Podcast appearances and mentions of janelle estes

It's a changing world of consumer research. There's never been more data at our fingertips, but with that comes privacy and ethical concerns. How do you pull out insights that will positively impact your business? It comes down to keeping humans first, what to do about data access we may shortly lose, not overindexing on too narrow an audience, and keeping the consumer a part of the process. As always, some big questions face us in the research world. How much data is needed for us to feel confident we have the right audience? What are the best ways to get cost-effective information from consumers? And how do you frame up the conversation to get the most bang for your buck? We wanted you to learn from a true expert in the consumer research space, so we welcomed on Janelle Estes. She's the Chief Insights Officer of UserTesting, a human insight platform focused on improving customer experience (CX). And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don't hesitate to reach out to us at: ForthRight-People.com. FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/forthrightpeople.marketingagency INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/forthrightpeople/ LINKEDIN https://www.linkedin.com/company/forthright-people/ WORKSHEETS https://www.forthright-people.com/worksheets VIRTUAL CONSULTANCY https://www.forthright-people.com/shop

In this episode, Andy and Janelle recap season six of the Human Insight Podcast. Thank you to all the listeners of the podcast, wherever you may be. And thank you to all the guests for making time for us and sharing their stories.We're currently planning Season 7. If you have an insight you want us to investigate, or a guest you recommend, please email us at podcast@usertesting.com. Follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter Co-host Janelle Estes | @janelle_estes Co-host Andy MacMillan | @apmacmillan Producer Nathan Isaacs | @isaacsnd UserTesting | @usertesting Have an episode suggestion or guest recommendation? Share on social with the tag #HumanInsights Get a free video of a real person reviewing your website

In this episode, we curated 13 clips from past episodes of the Human Insight Podcast to give you insights on being a better product leader. You will hear from C. Todd Lombardo, author of several books including Product Roadmaps Relaunched; Silicon Valley Product Group's Christian Idiodi; Product School's Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia, Harvard Business School's Julia B. Austin, Radhika Dutt, author of Radical Product Thinking; Teresa Torres, author of Continuous Discover Habits, Ignition's Karthik Suresh, and IDEO's Iain Roberts.How the role of product management evolvingHow the product leader's role has changedKey skills product managers need to be successful3 fundamental characteristics that makes a great product managerWhat makes a great product teamThree pillars of radical product thinkingWhat is continuous discoveryWhy customer feedback is critically important to your successKey elements for a successful product launchHow do you include execs in a design sprintHow do you know when you have good product market fitThe seven diseases of  of product strategy & developmentThe future of productFollow us on LinkedIn or Twitter Co-host Janelle Estes | @janelle_estes Co-host Andy MacMillan | @apmacmillan Producer Nathan Isaacs | @isaacsnd UserTesting | @usertesting Have an episode suggestion or guest recommendation? Share on social with the tag #HumanInsights Get a free video of a real person reviewing your website

What is Human Insight? What can you do with human insight? And how do you get started gathering human insight? Those are the big three questions the Center for Human Insight, presented by UserTesting, hopes to answer. “People tend to think of user tests as being something just tied to usability when in fact it's a way to get broad feedback on anything that you need to get reactions to or input on in real time,” said Michael Mace, VP of the Center for Human Insight. “And the range of things you can do with it, the range of things you can learn are just amazing. We want to bring that to life for everybody so that they see what you can do.”Mace along with Michael Domanic, Head of Solutions Partners at UserTesting; and Sean Treiser, Insights Strategist at UserTesting, were guests on this week's episode of the Human Insight Podcast. In their conversation, they also discussed: What is the Center for Human InsightWho is the center's target audienceHow does someone submit an article or tip for gathering feedback to the centerLinks from the showCenter for Human InsightEmailing the center: centerforhumaninsight@usertesting.comFollow us on LinkedIn or Twitter Co-host Janelle Estes | @janelle_estes Co-host Andy MacMillan | @apmacmillan Producer Nathan Isaacs | @isaacsnd UserTesting | @usertesting Have an episode suggestion or guest recommendation? Share on social with the tag #HumanInsights Get a free video of a real person reviewing your website

Customer onboarding is critical to the success of a business not just in activation, but in the long-term retention of those users.Typically, we think of the example of when we sign up a new customer and then onboard them on our product or service. But onboarding is more than that. You'll need to re-onboard a once-every-few-months user every time they log on. And you'll need to successfully onboard a customer every time you release a new product feature. “If you don't,” says Pulkit Agrawal, cofounder and CEO of Chameleon, “that feature won't get adoption activation, retention, and won't be part of the reason why customers stick around.”Chameleon helps companies build better onboarding experiences. Agrawal was this week's guest on the Human Insights Podcast, joining co-hosts Andy MacMillan and Janelle Estes. “User onboarding, while it's typically considered at the start of the product journey, really applies across the product lifecycle as you build functionality,” Agrawal said. “And in the world of product-led today, where really the companies that have the best products and the most usage in engagement are the ones that win, it's really vital that companies have a method, a process, a system and tooling to continue to onboard users onto features and continue to drive engagement adoption.”Listen to the episode and learn more about: Why companies should focus on the why and not just the how with onboardingThe importance of onboarding, especially in a usage-based pricing modelHow a friction log can help improve your customers' onboarding experiencesEpisode links: ChameleonPulkit Agrawal on LinkedInChameleon funding roundGerrard: My Autobiography by Steven GerrardNudge: The Final Edition by Richard H. ThalerJonathan Livingston Seagull: The Complete Edition by Richard BachFollow us on LinkedIn or Twitter Co-host Janelle Estes | @janelle_estes Co-host Andy MacMillan | @apmacmillan Producer Nathan Isaacs | @isaacsnd UserTesting | @usertesting Have an episode suggestion or guest recommendation? Share on social with the tag #HumanInsights Get a free video of a real person reviewing your website

Customer onboarding is critical to the success of a business not just in activation, but in the long-term retention of those users. Typically, we think of the example of when we sign up a new customer and then onboard them on our product or service.  But onboarding is more than that. You'll need to re-onboard a once-every-few-months user every time they log on. And you'll need to successfully onboard a customer every time you release a new product feature.  “If you don't,” says Pulkit Agrawal, cofounder and CEO of Chameleon, “that feature won't get adoption activation, retention, and won't be part of the reason why customers stick around.” Chameleon helps companies build better onboarding experiences. Agrawal was this week's guest on the Human Insights Podcast, joining co-hosts Andy MacMillan and Janelle Estes.  “User onboarding, while it's typically considered at the start of the product journey, really applies across the product lifecycle as you build functionality,” Agrawal said. “And in the world of product-led today, where really the companies that have the best products and the most usage in engagement are the ones that win, it's really vital that companies have a method, a process, a system and tooling to continue to onboard users onto features and continue to drive engagement adoption.” Listen to the episode and learn more about:  Why companies should focus on the why and not just the how with onboarding The importance of onboarding, especially in a usage-based pricing model How a friction log can help improve your customers' onboarding experiences

Welcome to our second annual roundup of book recommendations from guests on the Human Insight Podcast. It is a good mix of books, covering creativity, money, innovation and product development. There is even a children's book recommendation, as well as one for a newsletter. And don't forget, our own Janelle Estes and Andy MacMillan also wrote User Tested, which was published earlier this year. Brave New Work by Aaron DignanGerrard: My Autobiography by Steven GerrardNudge: The Final Edition by Richard H. ThalerJonathan Livingston Seagull: The Complete Edition by Richard BachBuild: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making by Tony FadellThe Gruffalo in Scots by Julia DonaldsonThe Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by Dalai LamaThe Marginalian by Maria PopovaDare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. by Brené BrownThe Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness by Morgan HouselBirdgirl By Mya-Rose CraigEnd of Bias: A Beginning by Jessica NordellInvisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado PerezHow Democracies Die by Steven LevitskyPermanent Record by Edward SnowdenThe Mom Test: How to talk to customers & learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you by Rob FitzpatrickFollow us on LinkedIn or Twitter Co-host Janelle Estes | @janelle_estes Co-host Andy MacMillan | @apmacmillan Producer Nathan Isaacs | @isaacsnd UserTesting | @usertesting Have an episode suggestion or guest recommendation? Share on social with the tag #HumanInsights Get a free video of a real person reviewing your website

Julia Austin is a strong advocate for feedback never stopping, whether she is pushing her students to get out and talk with customers or talking with business leaders. “I'll get this question, especially from founders early on, of ‘when do I stop talking to my customers and getting feedback and start building my product?,'” said Austin, Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School's Rock Center for Entrepreneurship where she currently teaches Startup Operations. “And I'm like, ‘Never ... You need to be talking to them all the time.”In this episode of the Human Insight Podcast, Austin joins UserTesting's CEO Andy MacMillan and Chief Insights Officer Janelle Estes to discuss the importance of customer feedback, as well as: What makes a great product manager?How do you know when you have product market fit?Her advice to legacy companies making the digital transition and developing new products or reinventing how their current products are offered in the marketplace?Links in the show: Julia on LinkedInJulia on TwitterJulia's page at the Harvard Business SchoolCourse description for her class, StartupOperationsGood for HerFollow us on LinkedIn or Twitter Co-host Janelle Estes | @janelle_estes Co-host Andy MacMillan | @apmacmillan Producer Nathan Isaacs | @isaacsnd UserTesting | @usertesting Have an episode suggestion or guest recommendation? Share on social with the tag #HumanInsights Get a free video of a real person reviewing your website

You have to understand how people work, and why, says Kaj van de Loo, UserTesting's Chief Technology Officer, on this week's episode of the Human Insight Podcast. “What do they actually want to do or need to do to reach their goals, vs. what are they doing as weird workarounds or because they are being told to do,” he said. “Look at the former, and support it. In our case, every product manager, designer, and engineer wants to understand our customers and users and they all want to hear about how our product is being used, what people think of it, and how we can make it better. We lean into that.” In their conversation with Kaj, co-hosts Andy and Janelle ask him about business workflows and how the pandemic and digital acceleration changed the way we think about processes and workflows. The also discuss how understanding how people work, and how they leverage tools and technology, as well as customer insights, to launch products successfully. Follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter Co-host Janelle Estes | @janelle_estes Co-host Andy MacMillan | @apmacmillan Producer Nathan Isaacs...

Producer's note: This week's episode is a conversation Janelle had with futurist and author Brian Solis at The Human Insight Summit held last week in New Orleans. We hope you enjoy the conversation. Do you know how your customers experience your brand today? Do you know how they really feel? Do you know what they say when you're not around? You think you know your customers, but you really have no idea–until you talk to them!Brian Solis, author of X: The Experience When Business Meets Design, joined Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer and co-author of User Tested, met onstage in a fireside conversation at The Human Insights Summit last week in New Orleans to discuss the importance of customer understanding and empathy in an always-on world, and why today customer experience is your brand.Solis is a world-renowned digital anthropologist, futurist, 8x best-selling author, and international keynote speaker. He serves as VP, Global Innovation at Salesforce and has consistently been recognized as one of the world's leading voices in innovation, business transformation, and leadership for over two decades.Leveraging insights from each of their books and professional experiences, Brian and Janelle spoke about the parallels in their books and beliefs on powering customer-centric experiences.Follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter Co-host Janelle Estes | @janelle_estes Co-host Andy MacMillan | @apmacmillan Producer Nathan Isaacs...

Producer's note: This week's episode is a conversation with futurist and author Brian Solis at The Human Insight Summit held in New Orleans in 2022. Do you know how your customers experience your brand today? Do you know how they really feel? Do you know what they say when you're not around? You think you know your customers, but you really have no idea–until you talk to them! Brian Solis, author of X: The Experience When Business Meets Design, joined Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer and co-author of User Tested, met onstage in a fireside conversation at The Human Insights Summit last week in New Orleans to discuss the importance of customer understanding and empathy in an always-on world, and why today customer experience is your brand. Solis is a world-renowned digital anthropologist, futurist, 8x best-selling author, and international keynote speaker. He serves as VP, Global Innovation at Salesforce and has consistently been recognized as one of the world's leading voices in innovation, business transformation, and leadership for over two decades. Leveraging insights from each of their books and professional experiences, Brian and Janelle spoke about the parallels in their books and beliefs on powering customer-centric experiences.

Amanda Renteria, the CEO of Code for America, joined the Human Insight Podcast to talk about using technology AND regularly talking with your audience to reimagine government to better serve communities. Amanda has worked in the financial sector, been a teacher in her hometown, and spent most of her career in the public sector, from serving as Chief of Operations at the California Department of Justice to being national political director for Hilary Clinton's 2016 US presidential campaign. And, oh yeah, she ran for the U.S. Congress and for California's state governor.Among the topics discussed include: Simplifying tax filingCode for America's Safety Net Innovation LabWhat is human-centered governmentAmanda's thoughts on Hispanic Heritage Month following her recent appointment by President Biden to his Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for HispanicsLinks in the show: Amanda Renteria on TwitterCode for America Safety Net Innovation LabSimplified tax filingFollow us on LinkedIn or Twitter Co-host Janelle Estes | @janelle_estes Co-host Andy MacMillan | @apmacmillan Producer Nathan Isaacs...

This episode features an interview with Janelle Estes, Chief Insights Officer at UserTesting, an on-demand human insight platform that quickly gives companies a first-person understanding of how their target audience behaves throughout any experience and why. Janelle has over 15 years of experience in customer research for both B2B and B2C companies to help them transform their customer and user experiences. She has also held UX research consulting roles at Nielsen Norman Group and Forrester Research. In this episode, Janelle talks about understanding your customers as human beings, engaging them in the feedback and development process, and embedding the customer voice in your business.Quotes*”Customer experience is really about people, and serving your customers as people and human beings.”*”Without the context of understanding your customers as humans and hearing from them [about] why they might have given you a low NPS rating or why they're leaving a particular page, you can't make an educated decision of what to do and how to fix it.”*”The interesting thing about people and customers is that while they don't wanna be tracked, they wanna be heard… You've heard the phenomenon, like everyone hates surveys, nobody fills them out, only a small percentage fill them out because they're tired of them… What this study and research uncovered was that people aren't fatigued by taking surveys. They're actually fatigued by taking surveys and then the company not actually doing anything with the information.”*”Don't try to change everything at once. Don't try to boil the ocean. Find one or two places in that product development flow that you really want people to talk to customers and then find a way to embed it there.”*”How do we get to a place where we're not just over indexing on all the things people are doing and where they're clicking and what they're saying on all these different platforms? What if we just reintroduced the customer as a person that is next to us every day or provides intelligence to us on an ongoing basis? To me, that's the future. And that's what gets me super excited about what we have in front of us.  And I think there's so much room and opportunity for us to  reintroduce the human into the business conversation.”*”The really interesting thing about personas to me is that we tend to think that everybody who falls into that persona is the same, but there's so much variety within personas. And so imagine if you could go talk to five people that fit into the profile of your key persona. You're gonna meet five very different people.”Time Stamps*[0:04] How to better understand your customers as humans and support a more diverse UX*[0:28] Introducing Janelle Estes, Chief Insights Officer at UserTesting*[5:55] How UserTesting helps organizations connect with customers*[8:34] What is a customer experience narrative?*[10:51] Finding inspiration from your own best customer experience*[11:30] The revealing metrics behind customer behavior*[16:35] How UserTesting engages customers in their own experience*[25:49] Where to begin when wanting to better understand your customers*[32:32] Why it's critical to talk to customers who fit your ideal guest persona*[34:21] Debrief*[35:21] HGS PubBioJanelle is an expert research practitioner fascinated by human behavior and intrigued by data insight. She brings over 15 years' experience conducting large-scale customer research initiatives for both B2C and B2B companies across a variety of industries to help them transform their customer, user, and brand experiences. Janelle is responsible for stewarding the future of Human Insight and translating that into opportunities to evolve the UserTesting platform. Prior to UserTesting, Janelle held UX research consulting roles at Nielsen Norman Group and Forrester Research.Thank you to our friendsThis podcast is brought to you by HGS. A global leader in optimizing the customer experience lifecycle, digital transformation, and business process management, HGS is helping its clients become more competitive every day. Learn more at hgs.cx.LinksConnect with Janelle on LinkedInFollow Janelle on TwitterConnect with Lyssa on LinkedInCheck out HGS

The digital acceleration is changing everyone's lives, especially for designers who are more and more in demand across companies, industries and geographies.  The past decade has seen incredible changes to design, and who is a designer. In fact, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics this year officially recognized the job of “web and digital interface designer,” says Andrew Hogan, who leads insights and analysis at Figma and was this week's guest on the Human Insight Podcast.  “And there's also this realization that design can impact things at a business level, call it Big D design,” Hogan said. “It's not just about moving pixels, it's also about solving business problems.” Podcast co-hosts Andy MacMillan and Janelle Estes talked with Andrew before Adobe's announced its intentions to acquire Figma for $20 billion. In addition to discussing how much design has changed, as well as what's ahead, they also discussed what are the best practices across the industry, especially as it pertains to big, global, and/or enterprise organizations.

The digital acceleration is changing everyone's lives, especially for designers who are more and more in demand across companies, industries and geographies. The past decade has seen incredible changes to design, and who is a designer.In fact, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics this year officially recognized the job of “web and digital interface designer,” says Andrew Hogan, who leads insights and analysis at Figma and was this week's guest on the Human Insight Podcast. “And there's also this realization that design can impact things at a business level, call it Big D design,” Hogan said. “It's not just about moving pixels, it's also about solving business problems.”Podcast co-hosts Andy MacMillan and Janelle Estes talked with Andrew before Adobe's announced its intentions to acquire Figma for $20 billion.In addition to discussing how much design has changed, as well as what's ahead, they also discussed what are the best practices across the industry, especially as it pertains to big, global, and/or enterprise organizations. Follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter Co-host Janelle Estes | @janelle_estes Co-host Andy MacMillan | @apmacmillan Producer Nathan Isaacs...

"When you're thinking about measuring a community, usually what you measure is what you effect," said Wesley Faulkner, Senior Community Manager at Amazon's AWS. "So, if you're not measuring the success of the people who are in the community, if that's not part of the measurements, then you're really not going to be tracking that. Thus, you may lose sight of what makes your community good." Wesley talked with Andy MacMillan, UserTesting's CEO, and Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, in this episode of the Human Insight Podcast.  Wesley is a first-generation American, public speaker, and podcaster. He is a founding member of the government transparency group Open Austin and a staunch supporter of racial justice, workplace equity, and neurodiversity. His professional experience spans technology from AMD, Atlassian, and Dell among others. Wesley is currently . He also co-hosts the developer relations focused podcast Community Pulse and serves on the board for SXSW. He said measuring what makes a sponsored community successful can be complicated. Ask the sales team and they want to know how many leads are coming from the community. Ask customer service and they want to know how many tickets are being diverted to and answered in the community.  "But if I had to boil it down to anything," Faulkner said, "it is what does the community itself say its worth?" Listen to the episode to hear Faulkner's tips for putting metrics to that measurement.  Additionally, they discuss:  What do Faulkner mean when he says community shapes us?  What are the benefits of a community to those within the community, and what are the benefits to the sponsoring organization?  How do you authentically build an audience, especially as everything seems to shift to more digital, more remote, and more global?

"When you're thinking about measuring a community, usually what you measure is what you effect," said Wesley Faulkner, Senior Community Manager at Amazon's AWS. "So, if you're not measuring the success of the people who are in the community, if that's not part of the measurements, then you're really not going to be tracking that. Thus, you may lose sight of what makes your community good."Wesley talked with Andy MacMillan, UserTesting's CEO, and Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, in Episode 48 of the Human Insight Podcast. Wesley is a first-generation American, public speaker, and podcaster. He is a founding member of the government transparency group Open Austin and a staunch supporter of racial justice, workplace equity, and neurodiversity. His professional experience spans technology from AMD, Atlassian, and Dell among others. Wesley is currently .He also co-hosts the developer relations focused podcast Community Pulse and serves on the board for SXSW.He said measuring what makes a sponsored community successful can be complicated. Ask the sales team and they want to know how many leads are coming from the community. Ask customer service and they want to know how many tickets are being diverted to and answered in the community. "But if I had to boil it down to anything," Faulkner said, "it is what does the community itself say its worth?"Listen to the episode to hear Faulkner's tips for putting metrics to that measurement. Additionally, they discuss: What do Faulkner mean when he says community shapes us? What are the benefits of a community to those within the community, and what are the benefits to the sponsoring organization? How do you authentically build an audience, especially as everything seems to shift to more digital, more remote, and more global ? Hello podcast listeners. Want to get more insights on how to improve your customer's experience? Registration is open for UserTesting's The Human Insight Summit taking place October 17th thru the 19th in New Orleans! You can expect two full days of presentations by some of the world's best researchers, designers, digital product leaders, and marketers. You can also sign up for deeper, hands-on learning with our half-day University Live pre-conferen

Janelle Estes is the author of User Tested: How the World's Top Companies Use Human Insight to Create Great Experiences. In this episode, we sat down with Janelle to talk about the power of human insight, how to scale it throughout your organization, and its role in creating a culture of customer empathy.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's podcast is all about bringing humanity back to business!It is about putting customers back into the center of your business model Data alone can't help you understand and empathize with your customers.” says my guest Janelle Estes, co-author of the newly released book User Tested.“No amount of data will take you inside your customers'' heads, help you see the world through their eyes, or let you experience what it's really like to be your customer. Only human insight from real people can do that.”Listening to this episode, you'll learn tested methodologies to trigger that type of customer feedback that makes your new products, collections, or campaigns in line with their expectations and perhaps beyond them.You'll hear Janelle share success stories, and a few failures, and as you'll listen, you'll figure how your company can start today to finally hear your customers' voice.THE BOOKUser Tested gives both individual contributors and executives an approachable, pragmatic playbook for stepping beyond standard business metrics and infusing real human insight into every business decision, design, and experience.In this book, you'll:Learn how businesses became obsessed with data—but disconnected from their customers—and why that's not sustainableGet the basics about how to capture human insight through user testing, including how to find the right people, ask the right questions, and make sense of and act on all the insights you uncoverDive into a detailed playbook that shares real-world examples of how you can collect and scale human insight across the teams in your organization—from marketing to product, and beyondLearn how to evangelize the power of human insight throughout your organization, so every department can create a culture of customer empathy and share a firsthand understanding of customer needsFind out how companies like Microsoft, AAA Club Alliance, HelloFresh, and Notre Dame's IDEA Center solidly connect with and elicit meaningful feedback from customers in friendlier, faster, and more direct waysPerfect for any industry, User Tested: How the World's Top Companies Use Human Insight to Create Great Experiences was co-authored by the chief insights officer and the CEO of UserTesting—a SaaS company fundamentally changing the way both B2B and consumer brands find out what real people think and feel. The book reflects the authors' commitment to helping you position the customer squarely in the center of your business model by weaving their true voices throughout your company's decision making.

In this episode, Kim talks with Andy McMillian and Janelle Estes from UserTesting.com about how to better operationalize customer insights and really walk the talk of customer-centricity.Connect with Andy McMillan, Chair & CEO UserTesting, and Janelle Estes, Chief Insights Officer at UserTesting. Andy and Janelle are co-authors of the book User Tested: How the World's Top Companies Use Human Insight to Create Great Experiences Connect with our hosts Jim Hertzfeld, Principal and Chief Strategist for Perficient, and Kim Williams-Czopek, Director of Digital Strategy at Perficient. 

Adam Thomas believes the role of a product manager is one thing only: how do you help the organization make better decisions consistently?  Part of that is knowing when to stop work on a product idea, when to pivot on a product, and when to double down on a product initiative. Adam, lead product manager at SmartRecruiters, as well as a speaker, consultant and technologist, has developed what he calls  Survival Metrics to help product managers do just that.  Adam joined Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, on this week's episode of the Human Insight Podcast. They talked about his Survival Metrics, the difference between them and success metrics, and more.

Adam Thomas believes the role of a product manager is one thing only: how do you help the organization make better decisions consistently? Part of that is knowing when to stop work on a product idea, when to pivot on a product, and when to double down on a product initiative. Adam, lead product manager at SmartRecruiters, as well as a speaker, consultant and technologist, has developed what he calls  Survival Metrics to help product managers do just that. Adam joined Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, on this week's episode of the Human Insight Podcast. They talked about his Survival Metrics, the difference between them and success metrics, and more. Insights this weekIn this week's Insights segment, we asked consumers what advice they had for brands to consider as they advertise between Memorial Day through early fall?For many Americans the Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of summer, family vacations, grilling in the backyard, swimming at the pool or lake, and enjoying the longer days. That's also the time we start seeing and hearing more advertising and other brand messaging for such things as travel and outdoor activities, yard and home improvement projects, as well as for events such as Pride Month, the Fourth of July or going back to school.But consumers are also living amid the third year of the pandemic, rising inflation and gas prices, the Russia-Ukraine war, as well as other national and global violence and other issues.  So we wondered what advice do people have for brands to consider so that they can be both human-centered and innovative. You can also watch their response in this highlight video. Help us, help youWe're looking for your input in helping us improve the podcast. Please take this short survey to help us improve the show. There is also an opportunity to take a UserTesting test about the show, where we can hear about your experiences directly.  Survey: https://forms.gle/nCSTZFR5affEs2k1A

Good UX writing begins with usability and accessibility. Bobbie Wood, founder and CEO of UX Content Collective, joins the Human Insight Podcast this week to discuss UX writing and the importance of making it inclusive to everyone and all abilities. Bobbie and co-host Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, also discuss how Artificial Intelligence will impact UX writing.We also solicited feedback from UX writers and content writers from around the world, asking their thoughts about AI and how it may affect their careers.You can watch highlight reel videos of what they said. In the first, they answer whether AI will take their job. And in the second, we ask what advantages do you think humans have over AI when it comes to writing. This week's insightsLast week, the U.S. Congress held its first hearing on UFOs in 50 years. At the hearing, a Navy intelligence official told lawmakers no evidence of aliens had been found. However, a database of reports of UFOs now includes about 400 incidents, up from 143 assessed in a report released about a year ago.The military says improved sensors, an increase in drones and other non-military unmanned aerial systems, and "aerial clutter" such as Mylar balloons as causes for the uptick in reported incidents. In a Gallup poll in June 2021, one-third of Americans said they believed some UFOs are indeed alien spacecraft, and a resounding three-fourths of Americans said that "life of some form" exists elsewhere in the universe.If you had one question to ask someone from another planet or solar system, what would it be?We asked UserTesting contributors if they had one question to ask someone from another planet or solar system, what would it be. We'd love your feedbackAnd as a listener of the show, we'd love your feedback. Please take this short survey to help us improve the show. There is also an opportunity to take a UserTesting test about the show, where we can hear about your experiences directly.  Survey: https://forms.gle/nCSTZFR5affEs2k1A

Good UX writing begins with usability and accessibility.  Bobbie Wood, founder and CEO of UX Content Collective, joins the Human Insight Podcast this week to discuss UX writing and the importance of making it inclusive to everyone and all abilities.  Bobbie and co-host Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, also discuss how Artificial Intelligence will impact UX writing. We also solicited feedback from UX writers and content writers from around the world, asking their thoughts about AI and how it may affect their careers. You can watch highlight reel videos of what they said. In the first, they answer whether AI will take their job. And in the second, we ask what advantages do you think humans have over AI when it comes to writing.

When it comes to customer data, context is king.   And user testing has become increasingly important as a resource for fine-tuning the customer experience.   It's a marriage between UX and CX … and today's guest brings nearly 20 years of experience as a CX leader, strategist, and practitioner who's designed and conducted hundreds of studies.  Hear my conversation with Janelle Estes, Chief Insights Officer at UserTesting and author of the book: User Tested: How The World's Top Companies Use Human Insight to Create Great Experiences as we discuss:  How UX and CX play together  Why user testing is a unique solution to gaining human insights  Why UX is finally gaining traction  What types of user testing are effective  How to get started collaborating around the customer journey  More information about Janelle and today's topics: Janelle Estes on LinkedIn  UserTesting.com  UserTested  Don't Make Me Think  Outside In   Subscribe, listen, and rate/review the Customer Experience Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play or Google Podcasts , and find more episodes on our blog.

What makes a podcast worth listening to?That is an overarching question we'll be asking as we kick off Season 5 of the Human Insight Podcast. After four seasons, we're reaching out to listeners to see what's working and what needs improvement.In this episode, we interview Dan Misener, Director of Audience Development at Pacific Content. Pacific Content helps brands—such as Ford, Charles Schwab, Adobe, Mozilla and many others—develop and produce award-winning podcasts.If anyone knows what makes a great podcast, it will be Dan and the team at Pacific. We also asked avid podcast listeners from around the world what they like and dislike about podcasts; whether that is show notes; how they discover new shows; whether they leave a rating or review and many other questions.We'll be sharing those insights with you throughout the season. In his conversation with Janelle Estes, Chief Insights Officer at UserTesting, Dan explains the “Only we” strategy for creating a podcast. And it is advice you could apply to just about any endeavor. “Only we is the idea that podcasters of all stripes should make the show only they are uniquely suited to make,” Dan says. “What is the show only we could make? What is the show no one else could make even if they wanted to?”Sometimes the “only we” is the access you have; it could be a point of view or a world view; it could be that you're the subject matter expert on a particular topic. “Could someone else make this show and would it be the same?” Dan said. “If the answer is yes, I don't think your show is designed especially well.”Listen to the episode to get more insights from Dan. In addition to expanding on the “Only we” strategy, Dan responds to UserTesting contributors sharing their thoughts on how they find a podcast, and whether they leave reviews. You can watch the videos, too! See and hear what podcast listeners say about how they discover podcasts, and whether they leave reviews. 

What makes a podcast worth listening to? That is an overarching question we'll be asking as we kick off Season 5 of the Human Insight Podcast. After four seasons, we're reaching out to listeners to see what's working and what needs improvement. In this episode, we interview Dan Misener, Director of Audience Development at Pacific Content. Pacific Content helps brands—such as Ford, Charles Schwab, Adobe, Mozilla and many others—develop and produce award-winning podcasts. If anyone knows what makes a great podcast, it will be Dan and the team at Pacific.  We also asked avid podcast listeners from around the world what they like and dislike about podcasts; whether that is show notes; how they discover new shows; whether they leave a rating or review and many other questions. We'll be sharing those insights with you throughout the season.  In his conversation with Janelle Estes, Chief Insights Officer at UserTesting, Dan explains the “Only we” strategy for creating a podcast. And it is advice you could apply to just about any endeavor.  “Only we is the idea that podcasters of all stripes should make the show only they are uniquely suited to make,” Dan says. “What is the show only we could make? What is the show no one else could make even if they wanted to?” Sometimes the “only we” is the access you have; it could be a point of view or a world view; it could be that you're the subject matter expert on a particular topic.  “Could someone else make this show and would it be the same?” Dan said. “If the answer is yes, I don't think your show is designed especially well.” Listen to the episode to get more insights from Dan. In addition to expanding on the “Only we” strategy, Dan responds to UserTesting contributors sharing their thoughts on how they find a podcast, and whether they leave reviews. You can watch the videos, too! See and hear what podcast listeners say about how they discover podcasts, and whether they leave reviews.

Do you really understand how your customers experience your product, website, app, or service? Janelle Estes, Chief Insights Officer at UserTesting, would guess that while you probably think you do, you likely actually don't. Janelle joins the podcast to talk customer expectations, why business metrics don't always align with these expectations, and shares tips and tricks for companies looking to get honest, relevant, and applicable feedback on their UX.Tune in to learn:What metrics really matter when analyzing customer satisfaction? (6:10)Why what the customer care about matters more than price. (16:00)How to think about phrasing when you are gathering feedback. (17:15)Thinking about the sensitivities around tracking data. (20:00)Building a bridge between sales and marketing. (29:00)Marketing Trends is brought to you by Salesforce Marketing Cloud. For more great marketing insights, sign up for The Marketing Moments newsletter. You'll get ideas to help you build better customer relationships, invites to upcoming events, and access to the latest industry research. Subscribe at https://sforce.co/MarketingMoments

Janelle Estes shares the importance of executive leadership staying connected to customers, and what the best design leaders are doing to successfully scale design research. Highlights include: ⭐ What do UX researchers need to let go of? ⭐ How can researchers navigate pushback against qualitative research? ⭐ What are the best companies doing to run UX research at scale? ⭐ How important is it for senior management to come face-to-face with customers? ⭐ What are the dangers of unmoderated research? ====== Who is Janelle Estes? Janelle is the Chief Insights Officer at UserTesting, the human insights platform that helps companies to see the world through their customers' eyes. At UserTesting, Janelle is the voice of the industry and has significant influence on the product's strategy, key customer relationships, and the definition and delivery of the businesses services.  Before joining UserTesting in 2014, Janelle was a Senior User Experience Consultant at the famous UX consulting company, Nielsen Norman Group. There, Janelle designed and ran hundreds of qualitative and quantitative studies. The proud co-author of the book “User Tested” where, alongside Andy MacMillan (UserTesting's CEO), Janelle shares the stories of how the world's best companies are using human insight to create great experiences. ====== Find Janelle here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janelleestes/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/janelle_estes Website: https://www.janelleestes.com/ Janelle's book: User Tested: How the World's Top Companies Use Human Insight to Create Great Experiences: https://amzn.to/3IxUm1d User Testing: Website: https://www.usertesting.com/ Podcast: https://www.usertesting.com/resources/podcasts ====== Liked what you heard and want to hear more? Subscribe and support the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen). Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheSpaceInBetween/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/  ====== Hosted by Brendan Jarvis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/ Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendanjarvis/

In this episode, cohosts Andy MacMillan and Janelle Estes recap Season 4 and talk about what to expect in the next season.

In this episode, cohosts Andy MacMillan and Janelle Estes recap Season 4 and talk about what to expect in the next season. And as a listener of the show, we'd love your feedback. Please take this short survey to help us improve the show. There is also an opportunity to take a UserTesting test about the show, where we can hear about your experiences directly.  Survey: https://forms.gle/nCSTZFR5affEs2k1A

Nick Mehta, CEO at Gainsight, believes there are three pillars to a great customer experience and he points to Peloton as an example. One thing great about Peloton is they combine human and digital, Nick said. First, you need a human connection. That could be a customer success manager at a B2B tech company. And for Peloton, it is the relationship with a coach. Nick's favorite instructor Cody Rigsby for example. The second pillar is the product. Nick said Peloton's digitally-connected product delivers what he (the customer) needs and wants to know for a workout. The third pillar is a community of other human beings. This is the leaderboard, which allows you to compete with the rest of the Peloton users in the same class as you and your type of equipment.“That triad is the future,” Nick said.In this bonus podcast episode, a previously recorded LinkedIn Live conversation, Roberts joined Andy MacMillan, UserTesting's CEO, to discuss the concept of design thinking and why it's so important for businesses. Their conversation was part of the User Tested book tour. The new book was co-authored by Andy and Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer.  Listen to the episode for further insights. To learn more about User Tested: www.usertesting.com/usertested.

If you asked someone shopping for a new truck whether they would purchase an electric truck what do you think would be the answer? Now ask those same potential customers if they want to run their power tools off the bed of the truck? Or in an emergency, would they want to be able to power their homes off their truck so the ice cream doesn't melt? “That insight is the beauty of understanding customers in a way that isn't just what they say and do but in what they think and feel,” said Iain Roberts, Chief Operating Officer at IDEO, a global design and consulting firm; which counts Ford and others among its longtime clients In this bonus podcast episode, a previously recorded LinkedIn Live conversation, Roberts joined Andy MacMillan, UserTesting's CEO, to discuss the concept of design thinking and why it's so important for businesses. Their conversation was part of the User Tested book tour. The new book was co-authored by Andy and Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer.   Roberts said design thinking allows companies to drive real growth by seeing through your customers eyes.  According to its press release introducing the electric F-150 Lightning, Ford relied on its deep understanding of its truck customers to inform the design of the all-new F-150. “We see it as our duty to deliver not just what our customers want and need, but what they might have never thought possible,” said Craig Schmatz, Ford F-150 chief engineer. Early results are impressive. Ford has reported they have more than 200,000 reservations for the electric truck, of which 75% new customers to Ford.  Listen to the episode for further insights.

If you asked someone shopping for a new truck whether they would purchase an electric truck what do you think would be the answer?Now ask those same potential customers if they want to run their power tools off the bed of the truck? Or in an emergency, would they want to be able to power their homes off their truck so the ice cream doesn't melt?“That insight is the beauty of understanding customers in a way that isn't just what they say and do but in what they think and feel,” said Iain Roberts, Chief Operating Officer at IDEO, a global design and consulting firm; which counts Ford and others among its longtime clientsIn this bonus podcast episode, a previously recorded LinkedIn Live conversation, Roberts joined Andy MacMillan, UserTesting's CEO, to discuss the concept of design thinking and why it's so important for businesses. Their conversation was part of the User Tested book tour. The new book was co-authored by Andy and Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer.  Roberts said design thinking allows companies to drive real growth by seeing through your customers eyes. According to its press release introducing the electric F-150 Lightning, Ford relied on its deep understanding of its truck customers to inform the design of the all-new F-150. “We see it as our duty to deliver not just what our customers want and need, but what they might have never thought possible,” said Craig Schmatz, Ford F-150 chief engineer.Early results are impressive. Ford has reported they have more than 200,000 reservations for the electric truck, of which 75% new customers to Ford. Listen to the episode for further insights. To learn more about User Tested: https://www.usertesting.com/usertested.

During the writing and editing of User Tested, coauthor Janelle Estes reached out to Jim Kalbach to review draft chapters and share his feedback. Kalbach, the Chief Evangelist at MURAL and author of several books, loved the book but wanted more stories and proof points. In this bonus podcast episode, a previously recorded LinkedIn Live conversation, Kalbach and Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, discuss the writing of User Tested and the importance of talking with your customers. Kalbach reviewed the first two chapters on why Human Insights are important, and the last two chapters on how to make this happen in any organization.He said his advice could be applied to anyone writing a book. He wanted more stories— or evidence— as a way to connect to a larger audience, who may be unfamiliar with incorporating testing and customer feedback into their business processes. Kalbach said you want to be able to talk with these people in a language they can understand. Ignore them, and you're just talking with folks in an echo chamber who already believe and support your point of view.It is a challenge many in the UX industry have experienced, explaining the need for user insights. But as Tamara Adlin in Episode 12 of the Human Insight Podcast said, you need to talk in a language your audience will understand. Listen to the episode for further insights. To learn more about User Tested: https://www.usertesting.com/usertested.

During the writing and editing of User Tested, coauthor Janelle Estes reached out to Jim Kalbach to review draft chapters and share his feedback.  Kalbach, the Chief Evangelist at MURAL and author of several books, loved the book but wanted more stories and proof points.  In this bonus podcast episode, a previously recorded LinkedIn Live conversation, Kalbach and Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, discuss the writing of User Tested and the importance of talking with your customers.  Kalbach reviewed the first two chapters on why Human Insights are important, and the last two chapters on how to make this happen in any organization. He said his advice could be applied to anyone writing a book. He wanted more stories— or evidence— as a way to connect to a larger audience, who may be unfamiliar with incorporating testing and customer feedback into their business processes. Kalbach said you want to be able to talk with these people in a language they can understand. Ignore them, and you're just talking with folks in an echo chamber who already believe and support your point of view. It is a challenge many in the UX industry have experienced, explaining the need for user insights. But as Tamara Adlin in Episode 12 of the Human Insight Podcast said, you need to talk in a language your audience will understand.  Listen to the episode for further insights.

When T. Rowe Price rolled out a new process for creating an online investment account, they discovered a 37% drop off on the very first step after users opened the webpage.They needed to know “why behind the what” and for that they turned to UserTesting. Within hours they'd identified the problem and were making fix recommendations to product owners. The T. Rowe Price story is one of many shared in User Tested and that is being featured in Season 4 of the Human Insights Podcast. The book was authored by podcast hosts Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, and Andy MacMillan, UserTesting's CEO. You can order the book here or on your favorite book seller's website.Harsha Thayi, Senior Manager of UX Research at T. Rowe Price, shares their story and other insights in his interview. In their conversation, he and Janelle discuss: How Thayi partners with other teams within T. Rowe Price to ensure they create and deliver exceptional experiences for T. Rowe customers What metrics or KPIs does Thayi's team directly or indirectly influence and how that maps to company strategy and purposeHow they are building a “shared understanding” of T. Rowe Price's customers across the organization

When T. Rowe Price rolled out a new process for creating an online investment account, they discovered a 37% drop off on the very first step after users opened the webpage. They needed to know “why behind the what” and for that they turned to UserTesting. Within hours they'd identified the problem and were making fix recommendations to product owners.  The T. Rowe Price story is one of many shared in User Tested and that is being featured in Season 4 of the Human Insights Podcast. The book was authored by podcast hosts Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, and Andy MacMillan, UserTesting's CEO. You can order the book here or on your favorite book seller's website. Harsha Thayi, Senior Manager of UX Research at T. Rowe Price, shares their story and other insights in his interview. In their conversation, he and Janelle discuss:  How Thayi partners with other teams within T. Rowe Price to ensure they create and deliver exceptional experiences for T. Rowe Price customers  What metrics or KPIs does Thayi's team directly or indirectly influence and how that maps to company strategy and purpose How they are building a “shared understanding” of T. Rowe Price's customers across the organization

Ben Hoggan's team at the Notre Dame's IDEA Center has mentored close to 200 startups and would-be startups  from concept to revenue over the last four years. The best way, he said, to know if a company will be successful is by talking with its customers and potential customers. And after more than 6,000 customer interviews on behalf of those startups, he should know. "It is very selfish to invest in customer research," said Hoggan, the Director of De-Risking at The IDEA Center. "You're saving yourself time. You're saving yourself money."Standing for Innovation, De-Risking, and Enterprise Acceleration, the IDEA Center works with faculty, student, community, and alumni entrepreneurs on their commercially viable, early-stage product ideas and innovations.The IDEA Center's story is one of many shared in User Tested and that are being featured in Season 4 of the Human Insights Podcast. The book was coauthored by podcast hosts Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, and Andy MacMillan, UserTesting's CEO. You can purchase a copy of the book here or on your favorite book seller's website.Listen to the episode to learn more about: Ben's work as Director of De-Risking at The IDEA Center at the IDEA CenterWhat are some strategies he and his team use to identify if startup ideas will *stick* or be adopted by the market?What metrics or KPIs does the IDEA Center own? And how does Ben's team work ties to those metrics?

Ben Hoggan's team at the Notre Dame's IDEA Center has mentored close to 200 startups and would-be startups  from concept to revenue over the last four years. The best way, he said, to know if a company will be successful is by talking with its customers and potential customers. And after more than 6,000 customer interviews on behalf of those startups, he should know. "It is very selfish to invest in customer research," said Hoggan, the Director of De-Risking at The IDEA Center. "You're saving yourself time. You're saving yourself money." Standing for Innovation, De-Risking, and Enterprise Acceleration, the IDEA Center works with faculty, student, community, and alumni entrepreneurs on their commercially viable, early-stage product ideas and innovations. The IDEA Center's story is one of many shared in User Tested and that are being featured in Season 4 of the Human Insights Podcast. The book was coauthored by podcast hosts Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, and Andy MacMillan, UserTesting's CEO. You can purchase a copy of the book here or on your favorite book seller's website. Listen to the episode to learn more about:  Ben's work as Director of De-Risking at The IDEA Center at the IDEA Center What are some strategies he and his team use to identify if startup ideas will *stick* or be adopted by the market? What metrics or KPIs does the IDEA Center own? And how does Ben's team work ties to those metrics?

In this episode, Janelle Estes talks with Tom Lorusso, the Principal User Research Lead for Xbox and gaming across Windows products and devices.Tom has been working in games for over 7 years, with 15 years in the user research field on phones, operating systems and portable ultrasound. Tom and his Xbox Experiences team tackle a variety of research questions in social gaming, community, monetization, communication, cross-platform gaming, video consumption, accessibility, and inclusivity.Tom's story at Microsoft is one of many shared in User Tested and that are being featured in Season 4 of the Human Insights Podcast. The book was co-authored by podcast hosts Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, and Andy MacMillan, UserTesting's CEO.  You can order the book here or on your favorite book seller's website.Listen to the episode and learn how Tom and his team at Microsoft and Xbox tackle: What strategies Tom and his team use to identify shifting behaviors and expectations in the gaming spaceWith all the changes (technology, pandemic, and so forth) happening in recent years, how does Tom and his team prepare and plan for the futureHow Tom and his team partner with the other teams within Microsoft to ensure they create and deliver an exceptional  experience for Xbox customers

In this episode, Janelle Estes talks with Tom Lorusso, the Principal User Research Lead for Xbox and gaming across Windows products and devices. Tom has been working in games for over 7 years, with 15 years in the user research field on phones, operating systems and portable ultrasound. Tom and his Xbox Experiences team tackle a variety of research questions in social gaming, community, monetization, communication, cross-platform gaming, video consumption, accessibility, and inclusivity. Tom's story at Microsoft is one of many shared in User Tested and that are being featured in Season 4 of the Human Insights Podcast. The book was co-authored by podcast hosts Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, and Andy MacMillan, UserTesting's CEO.  You can order the book here or on your favorite book seller's website. Listen to the episode and learn how Tom and his team at Microsoft and Xbox tackle:  What strategies Tom and his team use to identify shifting behaviors and expectations in the gaming space With all the changes (technology, pandemic, and so forth) happening in recent years, how does Tom and his team prepare and plan for the future How Tom and his team partner with the other teams within Microsoft to ensure they create and deliver an exceptional  experience for Xbox customers

This week on the Human Insight Podcast, we are excited to have James Villacci joining us to discuss how HelloFresh is scaling customer insights across the organization. As the first UX Researcher at HelloFresh, James Villacci established the value of conducting studies on the company's online and offline projects. He is now head of Global UX Research at the company, which is the largest meal-kit provider in the world. He evangelized the power and impact of getting fast customer feedback through what has become “The Insights Show,” an internal watch party of customer insights that draws 100+ employees.The HelloFresh story is one of many shared in User Tested and that will be featured in Season 4 of the Human Insights Podcast. The book was authored by podcast hosts Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, and Andy MacMillan, UserTesting's CEO. The book is being released on February 15th, but you can pre-order it today here or on your favorite book seller's website.Listen to the episode to learn James' recipe for democratizing insights across an organization. In their conversation, they discuss: How HelloFresh's insights show came to beHow James and his UX team partners with the product organization to ensure they create and deliver a great experience for HelloFresh customersHow James and his UX team built the case for UX research at HelloFresh, from business metrics to storytelling

This week on the Human Insight Podcast, we are excited to have James Villacci joining us to discuss how HelloFresh is scaling customer insights across the organization.  As the first UX Researcher at HelloFresh, James Villacci established the value of conducting studies on the company's online and offline projects. He is now head of Global UX Research at the company, which is the largest meal-kit provider in the world.  He evangelized the power and impact of getting fast customer feedback through what has become “The Insights Show,” an internal watch party of customer insights that draws 100+ employees. The HelloFresh story is one of many shared in User Tested and that will be featured in Season 4 of the Human Insights Podcast. The book was authored by podcast hosts Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, and Andy MacMillan, UserTesting's CEO. The book is being released on February 15th, but you can pre-order it today here or on your favorite book seller's website. Listen to the episode to learn James' recipe for democratizing insights across an organization. In their conversation, they discuss:  How HelloFresh's insights show came to be How James and his UX team partners with the product organization to ensure they create and deliver a great experience for HelloFresh customers How James and his UX team built the case for UX research at HelloFresh, from business metrics to storytelling

In this week's episode, James Lane shares the evolving story of how AAA is becoming a design-driven organization.James, a Senior Product Design Manager at AAA Club Alliance, joins host Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, and Andy MacMillan, UserTesting's CEO, to share AAA's story, which is one of many being shared in the upcoming User Tested and that will be featured in Season 4 of the Human Insights Podcast. The book was authored by podcast hosts Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, and Andy MacMillan, UserTesting's CEO. The book is being released on February 15th, but you can pre-order it today here or on your favorite book seller's website.James said becoming a design-driven organization is similar to how organizations evolved into being data-driven, moving data insights from just the math wizards in a corner office to enabling everyone in an organization to use data to inform and improve their work. “We can all use design processes, just as we all use data, to understand our world a little better, as a process for exploring what customers are looking for,” he said. The results are impressive. Following their customer-informed design changes, organic conversions for the website were up 30%, including a 55% lift for Premier memberships (AAA's top-tier membership type), a 39% lift in revenue for this channel.In their conversation, they go on to discuss: Going from pilot to launchWhat he means by design-drivenAnd how customer insights are informing new initiatives, such as a recently rolled out new website

In this week's episode, James Lane shares the evolving story of how AAA is becoming a design-driven organization. James, a Senior Product Design Manager at AAA Club Alliance, joins host Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, and Andy MacMillan, UserTesting's CEO, to share AAA's story, which is one of many being shared in the upcoming User Tested and that will be featured in Season 4 of the Human Insights Podcast. The book was authored by podcast hosts Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, and Andy MacMillan, UserTesting's CEO. The book is being released on February 15th, but you can pre-order it today here or on your favorite book seller's website. James said becoming a design-driven organization is similar to how organizations evolved into being data-driven, moving data insights from just the math wizards in a corner office to enabling everyone in an organization to use data to inform and improve their work.  “We can all use design processes, just as we all use data, to understand our world a little better, as a process for exploring what customers are looking for,” he said.  The results are impressive. Following their customer-informed design changes, organic conversions for the website were up 30%, including a 55% lift for Premier memberships (AAA's top-tier membership type), a 39% lift in revenue for this channel. In their conversation, they go on to discuss:  Going from pilot to launch What he means by design-driven And how customer insights are informing new initiatives, such as a recently rolled out new website

2022 may turn out to be the big bang of the metaverse, but no matter the reality- augmented, virtual, extended or mixed- doing business in an increasingly digital world needs to begin the human experience. This week on the Human Insight Podcast, Krikey co-founders Jhanvi Shriram and Ketaki Shriram join host Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, to share how they are putting customers first for their mobile augmented reality (AR) gaming app. Jhanvi, the CEO of Krikey, and Ketaki, the CTO, have been featured in the Forbes 30 under 30 list, and Fast Company's Best Apps and Games of 2020. Krikey's story is one of many shared in the upcoming User Tested and that will be featured in Season 4 of the Human Insights Podcast. The book was authored by podcast hosts Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, and Andy MacMillan, UserTesting's CEO. The book is being released on February 15th, but you can pre-order it today here or on your favorite book seller's website. With insights from UserTesting, Krikey has surpassed more than 2 million users, saw a 45% increase in app conversions, and they are now bringing their app to new markets worldwide.  Listen to their interview to hear how the Krikey co-founders:  How and why they started the business How customer feedback fits into Krikey's business priorities How testing the user experience helped evolved their offerings How customer feedback is tied to user growth, retention and engagement

2022 may turn out to be the big bang of the metaverse, but no matter the reality- augmented, virtual, extended or mixed- doing business in an increasingly digital world needs to begin the human experience.This week on the Human Insight Podcast, Krikey co-founders Jhanvi Shriram and Ketaki Shriram join host Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, to share how they are putting customers first for their mobile augmented reality (AR) gaming app.Jhanvi, the CEO of Krikey, and Ketaki, the CTO, have been featured in the Forbes 30 under 30 list, and Fast Company's Best Apps and Games of 2020.Krikey's story is one of many shared in the upcoming User Tested and that will be featured in Season 4 of the Human Insights Podcast. The book was authored by podcast hosts Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, and Andy MacMillan, UserTesting's CEO. The book is being released on February 15th, but you can pre-order it today here or on your favorite book seller's website.With insights from UserTesting, Krikey has surpassed more than 2 million users, saw a 45% increase in app conversions, and they are now bringing their app to new markets worldwide. Listen to their interview to hear how the Krikey co-founders: How and why they started the businessHow customer feedback fits into Krikey's business prioritiesHow testing the user experience helped evolved their offeringsHow customer feedback is tied to user growth, retention and engagement

In this episode, Jennifer Lee, UX Research Lead at Wise, shares her experience being the company's first qualitative researcher to scaling insights across the company.Wise (formerly known as TransferWise) is a publicly-traded, London-based technology company founded in 2011. Wise is building the best way to move and manage money around the world, helping a community of over 10 million like-minded people and businesses.Wise's story is one of many shared in the upcoming User Tested and that will be featured in Season 4 of the Human Insights Podcast. The book was authored by podcast hosts Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, and Andy MacMillan, UserTesting's CEO. The book is being released on February 15th, but you can pre-order it today here or on your favorite book seller's website.The book gives both individual contributors and executives an approachable, pragmatic playbook for stepping beyond standard business metrics and infusing real human insight into every business decision, design, and experience.In her interview with, Jennifer tells Janelle and Andy about holding monthly UX Research 101 classes that anyone at Wise could join to learn about qualitative research. This began the democratization of the research function, as requests to get involved came from their HR/People Team, Engineering, Project Management, Marketing, Design, and more. In their interview, they go on to discuss: What role does the user experience play at Wise in securing and retaining customers?How her team partners with the product organization to ensure they create and deliver an exceptional experience for Wise customers?What metrics or KPIs does your team directly or indirectly influence?How to build the case for customer listening? 

In this episode, Jennifer Lee, UX Research Lead at Wise, shares her experience being the company's first qualitative researcher to scaling insights across the company. Wise (formerly known as TransferWise) is a publicly-traded, London-based technology company founded in 2011. Wise is building the best way to move and manage money around the world, helping a community of over 10 million like-minded people and businesses. Wise's story is one of many shared in the upcoming User Tested and that will be featured in Season 4 of the Human Insights Podcast. The book was authored by podcast hosts Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, and Andy MacMillan, UserTesting's CEO. The book is being released on February 15th, but you can pre-order it today here or on your favorite book seller's website. The book gives both individual contributors and executives an approachable, pragmatic playbook for stepping beyond standard business metrics and infusing real human insight into every business decision, design, and experience. In her interview with, Jennifer tells Janelle and Andy about holding monthly UX Research 101 classes that anyone at Wise could join to learn about qualitative research. This began the democratization of the research function, as requests to get involved came from their HR/People Team, Engineering, Project Management, Marketing, Design, and more.  In their interview, they go on to discuss:  What role does the user experience play at Wise in securing and retaining customers? How her team partners with the product organization to ensure they create and deliver an exceptional experience for Wise customers? What metrics or KPIs does your team directly or indirectly influence? How to build the case for customer listening?

Join Andy MacMillan, CEO of UserTesting, and Janelle Estes, Chief Insights Officer at UserTesting, as they recap Season 3 of the Human Insight Podcast.  And in January, Season 4 of the podcast launches with a focus on the success stories, examples and playbooks from User Tested, the new book co-authored by Janelle and Andy, now available for pre-order.

Join Andy MacMillan, CEO of UserTesting, and Janelle Estes, Chief Insights Officer at UserTesting, as they recap Season 3 of the Human Insight Podcast. And in January, Season 4 of the podcast launches with a focus on the success stories, examples and playbooks from User Tested, the new book co-authored by Janelle and Andy, now available for pre-order.

This week on the Human Insight Podcast, we interview Brent Leary, CRM industry observer, author and speaker.  Leary is co-founder and Managing Partner of CRM Essentials LLC, an Atlanta based CRM/CX advisory firm covering tools and strategies for improving business relationships. He writes regularly for CRM Magazine and ZDNet, and is a founding member of Newseek's Expert Forum. He hosts the weekly One on One conversation series for Small Business Trends, the A Few Good Minutes livestream series, co-hosts The CRM Playaz show, and is a regular on the Gillmor Gang show on TechCrunch. In his conversation with Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, Leary discusses:  Can a company actually be customer centric? Or are they just data centric about their customers? The tension between tracking our customers and transparency of what that information is being used for? Building stronger customer relationships How technology is making things easier to do, except it doesn't seem to be getting any easier to find, catch and keep good customers. Why?

This week on the Human Insight Podcast, we interview Brent Leary, CRM industry observer, author and speaker. Leary is co-founder and Managing Partner of CRM Essentials LLC, an Atlanta based CRM/CX advisory firm covering tools and strategies for improving business relationships. He writes regularly for CRM Magazine and ZDNet, and is a founding member of Newseek's Expert Forum. He hosts the weekly One on One conversation series for Small Business Trends, the A Few Good Minutes livestream series, co-hosts The CRM Playaz show, and is a regular on the Gillmor Gang show on TechCrunch.In his conversation with Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, Leary discusses: Can a company actually be customer centric? Or are they just data centric about their customers?The tension between tracking our customers and transparency of what that information is being used for?Building stronger customer relationshipsHow technology is making things easier to do, except it doesn't seem to be getting any easier to find, catch and keep good customers. Why?This episode originally aired December 20, 2021.

You could design UX for a B2C to increase conversions. Or you could oversee UX for health tech company and, ultimately, save or improve lives. For Andrew Frueh it was an easy choice.  Frueh is the senior vice president of UX design at Health Catalyst, a leading provider of data and analytics technology and services to healthcare organizations.  This week, he joins Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, on the Human Insight Podcast where they talk about:  What metrics or KPIs does his UX team directly or indirectly influence? How does that map to his team's strategy and purpose? When it comes to customer-centricity and experience, what is unique about the healthcare space? How does it compare to other industries, such as retail or financial services? Is there a difference between UX in B2B vs. B2C? If so, what are those differences?

You could design UX for a B2C to increase conversions. Or you could oversee UX for health tech company and, ultimately, save or improve lives.For Andrew Frueh it was an easy choice. Frueh is the senior vice president of UX design at Health Catalyst, a leading provider of data and analytics technology and services to healthcare organizations. This week, he joins Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, on the Human Insight Podcast where they talk about: What metrics or KPIs does his UX team directly or indirectly influence? How does that map to his team's strategy and purpose?When it comes to customer-centricity and experience, what is unique about the healthcare space? How does it compare to other industries, such as retail or financial services?Is there a difference between UX in B2B vs. B2C? If so, what are those differences?

If you're a regular listener to the show, you know Janelle asks our guests about a book they've recently read and would recommend.In this episode, we've rounded up all those recommendations from the past year and share them with you, whether you are looking for a holiday gift, you're planning your 2022 strategy and are looking for some help, or just want to get in some quality reading over the holidays.Before we jump into our guest recommendations, I should also note that five of our past guests are also authors of some great books. Teresa Torres, author of Continuous Discovery HabitsJohn S. Couch, author of The Art of Creative Rebellion Tamara Adlin, co-author of The Persona LifecycleJim Kalbach, author of The Jobs to Be Done PlaybookApril Dunford, author of Obv!ously AwesomeHere are the other recommended books: Tiny HabitsTurning ProUser FriendlyUX Pioneers Never Split the DifferenceNever a Dull MomentThe Jobs To Be Done PlaybookNo Rules RulesCaste: The origins of our discontentCreativity, Inc.SnowcrashGentleman in MoscowKlara and the SunWho Not HowThink AgainConnectAnd last but not least, we'd like to recommend User Tested by our podcast co-hosts and co-authors Janelle Estes and Andy MacMillan.In their book, you'll discover why the company that offers the best customer experience always wins, and that real, three-dimensional people can't be reduced to data points on a graph.The book is being released on February 15th, but you can pre-order it today on your favorite book seller's website.

This week on the Human Insight podcast, we interviewed Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia, Founder and CEO of Product School.  Product School is the global leader in product management training with a community of over one million product professionals. Product School instructors are real-world Product Leaders working at top companies including Google, Facebook, Netflix, Airbnb, PayPal, Uber, and Amazon. In his interview with Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Information Officer, Carlos discusses:  The role of a product manager in today's world The skills and experiences product managers need to be successful  The role customer feedback plays in a product manager's day-to-day life

This week on the Human Insight podcast, we interviewed Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia, Founder and CEO of Product School. Product School is the global leader in product management training with a community of over one million product professionals. Product School instructors are real-world Product Leaders working at top companies including Google, Facebook, Netflix, Airbnb, PayPal, Uber, and Amazon.In his interview with Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Information Officer, Carlos discusses: The role of a product manager in today's worldThe skills and experiences product managers need to be successful The role customer feedback plays in a product manager's day-to-day life

This week on the Human Insight podcast, we interviewed Teresa Torres, author of Continuous Discovery Habits.  Teresa teaches a structured and sustainable approach to continuous discovery that helps product teams infuse their daily product decisions with customer input. She's coached hundreds of teams at companies of all sizes, from early-stage start-ups to global enterprises and has taught over 6,500 product people core discovery skills through the Product Talk Academy.  In her interview with Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, Teresa discusses: What is continuous discovery? What role does customer input and feedback play in a product manager's day-to-day life? Who should manage continuous customer feedback?  What do we do with those customer insights? How do we align those insights with business goals?

This week on the Human Insight podcast, we interviewed Teresa Torres, author of Continuous Discovery Habits. Teresa teaches a structured and sustainable approach to continuous discovery that helps product teams infuse their daily product decisions with customer input. She's coached hundreds of teams at companies of all sizes, from early-stage start-ups to global enterprises and has taught over 6,500 product people core discovery skills through the Product Talk Academy. In her interview with Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, Teresa discusses:What is continuous discovery?What role does customer input and feedback play in a product manager's day-to-day life?Who should manage continuous customer feedback? What do we do with those customer insights?How do we align those insights with business goals?

This week on the Human Insight podcast, we interviewed Emily Carrion, VP of Marketing at Esper and veteran of the Seattle startup scene. In her interview with Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, Carrion discusses:Her observations on the progress being made in getting more women startup founders, board members, and senior leadersThe marketing challenges she is addressing this quarterWhy it's important to hear directly from customers, in their own voicesWhat startups should prioritize with their customer feedback and testing?Her advice developing continuous engagement with customers

This week on the Human Insight podcast, we interviewed Emily Carrion, VP of Marketing at Esper and veteran of the Seattle startup scene.  In her interview with Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, Carrion discusses: Her observations on the progress being made in getting more women startup founders, board members, and senior leaders The marketing challenges she is addressing this quarter Why it's important to hear directly from customers, in their own voices What startups should prioritize with their customer feedback and testing? Her advice developing continuous engagement with customers

This week on the Human Insight podcast, we interview April Dunford, a tech executive, board member, CEO and founder of Ambient Strategy, and author of Obv!ously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get It, Buy It, Love It. In her interview with Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, Dunford discusses:  Is positioning just for startups How has the pandemic changed the role of positioning  How our biases inhibit our positioning efforts Who should be involved in positioning The importance of customer feedback in developing your positioning And how to identify your best fit customers

This week on the Human Insight podcast, we interview April Dunford, a tech executive, board member, CEO and founder of Ambient Strategy, and author of Obv!ously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get It, Buy It, Love It.In her interview with Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, Dunford discusses: Is positioning just for startupsHow has the pandemic changed the role of positioning How our biases inhibit our positioning effortsWho should be involved in positioningThe importance of customer feedback in developing your positioningAnd how to identify your best fit customers

This episode features an interview with Janelle Estes, Chief Insights Officer at UserTesting.  Janelle is a CX leader and strategist who has authored white papers and articles and spoken at industry conferences like Turing Fest.  Before UserTesting, she worked for UX pioneers the Nielsen Norman Group.3 Takeaways:It's not safe to just assume what customers want.It's not just about tracking NPS or looking at data and dashboards, but spending time with customers.Cultivating a better CX takes experimentation, but you already have some knowledge about what works and what doesn't from personal experience.Key Quotes:“One of the most important learnings that I've seen in our own customer base and that I've learned personally in different roles is that whatever you do, tie it to customer experience. Whatever change you're trying to drive or initiative you're trying to get buy-in on, you have to relate it to something that the business cares about.”“The people that I think of as visionary are anticipating needs and solving problems before customers even know their problems. Those are the people that are understanding their customers as human beings, because you need to be able to relate to your customers on a deep enough level to build empathy for them. So you can create the experiences that they need and desire.”“Get inside the customer's mind. Understand what they care about. What are the words that they use? What's the language that they're using? Figure out how you show up there to provide value to them that way. It's taken years of experience to figure that out.”Bio: Janelle is UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer and an expert research practitioner fascinated by human behavior and intrigued by data insight. She brings over 15 years of experience conducting large-scale customer research initiatives with both B2C and B2B companies across a variety of industries to help them transform their customer, user, and brand experiences.Thank you to our friendsThis episode is brought to you by IBM. If you are responsible for Customer Experience, they've created a White Paper just for you. In the CX North Star Report, you can learn more about how to activate your CX vision. Download it hereLinks:Janelle Estes' LinkedinUserTesting Website

Catherine Richards said one way Tesco Bank builds a CX culture is through positive disruption. “And what I mean by that is, as leaders, you need to know when to make a call to positively disrupt how you're working,” said Richards, who is head of design at Tesco Bank.  An example was introducing Customer Wednesdays, a day dedicated in the week to spending time with the bank's customers. They started that four years ago, bringing in customers to get feedback early in the design process. That's continued during the pandemic, just that now they get that feedback remotely.  “When you tell a story about a customer that you've seen, or you've spent time with, there's just something about that, that people remember. They remember the customer stories,” Richards said.     In her conversation with Janelle Estes, Chief Insights Officer at UserTesting, Richards goes on to discuss: What is the role of leadership in driving customer-centric design and experiences What metrics or KPIs does her team directly or indirectly influence How has the financial services/bank customer experience evolved over the course of your career?

Catherine Richards said one way Tesco Bank builds a CX culture is through positive disruption.“And what I mean by that is, as leaders, you need to know when to make a call to positively disrupt how you're working,” said Richards, who is head of design at Tesco Bank. An example was introducing Customer Wednesdays, a day dedicated in the week to spending time with the bank's customers. They started that four years ago, bringing in customers to get feedback early in the design process. That's continued during the pandemic, just that now they get that feedback remotely. “When you tell a story about a customer that you've seen, or you've spent time with, there's just something about that, that people remember. They remember the customer stories,” Richards said.    In her conversation with Janelle Estes, Chief Insights Officer at UserTesting, Richards goes on to discuss:What is the role of leadership in driving customer-centric design and experiencesWhat metrics or KPIs does her team directly or indirectly influenceHow has the financial services/bank customer experience evolved over the course of your career?

Christian Idiodi has led or consulted on nearly 200 successful product launches for a range of companies from startups to big banks. So, you’d think he always wanted a career in product management, right? “Actually, I wanted to be a doctor,” said the partner at Silicon Valley Product Group, a global product consulting firm. “I wanted to solve hard problems like cancer or HIV. That was always what I had dreamed and aspired to be.”Idiodi joined the Human Insight Podcast to discuss what makes a great product manager, how companies and managers should invest in coaching their product managers, and how product managers work with teams to ensure customer satisfaction. In his conversation with Andy MacMillan, CEO at UserTesting, and Janelle Estes, Chief Insights Officer at UserTesting, Idiodi discusses:His role today at SVPGHis new initiative, Innovate AfricaHow the product world has evolved over the yearsBest practices for developing and coaching product managers and leadersStaying close to the customerBalancing processes and innovation

Christian Idiodi has led or consulted on nearly 200 successful product launches for a range of companies from startups to big banks. So, you'd think he always wanted a career in product management, right?  “Actually, I wanted to be a doctor,” said the partner at Silicon Valley Product Group, a global product consulting firm. “I wanted to solve hard problems like cancer or HIV. That was always what I had dreamed and aspired to be.” Idiodi joined the Human Insight Podcast to discuss what makes a great product manager, how companies and managers should invest in coaching their product managers, and how product managers work with teams to ensure customer satisfaction.  In his conversation with Andy MacMillan, CEO at UserTesting, and Janelle Estes, Chief Insights Officer at UserTesting, Idiodi discusses: His role today at SVPG His new initiative, Innovate Africa How the product world has evolved over the years Best practices for developing and coaching product managers and leaders Staying close to the customer Balancing processes and innovation

As Jim Kalbach likes to say, work is not an office, it is what we accomplish together.  As many companies are now planning if and when their employees return to offices, the questions of what work is and how we accomplish it are top of mind.  This week's Human Insight Podcast dives into the topic in a roundtable discussion with Mariano Suarez-Battan, co-founder and CEO at MURAL; Kalbach, Chief Evangelist at MURAL; Andy MacMillan, CEO at UserTesting, and Janelle Estes, Chief Insights Officer at UserTesting.  In their conversation, they discuss:  Distributed collaboration Digital Transformation Diversity & Inclusion

As Jim Kalbach likes to say, work is not an office it is what we accomplish together. As many companies are now planning if and when their employees return to offices, the questions of what work is and how we accomplish it are top of mind. This week’s Human Insight Podcast dives into the topic in a roundtable discussion with Mariano Suarez-Batten, co-founder and CEO at MURAL; Kalbach, Chief Evangelist at MURAL; Andy MacMillan, CEO at UserTesting, and Janelle Estes, Chief Insights Officer at UserTesting. In their conversation, they discuss: Distributed collaborationDigital TransformationDiversity & Inclusion

How do you build a customer-focused design team that scales?Susan Rice has done it three times. She’s the Vice President of UX at Workiva, a global SaaS reporting compliance platform that enables the use of connected data and automation for reporting across finance, accounting, risk, and compliance.In her Human Insight Podcast interview with Janelle Estes, UserTesting’s Chief Insights Officer, Rice discusses: Building a customer-focused teamHer favorite UX design KPIUX design differences between B2B and B2CAdvice for those embarking on a design career

How do you build a customer-focused design team that scales? Susan Rice has done it three times. She's the Vice President of UX at Workiva, a global SaaS reporting compliance platform that enables the use of connected data and automation for reporting across finance, accounting, risk, and compliance. In her Human Insight Podcast interview with Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, Rice discusses:  Building a customer-focused team Her favorite UX design KPI UX design differences between B2B and B2C Advice for those embarking on a design career

The pandemic has changed so much about retail, but some retail trends will outlast the pandemic, such as providing a personalized experience, says Sean McKee, the former Director of eCommerce and CX at UK footwear retailer, Schuh. In his Human Insight Podcast interview with Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, McKee discusses:  His 25-year career at Schuh from storeroom to boardroom The biggest changes to retail and ecommerce over that time Keeping a customer focus in a sea of ecommerce data points “What retailers have to think about is the question of experience and what experience looks like because if doing things that were at the experiential end of the spectrum were important before COVID, they're even more important now,” McKee said. “Customers really need to have a compelling reason to visit your store because they've just had an education that tells them they can do other things. So, the experiential stuff is important.”

The pandemic has changed so much about retail, but some retail trends will outlast the pandemic, such as providing a personalized experience, says Sean McKee, the former Director of eCommerce and CX at UK footwear retailer, Schuh.In his Human Insight Podcast interview with Janelle Estes, UserTesting’s Chief Insights Officer, McKee discusses: His 25-year career at Schuh from storeroom to boardroomThe biggest changes to retail and ecommerce over that timeKeeping a customer focus in a sea of ecommerce data points“What retailers have to think about is the question of experience and what experience looks like because if doing things that were at the experiential end of the spectrum were important before COVID, they're even more important now,” McKee said. “Customers really need to have a compelling reason to visit your store because they've just had an education that tells them they can do other things. So, the experiential stuff is important.”

Dan Storms, CookUnity's Chief Product Officer, said adding steps to their sign up process had a positive result on the business.  It was a counterintuitive action from a design perspective. Usually, you want to eliminate steps. But listening to their best, most raving fans, yielded insights that a few added questions initially would result in an even better experience for customers.  And it was great for CookUnity, too. They saw a 50% increase in conversions.  The three-year-old startup is a direct-to-consumer meal delivery platform that allows its customers to choose a range of ready-to-eat meals from celebrity and up-and-coming chefs. It's based in New York City, recently opened its second community kitchen in Los Angeles, and delivers to twenty-seven states. In his Human Insight podcast interview with Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, Storms goes on to discuss:  How they leveraged two bestsellers to create a framework for customer listening that they then applied to their product and market strategy How to validate customer feedback with surveys Insights on planning the NY Product Conference

Dan Storms, CookUnity’s Chief Product Officer, said adding steps to their sign up process had a positive result on the business. It was a counterintuitive action  from a design perspective. Usually, you want to eliminate steps. But listening to their best, most raving fans, yielded insights that a few added questions initially would result in an even better experience for customers. And it was great for CookUnity, too. They saw a 50% increase in conversions. The three-year-old startup is a direct-to-consumer meal delivery platform that allows its customers to choose a range of ready-to-eat meals from celebrity and up-and-coming chefs. It’s based in New York City, recently opened its second community kitchen in Los Angeles, and delivers to twenty-seven states.In his Human Insight podcast interview with Janelle Estes, UserTesting’s Chief Insights Officer, Storms goes on to discuss: How they leveraged two bestsellers to create a framework for customer listening that they then applied to their product and market strategyHow to validate customer feedback with surveysInsights on planning the NY Product Conference

Edtech is booming.  In this episode of the Human Insight podcast, we interview Raina Mehta who is vice president and head of product and UX at Kaplan. In her interview with Janelle Estes, UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, Raina shares how Kaplan is accelerating edtech and the challenges they–and all edtech–have to address to engage with today's online learners.

In this season of the Human Insight podcast, Andy MacMillan and Janelle Estes will be talking with some incredible experts and thought leaders who believe in, value, and invest in human insight to get a holistic understanding of their customers. That includes Raina Mehta, head of Product and UX at Kaplan; John Couch, author of The Art of Creative Rebellion, and Dan Storms, Chief Product Officer at CookUnity, and many others.  On the show, we'll shed light on trends; explore how we can learn and get better, and elevate the work of leaders and experts pushing the boundaries of our industry. The Human Insight podcast is an original series from UserTesting. Follow us wherever you get your podcast. Talk with you soon.

Stephanie Nguyen, Research Scientist, MIT Media Lab and Nick Sinai, Senior Advisor, Insight Partners and Adjunct Faculty, Harvard Kennedy School join UserTesting CEO, Andy MacMillan, and Chief Insights Officer, Janelle Estes.

Kate Lawrence, Senior Director, User Experience at Akamai Technologies, joins UserTesting CEO, Andy MacMillan, and Chief Insights Officer, Janelle Estes, to discuss user experience in B2B.

UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, Janelle Estes, and Head of UX Research at Humu, Marieke McCloskey, discuss the parallels between UX/CX and employee experience.

UX leader Paul Stonick joins UserTesting's CEO, Andy MacMillan, and Chief Insights Officer, Janelle Estes, to discuss harnessing customer emotion to create meaningful experiences.

Rothy's Product Designer, Gina DeMatteo, joins UserTesting CEO, Andy MacMillan, and Chief Insights Officer, Janelle Estes, to discuss taking a proactive approach to understanding and addressing customer needs and building a customer-centric culture.

Diya Loney, Costco Travel Product Manager, joins Chief Insights Officer, Janelle Estes, and guest co-host VP, Market Strategy, Michael Mace, for a discussion about how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted travel industry consumer behavior.

Tomer Sharon, Managing Director, Head of User Research & Metrics at Goldman Sachs, joins UserTesting Chief Insights Officer, Janelle Estes, to discuss measuring user happiness.

CEO, Andy MacMillan,‍ and Chief Insights Officer, Janelle Estes,‍ speak with Director of The University of Texas at Austin Center for Health Communication and Professor of Population Health, Michael Mackert, Ph.D. about what health communication is, why it matters, and the future of telemedicine in light of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

UserTesting's Chief Insights Officer, Janelle Estes,‍ hosts a discussion with CEO and Founder of Motivate Impact, Mona Patel, on messaging and brand during the COVID-19 pandemic.