UX Research Geeks

Su Milazzo talks about the role of operations in UX, especially where design and research operations overlap. She explains that operations work to reduce friction and improve workflows for internal teams, using empathy and change management to help them succeed.

The episode features Marek Štrba interviewing Tina Ličková about what she's learned through the 50 episodes of UX Research Geeks. The conversation highlights key takeaways from past guests, such as trust in research, structuring reports, and the role of research ops in building sustainable practices. Tina also shares her personal growth and how the podcast has influenced her work.

In this episode, Glenn, a UX research consultant, shares his insights on why asking "why" in user research can sometimes be a terrible idea. He explains how psychology plays a role in people's ability to truthfully answer "why" questions and how asking them can lead to rationalization, giving us responses that may not reflect true motivations.

In this special International Women's Day episode, we talk with Tejiri Agbodoroba, a Nigerian UX designer, about her journey into tech, the challenges women face, and the impact of mentorship. She shares how community support shaped her career and why empathy from men matters.

Gloria discusses the role of UX research in organizations, emphasizing how researchers communicate their impact. She shares insights on aligning research with business goals, collaborating with stakeholders, and scaling research efforts. She also touches on the challenges researchers face, from proving their value to navigating company structures, and offers practical advice on making research a key part of decision-making.

Satyam talks about the role of research in organizations, focusing on its connection to leadership and business goals. He explains how researchers can align their work with business needs, share findings effectively, and position research as a key part of decision-making.

Stefan shares personal stories and practical approaches to accessibility, discussing how inclusive design can create better products and experiences for everyone.

Mariana discusses her work in participatory design, focusing on immigration policies and public services in Finland. She shares how designers can improve public policy creation, support inclusive dialogues, and turn data into practical outcomes.

Chloe Sharp reveals how research drives innovation, sharing insights on connecting with stakeholders, quantifying ROI, and guiding businesses to create products that matter.

Kelly discusses the rebranding of Screencast-O-Matic to ScreenPal, focusing on the research and user feedback that drove the change. She explains the challenges of aligning brand perception with user needs and managing a global market transition effectively.

Kate explores scaling research within organizations, building effective infrastructure, and crafting strategies for solo or small teams. She also touches on her book, Research That Scales, and offers insights on drawing inspiration from fields like librarianship and systems thinking.

Steve shares insights from his decade in gaming research, discussing the contrast between indie studios and larger companies. He covers the challenges faced in game research, ethical concerns when working with children, and provides advice on breaking into a career in game research.

Sarah explains why UX researchers struggle with building effective portfolios and marketing themselves. She highlights common mistakes researchers make, offers tips for navigating NDAs, and suggests ways to showcase the business impact of their work. Sarah also provides strategies for standing out in a competitive job market and advice for freelancers.

Noam discusses why NPS is a flawed metric and why companies should stop using it. He explains the issues with NPS from a survey science perspective and suggests better alternatives for measuring customer satisfaction and engagement.

Zsuzsa Kovács talks about the problems with using surveys in UX research and why she prefers interviews. She explains how surveys can be biased and miss important details.

Matt shares his perspective on personas and why he favors behavioral archetypes. He discusses the strengths and pitfalls of personas, the role of behavioral science in UX research, and alternative methods for building empathy beyond traditional research.

Pamela Escobar and Tina explore cultural perceptions and financial psychology, analyzing how these elements influence attitudes towards money and life choices. With Pamela's expertise and Tina's questions, they provide a detailed examination of how culture, economics, and personal behavior intersect.

Tina interviews Vitaly, a UX Leader, speaker, and co-founder of Smashing Magazine. Vitaly will host a full-day workshop on designing complex UIs on September 18th, the warm-up day for uxcon vienna 2024, followed by a talk on measuring UX and design impact on September 19th. Their discussion covers aspects of user experience, choosing the right design metrics, and KPIs. Vitaly also shares insights into his daily client work, focusing on evidence-driven design, accessibility, and the importance of understanding user needs to create impactful digital experiences. Tune in for a preview of his upcoming workshop and talk.

Feyikemi, a senior user researcher and strategist, joins host Tina to discuss her upcoming talk at uxcon vienna titled "Co creation, the power of collaborative research among niche user groups." Feyikemi shares her journey from architecture to user research, discussing how she connects with specialized user groups through empathy and collaboration. This conversation offers strategies for UX professionals to build trust with expert users and previews what attendees can expect from Feyikemi's talk on September 20th at Expedithalle in Vienna.

Katy Mogal, an expert in design and research, joins Tina to discuss her upcoming talk at uxcon vienna 2024. Scheduled for September 20, Katy, alongside her colleague Markos Grohmann, will explore the theme "Designing for Connection in a World of AI: Love-Bots, Googly-Eyed Roombas, and the UX Quandary of Anthropomorphic Products." They delve into the human tendency to anthropomorphize technology, the responsibilities of UX researchers, and the ethical implications of designing AI products that foster emotional connections. This episode offers insights into the evolving landscape of AI in UX and provides a preview of what attendees can expect at the conference.

Meet Indi Young, a renowned UX expert, as she joins host Tina Ličková to share details about her upcoming full-day workshop on "Listening Deeply." Indi will discuss her workshop's focus on deep listening and understanding user cognition, offering practical techniques to uncover users' underlying thoughts and emotions through non-directed interviews. This conversation offers valuable strategies for UX professionals and a preview for those interested in attending the workshop, which will be happening at Co-Inno Factory, on September 18th, 2024.

Meet Konstantin, a psychologist and freelance user researcher, discussing his insights at the UXR Meetup by UXtweak with host Tina Ličková. He explores overcoming UX research challenges in companies, breaking down communication barriers, and the vital role of user researchers in aligning departments and achieving business objectives. This conversation offers strategies for dismantling organizational silos and a recap for those who missed the event.

Tina talks with Aiden, a research leader and digital strategy consultant. They discuss the combined power of grounded theory and continuous discovery in UX research. Aiden shares their experiences and perspectives on how these methodologies enrich the understanding of user needs, driving innovation in user-centric design while exploring the interplay between teamwork and individual efforts in research.

In this episode, Tina talks with Suj, who teaches UX design to kids. Suj combines design and empathy to inspire new thinking. We'll explore Suj's journey, his work's impact, and its significance. The discussion also highlights the connection between design and spirituality.

In this episode, Tina Ličková talks with Dr. Breanna Gentile about integrating psychological principles into UX design, focusing on trauma-informed practices. They explore how understanding users' emotional and psychological backgrounds can inform better design decisions. Dr. Gentile emphasizes cultural sensitivity, the blend of qualitative and quantitative research methods, and the importance of creating safe digital environments. The conversation shows how recognizing the human side of user experiences leads to more empathetic and effective UX research.

In this special episode, Tina discusses the UXinsight festival with its organizers, Karin den Bouwmeester and Debbie Slijpen. They share insights into the conference's development, highlight the significance of post-talk discussions, and explore the challenges of fostering online connections. The theme, "Stay Curious, Be Bold," is discussed in the context of UX research's evolving role. The hosts also offer advice for event organizers, emphasizing the importance of personal connections and authenticity within the community. 

In this episode, Tina talks with Yao about using AI in UX research, focusing on the Research Co-pilot tool. They explore its role in speeding up research and the necessity of human oversight. The conversation also touches on AI's benefits for both new and experienced researchers, its future in the field, and how it integrates with the tools of UX professionals. This discussion illustrates the combination of technological advancements with human expertise in advancing UX research.

Tina talks with Daniel Pidcock and Larissa Schwedersky from Glean.ly, exploring Atomic UX Research and its effective use of varied data for strong research outcomes. Larissa also covers the positives of non-linear research, and together they demonstrate how atomic UX research can flexibly support organizations, aiming to boost both user experience and customer satisfaction.

In this episode of "UX Research Geeks," Tina interviews Steve Portigal, an acclaimed user experience researcher and author. They discuss the updated second edition of his book "Interviewing Users."  Steve talks about the challenges of revising his book, highlighting changes in the user experience research field, including new focuses like cognitive biases, the rise of remote research practices, and the development of research operations as a profession. He also addresses the shift towards in-house research teams and the democratization of user research.  The conversation underscores the importance of evolving skills and adapting to the dynamic nature of user research, with Steve's book serving as a guide for both experienced researchers and newcomers to the field.

In this podcast episode, Tina talks with Teresa Torres, a notable Product Management Coach. Teresa discusses the Continuous Discovery Framework, addressing the skepticism she's faced from the research community. She emphasizes customer-centric methods and the necessity for product teams to conduct efficient research. Key topics include research democratization, researcher roles in product development, and balancing diverse customer insights.

In this episode, Maria and Tina explore the nuances of cultural sensitivity in UX research. Together, they discuss the role of cultural backgrounds in shaping communication during research studies and share practical guidance on inclusivity and understanding generational differences within the workplace.

In this episode, Mirjam De Klepper brings her expertise in UX research and digital health to discuss the subtle art of moderation, particularly in the realm of UX research. The episode dives into the challenges and nuances of moderating panels and discussions, with an emphasis on diversity, inclusion, and cultural sensitivity. Snippets from Tina's and Mirjam's talk illustrates how a moderator can effectively guide respectful and meaningful dialogues.

Welcome to Season 3 of UX Research Geeks. In this episode, we take a closer look at the world of user experience research terminology with Nikki Anderson-Stanier, a seasoned professional. We examine topics such as goals, needs, tasks, and pain points, providing valuable insights into the foundations of UX research. Stay tuned for an exciting season ahead, featuring experts in the field.

Aurelia has been fortunate to traverse various types of products, customers, and markets during her time as a researcher - including B2B Saas, digital fitness, e-commerce, and digital devices.  She is experienced in executing research across the product development lifecycle and is particularly passionate about generative research focused on determining product strategy that meets business goals while solving consumer problems.  Aurelia has a passion for building rigorous, adaptable research disciplines, and turning qualitative and quantitative customer data into compelling stories. She currently works at L.A. Times as Senior UX Research Manager. Follow Aurelia & her work here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aureliaalston/  Come listen to Aurelia at uxcon vienna: https://www.uxcon.at/  Don't forget to apply our uxcongeeks code to get your tickets with a 10% discount. This podcast is brought to you by UXtweak.

Zariah is a graduate of North Carolina A&T State University. She's an experienced self-taught UX Designer and aims to cultivate a sense of community within her work and amplify the voices and stories of marginalized communities. She has a passion for strategically placing equity and inclusivity at the forefront of her design work. She is the first “Equity Centered UX Strategist”, at Ally Financial where she is helping to drive an Inclusive Design methodology for the design organization.  Follow Zariah & her work here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zariah-cameron/  Come listen to Zariah at uxcon vienna: https://www.uxcon.at/  Don't forget to apply our uxcongeeks code to get your tickets with a 10% discount. This podcast is brought to you by UXtweak.

Kathleen is a research & insights leader with 15+ years' experience in digital product development. She enjoys building research capacity from scratch and has led teams of researchers, designers and product managers on their journey towards working insight-informed.  She is originally from the Netherlands but has lived in South Korea, Australia, Sweden and is currently residing in France. Working across boundaries of cultures and disciplines has shown her how to work with international product development in the best possible way. Kathleen is a known advocate for research democratization and uses this as one of many tools for creating an insights culture. She will share experiences from all her years of experimenting with different ways to engage people with research & insights. Follow Kathleen & her work here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleenasjes/  Come listen to Kathleen at uxcon vienna: https://www.uxcon.at/  Don't forget to apply our uxcongeeks code to get your tickets with a 10% discount. This podcast is brought to you by UXtweak.

Meet Yao, the first guest of our podcast special with uxcon vienna! Yao Adantor is a User Experience Researcher and Co-Founder of the Research Bookmark UX education platform, with 8 years of diverse experience in e-commerce, healthcare, and federal government sectors.  As an adjunct professor for 4 years, he taught user experience research and prototyping. Yao's passion for understanding human behavior and decision-making led him to specialize in UX research and its impact on technology-driven products.  He strives to make a meaningful impact through his work while cherishing life's precious moments with his two daughters and wife.  Follow Yao & his work here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adantoryao/  Come listen to Yao at uxcon vienna: https://www.uxcon.at/  Don't forget to apply our uxcongeeks code to get a 10% discount on your tickets! This podcast is brought to you by UXtweak.

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 Seattle's School of Visual Concepts and at the University of Washington's graduate digital media. Follow Erica & her work here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ejorgensen/  Use the code uxtweak15 to grab a copy of Erica's “Strategic Content Design” book with 15% off!: https://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/strategic-content-design/  This podcast is brought to you by UXtweak.

Evie is a UX Researcher and Strategist from Estonia. She specializes in building meaningful digital experiences for humans with unconventional problems. Whether it's creating spatial sketches of a future car in VR or exploring new frontiers in sexuality, her focus is always on ensuring that the user's needs are front and center.  For more than seven years, Evie contributed to enhancing human experiences in digital settings, with a particular focus on UX research for four of those years. During this time, she has worked with establishing Support and Research functions in scaling startups, led foundational discovery initiatives, and delivered action-oriented needs-centred research artefacts to support product-led growth and innovation. Currently, Evie works at Gravity Sketch, the 3D design software for sketching and modelling in VR. Prior to this, she spent 6 years working for a dating app for alternative relationships exploration.   Follow Evie & her work here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evgenia-gavrilovich/ Article about Spotify, that we are talking about in this episode: https://response-ability.tech/why-spotify-is-making-recommendations-more-meaningful/   This podcast is brought to you by UXtweak.

Mike Green MBPsS is an award-nominated freelance user researcher, podcast host and digital consultant based in the UK. His clients range from start-ups to UK Government departments and FTSE100 companies. He is a passionate believer in user-centred design and has interviewed hundreds of research participants in the course of his career to help ensure product teams design and build digital services that really meet user needs. He holds a Master's degree in Psychology from the University of Bristol and has lived and worked in more than seven countries. Find out more about his work at Researchable UX. Follow Mike & his work here: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/mikejrgreen https://www.researchable.uk/ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/understanding-users-a-ux-podcast/id1591604213 This podcast is brought to you by UXtweak.

Elke is the founder of De Denksmederij and works as a speaker, author and trainer. She guides philosophical conversations and provides training and education in critical thinking, practical philosophy, the art of asking questions and creative thinking. Elke develops thinking materials, e-books, workshops and thinking processes and online products around thinking and creativity. Follow Elke & her work here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elke-wiss/  https://www.denksmederij.nl/ "How to Know Everything", a book by Elke Wiss: https://www.amazon.de/How-Know-Everything-questions-answers-ebook/dp/B08NPWYCJL/ref=sr_1_2?__mk_de_DE=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&crid=2L23BWW7KUMIQ&keywords=elke+wiss&qid=1679668190&sprefix=elke+wiss%2Caps%2C101&sr=8-2 This podcast is brought to you by UXtweak.

Darren Hood is a 27+ year veteran of the UX discipline, serving at several successful organizations during his career including the Fortune 50. He holds 2 UX-related Master's degrees and is a doctoral candidate. Among his many engagements, he's an adjunct professor at 6 universities, a podcaster, an author, and a global mentor. Darren loves all things UX and relishes the opportunity to share with the community whenever opportunities arise. Follow Darren & his work here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dwhood/ https://www.dhoodux.com/ Darren's podcast: https://www.worldoux.com/ --> https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-world-of-ux-with-darren-hood/id1514004102 This podcast is brought to you by UXtweak

Julian Della Mattia is UX Research Lead at Kiwi.com and founder of the180 Agency. Based in Spain, Julian helps teams build up research practices from scratch and specializes in Facilitation & ResearchOps. Follow Julian & his work here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdelmat/ If you interested to learn more about ResearchOps, we also recommend: The Youtube channel of Kate Towsey https://www.youtube.com/@katetowsey5455 The podcast of Roy Opata Olende https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/scaling-research/id1546142497 This podcast is brought to you by UXtweak

Eli is a Iranian researcher from Central European university. Her main fields of interest are gender, women's rights, media representation, social movements, and women's representation in cinema. She is also a poet with two published books in her home country and an experimental filmmaker. She is now relocating to Canada to continue her research in Phd of sociology and cultural studies. Follow Eli & her work here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elham-mohtashamzadeh-4388927a/ https://www.facebook.com/elham.mohtashamzadeh/ https://www.clubhouse.com/@elimohtasham This podcast is brought to you by UXtweak

Welcome to the new season of UXR Geeks! This is the first episode, with the one and only Sina Schreiber, UX Researcher & Content Strategist who many of you may know from the research repository software Condens. We talked about her path to user research and the role of a repository in research democratization. We also dived into the intersection of user research and content strategy that Sina connects in her role in Condens. Tune into her learnings from doing research with UXR professionals. Follow Sina & her work here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sinaschreiber/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/condens/ This podcast is brought to you by UXtweak

Welcome to the last episode of series 1 of UX Reasearch Geeks. Don't worry, we are not going to be stopping anytime soon, we just have to have a small break to bring you even more great guests! With the last episode of the season, we felt like we should go out with a bang! That's why we invited Dr. Gyles Morrison, who is a Clinical UX Strategist with 10 years history in healthcare, digital health and clinical UX. We talked about pains and gains that artificial inteligence brings into healtcare, how patients need to be pro-active in their own health management and what principles can help us to design inclusive products. Follow Dr. Gyles Morrison here: http://drgylesmorrison.com/ This podcast is brought to you by UXtweak

Tjaša Zajc is an internationally recognized digital health moderator and speaker focused on global healthcare digitalization. Brainlab put her on the list of 9 Digital Health Experts to Follow on LinkedIn in 2021, Health Tech listed her among 30 Healthcare IT Influencers Worth a Follow in 2021. She is the founder and host of Faces of digital health podcast, which is consistently ranked among the top digital health industry podcasts, she works as a business developer at the healthcare IT company Better, and is a patient advocate. Follow Tjaša and her work here: www.facesofdigitalhealth.com better.care Alternatively, subscribe to her newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/ This podcast is brought to you by UXtweak

Sayali Phatak is a senior UX researcher working in the digital health industry. Prior to making the jump to industry, she did research in academia focused on designing digital solutions for health promotion and behavior change. Follow Sayali on her LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sayaliphatak/ You can also take a look at some of her frameworks mentioned in the episode: IDEAS Framework: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5203679/ Behavioral Design Thinking approaches: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8968622/ This podcast is brought to you by UXtweak

James Mckinnon is a human-technologist and human-centered researcher in digital health and service design. His work explores areas where business, technology, and design merge together to impact digital services, people, and society. You. Me. Us. We. is a human-centered research lab led by James. The studio's work is driven by inclusive and equitable practices in care delivery, lowering barriers to access to novel life-saving digital health services and tools. The studio work with governments, health care systems, pharma, start-ups, and hospital administrators working in public and private care settings. These are places where services are lacking and an understanding of people's social, economic, and cultural mindsets has to deeply be taken into account. Follow James & his work here: https://jamesmckinnon.com/ https://studioyoumeuswe.com/ This podcast is brought to you by UXtweak

Michaela Mora, the founder of Relevant Insights, is an insights professional with a diverse background and more than 20 years of experience working at the intersection of market research and UX research. She is also a founding member of the Multicultural Insights Collective, which conducts research about topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Michaela holds an MS. in Marketing Research from The University of Texas at Arlington, an MS. in Marketing, Advertising & PR from Stockholm University, and a BS. and MS. in Psychology from Havana University. She also holds a UX Master Certification with a focus on User Research and Interaction Design from the Nielsen Norman Group. Feel free to follow Michaela and her work here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelamora/ https://www.relevantinsights.com/ https://www.relevantinsights.com/articles/ https://twitter.com/rinsights https://www.youtube.com/c/Relevantinsights If you want to dig deeper into her work, check out these articles: https://www.relevantinsights.com/articles/how-to-do-a-research-problem-audit/ https://www.relevantinsights.com/articles/market-research-vs-ux-research-why-we-need-integration/ https://www.relevantinsights.com/articles/step-by-step-guide-to-the-market-research-process/ https://www.relevantinsights.com/articles/when-is-it-time-for-outsourcing-research/ This podcast is brought to you by UXtweak

Elizabeth Akpan is a User researcher at YUX. She is a curious person and has worked on multi-country UX research projects on the African continent and in various sectors - open knowledge, fintech and agritech. Camille Kramer-Courbariaux is a Senegal-based entrepreneur, UX researcher, and co-founder of YUX, a pan-African UX research, and design agency. She specializes in health and education research projects. She also launched the YUX Academy, a UX design training center. Follow Elizabeth on her social media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heyakpan/ Feel free to follow Camille and her work here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camille-kramer-courbariaux-1933a420/ Website: https://yux.design/ State of User Research in Africa 2021 study: https://yux.design/studies/state-ux-research-africa-2021 This podcast is brought to you by UXtweak