strategy The definition of a good and bad strategy  Essential components of an effective research plan Aligning research with stakeholder needs and expectations Metrics and KPIs to evaluate progress and success Highlights [00:01:17] Strategy vs delivery, prioritizing projects and allocating resources   [00:10:13] The role of flexibility and adaptability [00:15:38] Gaining stakeholder buy-in and tying research to organizational objectives [00:21:05] Establishing KPIs and metrics to measure progress and success [00:33:46] Periodic reviews and updates to maintain relevance and effectiveness Sources mentioned in the episode: userinterviews.com/awkward Good Strategy/Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt UXR Maturity Models: Move to a more advanced level in your org by Nikki Anderson of Dovetail UX Strategy Components by Nielsen Norman Group The Organizational Appetite for Research by Behzod Sirjani About our guest: Devin Harold is the Director of UX Research at Capital One, where he leads a team dedicated to improving end-to-end experiences and touchpoints for one of the company's primary business units. With over eleven years of experience in UX design and research, he has a deep understanding of research methodologies, leadership, strategy, frameworks, and interaction design. Devin's expertise and leadership have been recognized with multiple awards, including the IDEA Award, Verizon Beyond Award, and Verizon Credo Award. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

Maintaining a huge insights repository can be overwhelming. It's even more difficult to extract the right insights from research findings. Atomic research is an approach developed concurrently by Tomer Sharon and Daniel Pidcock to manage and break down research knowledge to their smallest modular form.  This week on Awkward Silences, Daniel Pidcock, the co-creator of atomic UX research and founder of Glean.ly, joins Erin and JH to explain this new approach to research knowledge management. Additionally, Daniel shares success stories of companies that have used Glean.ly to integrate data from disparate sources and glean meaningful insights.  In this episode, we discuss: What is atomic UX research? The pillars of atomic research How atomic research can improve your research strategy How does Glean.ly power atomic research? Highlights: [01:38.75] What is atomic research? What is Glean.ly? [08:24.98] Daniel discusses why atomic research works, including how it helps organizations solve crime cases [11:14.58] How Glean.ly enabled Just Eat to grow and expand [14:06.67] One big benefit of atomic research powered by Glean.ly [23:59.45] Applications for atomic research and research strategy tips [38:27.70] The atomic research origin story Sources mentioned in the episode: http://userinterviews.com/awkward https://www.linkedin.com/in/pidcock  Glean.ly https://www.dropbox.com/s/z5zaxi088jsllju/Gleanly%20-%20Atomic%20research%20cheat%20sheet.pdf?dl=0 About Our Guest Daniel Pidcock is the co-creator of atomic UX research and founder at Glean.ly, a UX research repository platform used by some of the world's largest brands. He has spoken about atomic research at several events, including the UX Brighton Conference and Atomic UX Research for agencies. Before founding Glean.ly, Daniel worked as a UX consultant at Neighbourly, JUST EAT, and ie Marketing Communications. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

What are the best UX career options? How do you vet a potential employer to ensure it's the right fit? Should you join a smaller firm that offers plenty of autonomy and flexibility, or does it make more sense to work for a larger company with a ton of resources? Erin, JH, and Marieke McClosky, Director of UX Research at LinkedIn, address these questions, examining UX research as a career and a practice as they discuss Marieke's journey as a UX researcher.  In this episode, we discuss: Navigating a career path in UX research Making career moves that align with your goals How to start a career in UX research Pros and cons of different working environments  Vetting potential employers Highlights [01:27] Marieke's first job was at Nielsen Norman Group [04:42] The benefits of working at a large organization like LinkedIn [7:12] Getting started with– choosing a direction when you are new to UX research [12:57] How to vetMarieke shares valuable advice on vetting employers [19:37] How does the UX research team come up with research questions? [25:29] TJH summarizes the differences between working at a large company vs. a smaller firm [39:24] The best thing about consulting is “the breadth of who you get to work with, the different industries, different teams” Sources mentioned in the episode: userinterviews.com/awkward About our guest Marieke McCloskey is the Director of UX Research at LinkedIn. For over a decade, she has worked as a UX researcher and consultant with the world's most innovative companies, including Nielsen Norman Group and the NFL. She completed her undergraduate degree in Neuroscience at the University College Utrecht and earned a MA in Cognitive Science at John Hopkins University. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

YouX 2023 is a wrap! No big deal, just us and 3500 other UX-obsessed friends. The half-day virtual event featured breakout sessions and presentations conducted by some of the brightest minds in UX, who covered a number of topics from personal wellness and professional growth to work-life balance and community.   We'd like to thank everyone who attended the event, especially our guest speakers, panelists, and moderators. It was a truly extraordinary YouXperience for everyone. Head over to our blog to get a full recap of the 2023 YouX conference and videos of the sessions—we clipped all the awkward silences parts out, so you don't have to. You can also download a recording of the entire event at the YouX event page. In this episode, we discuss: Interviewing with confidence Mentorships and coaching Wellness and UX Your unique UX career path Dealing with imposter syndrome Highlights:   [00:02:59] Interviewing with Confidence (Danny Essner) – Awkward silence is your friend and dealing with self-doubt [00:07:38] Will You Be My Mentor? (Paul Derby) – Navigating the mentor-mentee relationship [00:12:36] Reframing the Imposter Syndrome (Panel) – You are not a computer! The panel address imposter syndrome and getting to the root of the problem [00:18:06] Wellness and UX: Going Beyond the User Experience (Dr. Christelle Ngnoumen) – Dealing with stress through mindfulness. The power of language on your perspective [00:24:32] Research for All: Building Healthy Teams Through Democratization (Kate Kalcevich) – for all, How can we democratize research? Democratizing generative and evaluative research Sources mentioned in the episode: userinterviews.com/awkward YouX 2023 Recap: Learnings, Session Recordings, and Additional Resources YouX 2023 - The Event for You, Researchers About our guests   Danny Essner is VP of Marketing at Chameleon, a SaaS platform that allows startups to create personalized and engaging experiences for their users. Paul Derby is a SR. Manager of UX Research at ServiceNow. Paul is also the founder of Paul Derby Coaching, LLC, where he provides 1:1 coaching to UX researchers who want to establish their personal style of leadership. Devin Harold is Director of UX Research at Capital One, where he leads a team focused on design and research for Capital One's Financial Services in New York. Erika Spear has ten years of experience in qualitative and mixed-method research design and execution. She is currently a Research Manager at AnswerLab. Varun M is a Senior UX Researcher at SeatGeek and the Co-Founder of Apple & Banana. Tiffany Eaton is a talented and creative self-employed graphic designer with expertise in logos, cover art, graphic design, children's illustration, and children's book illustration. Nikki Anderson-Stanier is Founder & Managing Director of User Research Academy, a company that offers coaching, mentoring, and remote courses on UX Research. Fredrick Royster is an accomplished educator and UX/Web/Graphic Designer with over twenty years of experience in web design and front-end development. Dr. Christelle Ngnoumen is Principal User Experience Designer at Headspace Health, where she leads internal and external research programs dedicated to the design of Headspace's evidence-based digital interventions. Kate Kalcevich is Head of Accessibility and Innovation at Fable, a platform for people of all abilities, where she works on democratizing design and accessibility. For our guests' full bios, visit https://www.userinterviews.com/blog/best-highlights-from-youx-2023 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

Whether you are a team of one or one hundred, cultivating a healthy research culture starts with strong leadership. Strong leadership encourages UXR teams to promote better research practices across teams and manage healthy conflict. But what does a healthy company culture look like IRL? And how do you promote best practices throughout the organization to help scale your research? Mike Oren, Head of Design Research at Klaviyo, has built and scaled several thriving research teams from scratch throughout his career. In this episode, he discusses the power of company culture and shares advice on culture building. In this episode, we discuss: The overall impact of research culture on companies' bottom-line goals The anatomy of a “healthy” company culture Establishing cultural norms in your organization Dealing with challenges and avoiding mistakes Tips and tricks for nurturing and developing a research-focused company culture Highlights: [00:01:11] Planting the seeds of research culture [00:03:18] The importance of psychological safety for UXR teams [00:06:04] Maintaining healthy conflict and avoiding cognitive bias [00:12:21] Attributes of a healthy research culture [00:21:45] How research culture fits in with the rest of the organization [00:28:39] Tips on how to build research awareness and educate stakeholders Sources mentioned in the episode: http://userinterviews.com/awkward https://www.linkedin.com/company/klaviyo About Our Guest Mike Oren, Head of Design Research at Klaviyo, a technology company that provides an automated email marketing and SMS marketing platform. He is also the Founder of Societech, an Adjunct Professor at Illinois Institute of Technology's Institute of Design, and an independent UX Research Consultant. Mike holds a Ph.D. and a Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction and Sociology from Iowa State University, and a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and English Writing from DePauw University. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/awkwardsilences/message

In this episode of Awkward Silences, Erin May and John-Henry Forster are joined by Holly Hester-Reilly, CEO and Founder of H2R Product Science. They delve into how research can go wrong, how bad research processes can give research a bad reputation, and how the methodology and timeline of your research can complement each other. Holly also outlines the best way to determine the right research method for your product. Tune in for an engaging conversation on research best practices with industry experts. In this episode, we discuss: How bad research processes can give research a bad reputation Top most common ways that research can go wrong The relationship between research methodologies and project timelines Figuring out the right method for your research Highlights: [00:04:27] Holly's unique perspective from academic research and into tech [00:07:58] How can research go wrong? [00:10:20] The components of a good research model; what you need to get right [00:14:32] What to do with a research plan once you have it to ensure maximum alignment [00:16:54] How to combat biases in research and questionnaires [00:21:54] The interaction between methodology and the timeline in research [00:24:18] Figuring out the right method for your research [00:31:01] Interacting with stakeholders and organizations for the best research outcome Sources mentioned in the episode: Holly's LinkedIn H2R Product Science Website H2R Product Science LinkedIn About our guest Holly Hester-Reilly is the Founder and CEO of H2R Product Science, as well as a Product Discovery Coach and Consultant for the company. She also serves as an Adjunct Professor at New York University, a Member of the Board of Advisors at Octane11, and a Product Advisor at Ergatta. Needless to say, Holly is an undisputed expert in her field, and we're lucky to have her on the show! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/awkwardsilences/message

According to Derek Osgood, it takes a "great product and product marketing collaboration" to get people to adopt products. But with such a small window of opportunity and many moving parts, it's easy to get it wrong. So how do massively successful brands execute a winning product launch? Join Erin and JH as they welcome guest Derek Osgood, CEO of Ignition, to examine the key components of a product launch. Derek shares his perspective on branding at scale as he outlines critical aspects to consider before, during, and after launch. He also provides a step-by-step walkthrough of a successful go-to-market strategy, complete with specific marketing tactics for planning, targeting, collaboration, and research. In this episode, we discuss: What makes a successful product launch? The elements of a winning launch Best research practices, tactics, tips, and tools Common mistakes and oversights Highlights: [00:03:37] The ingredients to a successful launch [00:08:34] Walkthrough of a successful launch (plus a laundry list of important questions to consider) [00:12:11] Internal marketing and the importance of communicating across teams [00:17:17] How teams get it wrong, dos and don'ts [00:20:39] A simplistic way to segment your audience [00:26:25] Message testing tips - the how, when, and why [00:32:02] Specific tactics and tools Derek uses to find pricing and understand features Sources mentioned in the episode: http://userinterviews.com/awkward Ignition LinkedIn About Our Guest Derek Osgood is a product marketing specialist, entrepreneur, and Founder & CEO of Ignition, a platform that helps brands streamline go-to-market strategies. He has launched several products that have collectively generated over $1 billion in revenue. Before Ignition, Derek worked as Director of Product Marketing at Rippling, Director of Marketing and Growth at BBVA, and as a Product Manager at Playstation. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/awkwardsilences/message

Erin May, John Henry Forster, and Carlos Tellez, Growth Research Manager at Nubank, get to the bottom of growth research. This episode is focused on two of Erin's favorite things – optimization and research. They discuss how research informs growth teams as Carlos describes the moving parts involved in the research process. Listen to hear what Carlos loves the most about his job, the scope of growth research, research design methods, tools, and tactics. In this episode, we discuss: The value and impact of growth research Key differences between growth research and product research Research workflows and the dynamics of working relationships Research methodologies, tactics, and toolkits Highlights: [00:01:08] What is growth research? What is platform research? [00:06:52] One big difference between growth research and product research [00:12:07] How does growth research "operate within the growth context"? [00:09:39] Support from leadership and the value of research in the context of growth [00:15:18] Carlos shares Nubank's approach to qualitative research [00:18:34] Carlos details his team's creative approach to data collection [00:28:41] Tactics for identifying the impact of research [00:28:41 Triangulation is a requirement of UX research; it's also the trickiest part to get right Sources mentioned in the episode: userinterviews.com/awkward Nubank website Nubank LinkedIn About our guest Carlos Tellez is a digital strategist, UX researcher, service designer, and education enthusiast. Currently, he is the UX Research Manager at Nubank. Much of his work is focused on creating effective research teams and advancing the field of UX research. Carlos has a Master's degree in Architecture from Harvard University Graduate School of Design. He also has a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from Vassar College. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/awkwardsilences/message

UX is exploding! It's tremendously exciting. But much of the technology pushing the state-of-the-art has been around for over a decade. What are the key driving factors behind the rapid rise of new tools like Figma? What does this mean for the future of collaboration? How will this affect research practices? Alfonso de la Nuez, Co-Founder, CVO & BoD Member at UserZoom, and Dana Bishop, VP, Strategic Research Partners at UserZoom, drop by to discuss the evolution of the UX and muse on Adobe's recent acquisition of Figma. They take Erin and JH along for a retrospective look at the past 30 years of UX, dig into industry trends, and explore the nuances of user research. In this episode, we discuss: The reasons behind the rise of UX tools like Figma The nature of collaboration in UX design, research, and stakeholders How tools affect the way we approach projects An evolution of UX design and UX research Highlights: [00:01:52] Why is Figma the “darling of the design world”? [00:06:37] Prototyping changing for two reasons: time and necessity [00:13:09] Alfonso puts things into historical perspective with an anecdote [00:17:28] Fundamental differences between UX design and UX research [00:24:38] Dana discusses one dramatic industry change [00:30:06] A CX story about an encounter DoorDash [00:36:46] What's the next big thing in UX research? Sources mentioned in the episode: http://userinterviews.com/awkward https://www.figma.com https://www.linkedin.com/company/userzoom https://www.userzoom.com About Our Guest Alfonso de la Nuez is Co-Founder, CVO & BoD Member at UserZoom. He has over seventeen years of experience in various disciplines, including UX, digital marketing, eCommerce, web design, and user-centered design. He is also the author of The Digital Experience Company, co-founder and former CEO of Xperience Consulting, and former co-founder and CEO of Xperience Consulting. Dana Bishop, VP and Strategic Research Partner at UserZoom, has over twenty years of experience in UX research. After spending nine years at Keynote Systems, Dana worked at Key Lime Interactive until she joined UserZoom in 2017. Her work in UX research is primarily focused on competitive research and benchmarking. Currently, she is co-host of UXpeditious, a weekly podcast exploring the world of UX. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/awkwardsilences/message

Episode Description: In this episode of Awkward Silences, hosts Erin May and John Henry Forster welcome Ryan Glasgow, CEO of Sprig, to discuss the importance of in-product research. They dive into Sprig's generative and evaluative research tools, as well as recruiting current customers and reaching out to prospective users for market research. The conversation concludes with a discussion about best practices for in-product research. In this episode, we discuss: What is in-product research? Why is it important? The power of real-time research post-launch Strategies and best practices for conducting in-product surveys Shortening the feedback loop with Sprig Highlights: [00:01:46] The role of in-product research in the process of product development [00:04:39] How Sprig streamlines gathering feedback for in-product research experiments [00:08:26] Best practices: advice on how to maximize response rate and more [00:14:49] The benefits of hyper-targeted product research [00:17:55] Advanced use cases for Sprig - combining sentiment data with conversion data Sources mentioned in the episode: http://userinterviews.com/awkward Sprig About Our Guest Ryan Glasgow is the Founder and CEO at Sprig (formerly UserLeap), a research platform that provides advanced usability testing and in-product survey capabilities to companies such as Dropbox, Loom, and Shift. He is the author of The Customer‑Obsessed Product Manager's Playbook and current host of the People Driven Products Podcasts. Ryan has a strong background in product management. Prior to founding Sprig, he was the Group Product Manager at Weebly, Product Manager at Vurb, and Product Designer at Extrabux. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/awkwardsilences/message

The rise of UX research was a game changer in software design and development. As UX continues to grow in nearly every industry, research ops experts with strong leadership skills are critical for companies working at scale. In this episode, A'verria Martin, Director, Chief of Staff, Head of Research Operations and Strategy at ServiceNow, provides a high-level overview of the UX Research Chief of Staff role and explains why this position is in high demand. As A'verria shares her journey, she defines the role of UX Research Chief of Staff and outlines her core responsibilities. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/awkwardsilences/message

Thomas Aquinas once said, “Tacos cannot exist without tide pods”. In this bittersweet edition of Tacos and Tidepods—Erin and JH say their goodbyes to Roberta and reflect back at her time at User Interviews. Roberta talks about her decision to pursue a career in coaching and leadership development training at Design Dept. From career challenges and memories to lessons she's learned, Roberta shares her journey with User Interviews as Erin and JH do their best to make her cry. In this episode, we discuss: Roberta's career path Roberta's legacy at User Interviews Career development (finding your niche) Coaching for design leaders Highlights: [00:02:54] Roberta shares the most important lessons she's learned from working at User Interviews [00:06:11] They discuss Roberta's contributions [00:14:52] How to grow as a leader through self-care and teamwork [00:16:22] Roberta's tacos: what she's looking forward to the most as [00:18:21] Career tips on networking and finding your niche Sources mentioned in the episode: userinterviews.com/awkward Design Dept. Leadership Coaching Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans About our guest Roberta Dombrowski is currently VP of User Research at User Interviews. She is also an ICF certified Coach & Mindfulness Teacher, Level II Reiki Practitioner, and Predictive Index (PI) Certified Talent Optimization Leader. Roberta has been instrumental in creating and shaping cultures of learning at User Interviews, edX, Predictive Index, and Year Up. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/awkwardsilences/message

Finding your dream customers can be tricky, and knowing which customers aren't a good fit is important. That's where customer profiles come in handy. In this episode of Awkward Silences, Andrew Michael, CEO of Avrio, discusses the importance of ideal customer profiles. Andrew draws upon his experience and shares insights on creating customer profiles, customer research methods, and tips on how to get started. In this episode, we discuss: The role of the ideal customer profile (ICP) in an organization Using thermographic and demographic properties to create an ICP Creating personas and segmenting audiences Conducting studies and collecting data about your customers How teams get ICPs wrong Tips and best practices for developing and using ICPs Highlights: [00:06:03] The benefits of ideal customer profiles (ICPs) and who uses them [00:08:15] Andrew discusses the details of how they developed ICPs at Hotjar [00:11:34] Anti-ICP: Ruling out a large portion of your audience [00:24:08] Andrew details how to discover criteria that reveal insight [00:25:40] Tip: Don't overcomplicate ICP, three or four defining characteristics are enough [00:29:19] Anti-ICP: How to communicate with customers that you don't want [00:32:16] An effective ICP contributes to retention, alignment, and customer satisfaction [00:35:44] Andrew's final piece of advice: ICPs “needs to be a company-wide initiative” Sources mentioned in the episode: userinterviews.com/awkward CHURN.FM Podcast About our guest Andrew Michael is the CEO at Avrio – a software development research platform – host of Churn.FM, and Founding Member of Startup Cyprus. Andrew is also a teacher and speaker featured at the How to Web Conference 2022 and Advancing Research 2022. Before joining Avrio, Andrew worked at Hotjar, where he held leadership roles in marketing, management, and experience design. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/awkwardsilences/message

If you ask Roberta Dombrowski why it's her favorite time of year, she'll probably mention the UX Research Tools Map. Why? Because it's one of User Interviews' most popular projects of the year that features the best UX research tools available across different use cases. Ye one and all are invited to explore the fantastical land of the 2022 UX Research Tools Map! From the Royal Courts of The High Kingdom of Recruiting and Panel Management to the dark waters of Megalodon 365 and G-Dragon, you can explore more about each UX tool and get a comprehensive view of the UXR tool landscape. Informative, fun, and entertaining in its detail—the medieval-themed map is designed to help UX researchers far and wide gain a better understanding of the different UX tools available to them. In this episode, we discuss: Why the UX Research Tools Map is awesome New features we love, updates, and categories The challenges of optimizing your tool stack Tools! UX research tools! And more wonderful tools! Highlights: [00:01:44] Taco: Roberta explains the motivation behind the map [00:06:11] JH and Roberta list some of their favorite UXR tools [00:07:30] Why we created the map and how it informs the tool optimization process [00:10:44] À la carte vs all-in-one, the challenge of choosing the best solution [00:12:24] Exciting new UX research tools and use cases for tools User Interviews relies on [00:15:59] Fun features, funny details, and easter eggs Sources mentioned in the episode: userinterviews.com/awkward https://sprig.com https://www.userinterviews.com/ux-research-tools-map-2022 About our guest Roberta Dombrowski is the VP of User Research at User Interviews. She is also a Coach & Mindfulness Teacher at Learn Mindfully—her professional and personal development service that helps leaders and individuals reach their full potential. Roberta holds a Master of Science and Organizational Development Workplace Learning from Boise State University, a Level II Reiki Certification, and is a perennial lover of nature. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/awkwardsilences/message

Healthcare organizations are responding to the UX design boom by focusing on the patient experience. What is driving this shift? Why did it take so long? How does quantitative research align with qualitative research? In this episode of Awkward Silences, Tiffany Mura, Senior Vice President of Health Practice Lead at Mad*Pow, and Erica Devine, Associate Director, Patient Experience Strategy and Support at Otsuka Pharmaceutical Companies (U.S.), discuss patient-centered design in healthcare research. They explore the complexities of the healthcare ecosystem and share key aspects of their research methodologies to help paint a picture of how research can help improve the overall patient experience. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/awkwardsilences/message

What can we learn about collaboration from the widespread blend of hybrid, remote, and in-person meetings? Here's what Miro's latest research study says about it. Episode description: As teams look for effective ways to collaborate between in-person and remote work, hybrid meetings are a flexible solution to meet both needs. But how can teams strike a balance of both in-person and remote meetings in a hybrid setting? How can facilitators reimagine collaboration to make meetings more effective and productive? In this episode of Awkward Silences, Lead UX Research Manager at Miro, Eduardo Gomez Ruiz, is back to share his team's insight from Miro's latest research study on the advantages and challenges of hybrid meetings. He shares exactly how he secured stakeholder buy-ins, UX research methods, and surprising signals. As hybrid working models take hold, this study serves as a great starting point for understanding new paradigms, trends, and attitudes as we continue to navigate new ways of working. In this episode, we discuss: How UX is affected by the evolving hybrid work environment Effective ways to gather collaborators and stakeholders The various UX research methods Eduardo and his team used for the study, and some surprising results The role of inclusion in facilitating hybrid work environments Best tips and practices from successful hybrid meeting facilitators Highlights: [00:05:17] The project's hypothesis was to uncover the dynamics of the overlap between devices, environment, and culture [00:09:12] How Eduardo gained support from the CEO and the Chief Product Officer [00:13:50] The four-phase plan; observation, interviews, surveys, and a co-creation session [00:18:57] Revealing surprising insights about IRL vs. remote user research and inclusivity [00:21:27] Attending in-office meetings as if they were remote [00:25:29] The biggest challenge: maximizing hybrid meetings for both remote and in-person contributors [00:35:01] J.H. touches on emerging approaches to asynchronous communication in meetings [00:37:33] Helpful tips on inclusion and initiating collaboration during hybrid meetings Sources mentioned in the episode: userinterviews.com/awkward https://miro.com/ About our guest Eduardo Gomez Ruiz is the Lead UX Research Manager at Miro, which develops cutting-edge collaboration software trusted by over forty million users. He has also served as a Design Thinking Associate Professor at IE Business School for nearly eight years. Since Eduardo joined Miro in 2020, he has been instrumental in the growth and development of the company's UX research department. Prior to joining Miro, he held positions at Uber and several consulting agencies as a Global UX Researcher and UX Consultant --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/awkwardsilences/message

How do you improve the user experience of UX testing for both researchers and participants? Nicholas Aramouni of Userlytics explains how to test the UX of your own testing platform, and how to create simple and intentional user testing experiences. Episode description: The dual nature of research on research is exciting in itself, especially for Senior UX Researcher Nicholas Aramouni. In this episode, things get meta as we address the UX of UX research. Nicholas discusses the importance of testing everything, testing early, and testing often. He elaborates on his approach to UX research from different angles and describes the beauty (and absurdity) of what it's like when UX researchers become participants. In this episode, we discuss: Best practices for building better UX The UX challenges UX researchers face Important factors that influence UX testing The pros and cons of adopting new research tools A walkthrough of Nicholas' testing methods Highlights: [00:01:52] The keys to designing a great UX test are flawlessness, simplicity, and making it intentional [00:05:42] Nicholas' approach: test everything, test early, and test often to create the perfect test [00:06:53] Nicholas talks about staying focused on what matters and that empathy is a powerful research tool [00:10:42] The test is a valuable asset, and how tools affect the outcomes [00:23:17] Do researchers make good participants? [00:27:52] Tips for researchers using a new UX platform [00:31:39] More on researchers as participants. Nicholas shares his experience as a participant [00:33:04] Erin asks Nick how he got into user research Sources mentioned in the episode: userinterviews.com/awkward About our guest Nicholas Aramouni is a Senior Communications Manager and UX Researcher at Userlytics who specializes in global UX practices. Nicholas has experience in various industries, including music, entertainment, media, and e-commerce. He is passionate about humanities, holds a B.Ed. in Social Studies from Mount Royal University, and was the former co-host of Mindspark. A learning podcast focused on K-12 education. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/awkwardsilences/message

Most people have no idea what UX researchers do. Even less known is what Research Ops Specialists do, which is why one of the Research Ops community's main priorities is to shine a light on the people, mechanisms, and strategies that set research in motion. In this episode of Awkward Silences, Hosts Erin May and John-Henry Forster chat with research design leader Benson Low about why it's time to bring attention to Research Ops. They discuss the emerging role of Research Ops specialists, and Benson provides several strategies that can help communicate the value of Research Ops to stakeholders. Get the full transcript and links to resources mentioned on the User Interviews blog. In this episode, we discuss: Ways to communicate the value of your work in Research Ops Tactics and strategies to gain support in your organization How to leverage the power of the ReOps community Tips for Research Ops advocates on dealing with roadblocks Highlights: [00:02:32] What is Research Ops? What is the Research Ops community? [00:07:50] How to start advocating for Research Ops [00:14:49] Use ReOps community resources to create awareness [00:17:30] Stress the importance of research in the product development lifecycle [00:19:55] Communicating the impact and value your work to stakeholders [00:32:36 ] Advice on overcoming barriers during advocacy work --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/awkwardsilences/message

In this episode, we discuss: Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging Why religion is an overlooked topic in UX research Attitudes and behaviors related to religion Tips for researchers on how to address inclusion from a UX perspective Highlights: [00:01:41] The ‘I' in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) [00:04:05] Forget about equity, this episode is about diversity and inclusion [00:07:48] Applying inclusion to UX research [00:10:56] How to start difficult conversations around inclusion [00:13:25] Why Zoë is interested in UX research on religion [00:20:38] How to keep your bias in check as a researcher [00:25:09] Zoe shares how she addresses religion from a UX perspective [00:27:11] Why it's so hard to talk about religion at work About our guest Zoë Glas is a Senior UX Researcher at Google. She specializes in gathering and triangulating qualitative and quantitative data to improve amazing products. She has a Master's degree in Natural Resource Social Science from Purdue University and a Bachelor's degree in Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana. Zoe has been published extensively in several international journals, including Sage journals, Society & Natural Resources, and Human Dimensions of Wildlife. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/awkwardsilences/message

Our VP of User Research, Roberta Dombrowski, talks about the fast-paced work behind the scenes of UX research and the excitement when things fall into place. We also examine how deeper insight drives strategy and informs long-term planning as research matures, and the reality of team collaboration. In this episode, we discuss: Our exciting plans and strategy for the future How we use research to inform planning Product perspectives vs people perspectives The beauty of new insights and their impact on a big relaunch The difference between healthy organizational tension and dysfunction About our guest Roberta Dombrowski is the VP of User Research at User Interviews, as well as a career and life coach at Learn Mindfully. She has spent her career leading research teams and enabling researchers in various industries to better understand their customers. In addition to her work as a UX researcher, she is known for being an excellent cat mom, gardener, and thought leader. Visit her profile to learn more. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/awkwardsilences/message

Incentives do more than just attract quality participants to your study. Ultimately, offering great incentives helps you collect great data. But if logistics aren't your thing, managing and distributing incentives can be a nightmare. Nick Baum founded Tremendous, the payouts management platform, to take the pain out of that process. He joined us to chat about how Tremendous makes researchers' lives easier, tips for managing research incentives, and how to choose the right type and amount of incentive. In this episode: How Tremendous helps UX researchers pay incentives simply In-person versus digital incentives How to choose the right amount of incentive Managing incentive budgets Read the episode transcript and discover related content at: https://userintervie.ws/awkward-nick --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/awkwardsilences/message