UX Chats

Darshan Gajara is Head of Design at GraphCMS and creator of Product Disrupt. In this episode, we discuss how to take insights you glean from UX research and turn them into actual designs.We talk about:Make sure your design and research reports are clear and story-based so others have the right understanding.Utilize low-fidelity tools like wireframes and user flows. It helps bridge the gap.Getting hung up on a specific process can sometimes hamper your ability to make designs based on the real problem.If you're having trouble translating research into designs, it's likely that there's a breakdown earlier in your flow: you're going after the wrong problem, don't have a hypothesis, chose the wrong method, etc.Raise the general UX research IQ of your whole team so everyone can synthesize together.Utilize usability testing — it's an easy way to validate your design translations.When you're doing really broad research, make sure you know exactly what you're looking for so that you have specific deliverables to help you more easily translate your findings.Get effective and efficient at synthesis because that's the bridge between research and UI design.Links:Follow Darshan on TwitterProduct DisruptFollow UX Tools on TwitterSubscribe to the UX Tools Newsletter

Nikki Anderson is the founder and managing director of User Research Academy—an online school to help people enter the field of user research—and a frequent writer in the field. We discuss common mistakes that can make your research less effective and less efficient.We discuss:Forgetting our stakeholders are our "users" as well and how to align with themBeing a good team player in research—involving, sharing, and handing offUsing an "intake document" to align on scope and goals and how to set expectations for team membersReverse engineering a research plan from the insights you need to gainDecoupling personal goals from research plans (and, if possible, not testing your own designs)Looking higher up in the funnel to find what business, strategy, or team misalignment might be affecting your research goalsStandardizing and speeding up tools (like Calendly, Hotjar, Grain, and others)Using mixed methods to move more quickly (but making sure the method aligns with your goals)Leveraging existing resources through desk research (Google Scholar, Forrester, etc)Not letting your research die by investing in ideas like a research repository, a monthly research presentation, etc.Links:Follow Nikki on LinkedInCheck out userresearchacademy.comFollow UX Tools on TwitterSubscribe to the UX Tools Newsletter

Ioana is a UX Manager at UI Path, Co-founder of Mento Design Academy, and creator of UX Goodies. In this episode, we chat about when you should (or shouldn't) do research and if it's ever okay to skip research.We discuss:Focusing on your research question and if you might already have the answerThe "swinging pendulum" between exploration and execution modesResearch as a "de-risking" exercise and creative ways to handle low risk projectsThe role sample size plays in your decision to research after releasing a solution to customersReflecting on why you might be consideringHow sloppy research might be more costly than skipping researchDeveloping the instinct for when to skip or punt on researchLinks to include:Follow UX Goodies on InstagramCheck out Mento Design AcademyFollow Ioana on LinkedInFollow UX Tools on TwitterSubscribe to the UX Tools Newsletter

Anfisa is a Senior UX designer at Citrix, creator of the Into UX Design course, and content creator on Instagram. In this episode, we chat about some of our favorite research tools and how to use them for more efficient UX research.We discuss:How our need for research tools differs depending on context (freelance, in-house, large team, small team, etc)Making your current tools work for youBasic documentation can be done in Google Docs, Word, or MiroCreating intelligent, nested research database in tools like Dovetail, Airtable, Notion, or Coda.Tagging and organizing research insights through tools like Dovetail and Userzoom GoRecruiting participants through UserBrain, Userinterviews, and UsertestingDiverse research techniques through UXTweak and Optimal WorkshopUsability testing through Maze, Usertesting, and UserbrainSession recording through Hotjar and FullstoryLinks:Follow Anfisa on InstagramAnfisa's Into UX Design courseFollow UX Tools on TwitterSign up for the UX Tools Newsletter

Lindsey Martin is a UX Director at Lucid and former UX Research Lead. In this episode, we chat with her about how to make the UX research synthesis process more efficient.We discuss:The real definition of synthesis and its importanceDoing synthesis as you goSynthesizing with a buddyLeveraging UX research tools and being organizedWhen to use workshopsFocusing on how research impacts your end designsLinksConnect with Lindsey on LinkedInFollow Lindsey's dog Zelda on InstagramFollow UX Tools on TwitterSign up for the UX Tools Newsletter

We chat with Trae Winterton about how to pick research methods that can still be highly effective even if you're short on time (or budget).Trae has worked in Support, Analytics, UX Research, and now as a Product Manager at BrainStorm.We chat with Trae about:Finding passionate people who are excited and willing to give feedback.Some of our favorite efficient research methods, like user interviews, surveys, and even napkin sketches.Balancing the number of insights needed against the time and money spent to gather them.Using the resources already at your disposal to move quickly.Leveraging UX tools (like Maze and Dovetail) or even unlikely Sales tools like Gong.How to excite your participants and stakeholders so they want even more research!LinksConnect with Trae on LinkedInFollow UX Tools on TwitterSign up for the UX Tools Newsletter

We chat with Varun Murugesan about how about how to tailor the UX research recruiting experience to be as efficient as possible for you and your team.Varun is a Research Manager at BestBuy, and also co-founder and Head of Research at Apple & Banana. He was previously a UX Researcher at Facebook.With Varun we discuss:Being realistic about the right number of participants for your project (a "scalpel" vs a "shotgun")Clearly defining who your participants should be by their experiences (not their demographics)Navigating stakeholder relationships to understand research needsThe difference between tactical and strategic research and how it affects participant recruitingFiguring out what "levers" you can pull to create a more flexibleLeveraging Sales and Support as partners in contacting customersThe importance of mapping out and planning the research participant experienceLinksFollow Varun on TwitterFollow Apple & Banana on TwitterApple & Banana WebsiteFollow UX Tools on TwitterSign up for the UX Tools Newsletter

We (Jordan and Taylor) introduce ourselves and our new show: UX Chats! We'll be sitting down with other senior designers to find solutions to specific challenges that designers face every day. This isn't design theory, this is actionable content to help you become a more efficient, effective designer. Stay tuned! Here are some of our resources we reference in the trailer: Design Tools SurveyUX ChallengesDesign Tools Database Here's where to follow along:The UX Tools NewsletterFollow UX Tools on TwitterFollow UX Tools on InstagramFollow UX Tools on LinkedIn If you're interested in collaborating, being a guest on the show, or just want to say hi, reach out to us at team@uxtools.co!