Podcasts about User research

This is the story of a print-first EdTech product and it's packed with nuggets about UX Research with teachers.—Ethan Pierce, founder of Adaptive Reader, shares his personal journey from struggling with literacy in his early school years to founding a company dedicated to enhancing reading accessibility for students of varying developmental and linguistic backgrounds. He discusses the iterative process behind Adaptive Reader, focusing on extensive user research that led to a print-first approach due to educator preference and practical in-classroom usage. Alicia Quan and Sarah Mondestin also explore Ethan's thoughts on the role of technology in education, the importance of user research, and his vision for making literature accessible worldwide through adaptive texts.Chapters00:00 - Introduction and Personal Story01:20 - Founding Adaptive Reader02:01 - Journey into Startups03:30 - Creativity and Career Paths06:00 - Challenges in Literacy and Education07:10 - Designing Adaptive Reader11:56 - User Research and Insights18:42 - Balancing Print and Digital in Education29:27 - Future of Adaptive Reader35:45 - Closing Thoughts and Contact InformationFollow us

Roberta Dombrowski invites us to rethink success, tune into our intuition, and lead with intention —sharing how mindfulness, healing, and self-compassion can transform the way we work and live. ====== Episode chapters 00:00 – Welcome and Introduction 04:25 – Being a Transracial Adoptee and Finding Voice 14:11 – The Restless Career Journey and Job-Hopping 22:54 – Lessons from Anxiety, Burnout, and Slowing Down 32:25 – Mindfulness, Somatic Work, and Coaching Practice 42:46 – The Challenges Facing UX Researchers Today 50:42 – Systemic vs Individual Burnout 58:10 – How to Navigate Red Flags in Hiring 1:06:01 – The Role of Intuition and Inner Wisdom 1:15:51 – Rediscovering Fun and Joy at Work ====== Who is Roberta Dombrowski? Roberta Dombrowski is a certified leadership coach and experience strategist, dedicated to transforming the way people live, learn, and work. She is the founder of Learn Mindfully, a coaching and training company she launched in 2022. Since then, Roberta has supported hundreds of leaders from companies such as Adobe, Instacart, ServiceNow, Zapier, and Zoom. Previously, Roberta was a Research Partner at Maze, where she helped clients maximize the platform's potential. Before that, she was VP of User Research at User Interviews, where she built and scaled the research function while tackling the meta-challenge of researching researchers. Roberta is also the author of Consciously Crafting Your Career Path, a self-reflection and career planning workbook designed to help people shape fulfilling and intentional careers. Her insights have been featured on podcasts like Lead the People and BLOC, and at events such as Rosenfeld Media's Advancing Research conference. ====== Find Roberta here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertadombrowski/ Company website: https://learnmindfully.co/ Personal website: https://robertalearns.com/  ====== Subscribe to Brave UX 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). Apple Podcast Spotify YouTube Podbean Follow us on our other social channels for more great Brave UX content! LinkedIn TikTok Instagram Brendan Jarvis hosts the Show, and you can find him here: Brendan Jarvis on LinkedIn The Space InBetween Website

Today, we're talking with Sean McLeary, VP of Product Experience at Intapp. In this episode, we'll explore: How Sean turned Macys.com and Macy's brick-and-mortar into one cohesive experience, increasing revenue across both sources How the team at DocuSign improved the UX to go from tech darling to mainstream product The current landscape of AI adoption, addressing "empty box syndrome," and how AI's parallels to the early stages of the internet help us understand how user behavior might evolve Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smcleary/ Intapp: https://www.intapp.com/ Resources How To Say "Not Yet" To Enterprise | Deepti Mendiratta, VP Of Products (HungerRush) | LaunchPod: https://youtu.be/WHapWGbuS0Q How to A/B test your product to millions in ARR | Eric Metelka, Head of Product (Eppo) | LaunchPod: https://youtu.be/3u5vovkAtXc Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:23 Challenges in Bridging Physical and Digital Retail 03:13 Macy's Digital Transformation 06:44 User Research and Implementation 12:30 Impact and Results of Macy's Integration 15:04 Introduction to DocuSign's Evolution 20:42 Challenges in Highly Regulated Industries 21:51 User Research and Common Themes 22:11 DocuSign's Feature-Rich Product 23:40 Sender and Signer Dynamics 28:16 Trust Layer and Proof of Insurance 32:28 AI and Data Ownership 35:42 The Future of AI in Everyday Life 40:37 Outro Follow LaunchPod on YouTube We have a new YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/@LaunchPod.byLogRocket)! Watch full episodes of our interviews with PM leaders and subscribe! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket combines frontend monitoring, product analytics, and session replay to help software teams deliver the ideal product experience. Try LogRocket for free today. (https://logrocket.com/signup/?pdr) Special Guest: Sean McLeary.

Research has often suffered from shortcuts, assumptions, and poorly conducted user interviews, long before AI entered the picture. While there are concerns about AI exacerbating these issues, today we're exploring how AI can actually improve research practices by standardizing and democratizing good research at scale.Cori Widen, User Research Lead at Photoroom, joins us to share how AI is being leveraged to transform research practices at her company. She discusses the cultural mindset that encourages innovation and provides practical insights on how teams can use AI to elevate the quality and impact of their research.Resources from this episode:Subscribe to The Product Manager newsletterConnect with Cori on LinkedInCheck out Photoroom

Tu peux soutenir sur le podcast en mettant 5⭐️ sur Apple Podcasts ou SpotifySébastien est Creative Staff Product Designer chez OpenClassrooms.Passionné par la création depuis tout jeune, Sébastien a envie de travailler dans les jeux vidéo. Après une prépa aux écoles d'arts, il rejoint l'école e-artsup avant de réaliser qu'il n'a pas les compétences pour faire du design 3D.  Mais il trouve rapidement sa place dans la direction artistique.Sébastien revient sur son parcours scolaire et sur ses stages où il se cherchaient encore entre digital et print, avant de spécialiser petit à petit dans le numérique.Lors d'une mission en agence, il organisation un salon autour de la pub. Il décide de partager son portfolio à certains intervenants, et se fait recruter chez Ogilvy comme Directeur Artistique.C'est à ce moment-là qu'il découvre le métier d'UX Designer. Son métier ressemble alors de plus en plus au métier d'UI Designer travaillant en binôme avec un UX Designer. Il travaille alors de plus en plus sur des sites internet et des applications iOS.Après 3 années chez Ogilvy, Sébastien à l'opportunité de faire un VIE en Inde et de gérer un studio de design. Un grand changement pour lui : il a désormais une équipe d'une dizaine de personne à gérer. Un changement de paradigme pour Sébastien qui doit faire grandir et monter en compétence une équipe, tout en faisant de moins en moins de design.Malheureusement, le studio fait énormément d'applications pour Facebook qui décide de jour au lendemain de les arrêter. Le studio doit donc fermer, Sébastien décide alors de faire du freelancing. Comme le marché évolue, il décide de le suivre et de s'orienter dans le Product Design.Sébastien rejoint ensuite OpenClassrooms en tant que Product Designer avec une forte appétence UI, et avec la volonté de monter en compétence sur la User Research. On parle alors du rôle de Sébastien chez OpenClassrooms : comment il réfléchit a une fonctionnalité, la met en place et s'assure qu'elle fonctionne.Les ressources de l'épisodeOpenClassroomsDesign BetterDesign EmotionnelComment se faire des amisLes autres épisode de Design Journeys#15 Audrey Hacq, Product Design Director @ OpenClassrooms#81 Morgane Constant, Content Design & UX Research Manager @ OpenClassrooms#84 Romain Kuzniak, ex-CTO & Head of Product @ OpenClassrooms Pour contacter SébastienLinkedInHébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.Petra Kubalcik is an accomplished user research professional with over two decades of international experience. Originating from Australia, she has honed her research skills across Japan, Hong Kong, the UK, Czech Republic, and most recently, Germany. Petra has led research teams at Dyson, Cookpad and currently serves as Head of User Research at Omio. She is a champion of user-centricity, ensuring that user perspectives remain central to strategy, innovation and development. Petra has personally conducted research in over 40 countries, bringing a global perspective to her work. Outside of her professional endeavors, she is dedicated to volunteering, sailing, woodworking and supporting the Wallabies.In our conversation, we discuss:* Why continuous discovery is often misunderstood and how separating continuous from discovery can clarify your goals.* What makes a strong foundation for setting up a continuous discovery program, including the importance of stakeholder goals and UX maturity.* How to design effective cadences and role-sharing models depending on whether you're doing discovery or continuous touchpoints.* The artifacts and outputs that make these programs sustainable and useful, from pathway playbooks to Miro boards.* Red flags that indicate you shouldn't implement continuous discovery and what to do instead.Some takeaways:* Continuous discovery is not always discovery. Petra emphasizes that many stakeholders use the term continuous discovery when they really mean frequent customer touchpoints. Researchers need to clarify whether the goal is to explore new insights (discovery) or simply maintain regular user input and adjust the program accordingly.* Start with a crystal-clear ‘why.' Without a well-defined reason for starting continuous discovery, the effort can quickly become unsustainable or directionless. Petra urges researchers to treat these programs like any other research project: define the objective, understand stakeholder needs, and forecast what success looks like. Your “why” will be your compass when things get difficult.* Programs must match UX maturity and resources. Continuous discovery isn't right for every organization. Petra warns against starting these programs in low-maturity teams with limited resources, unclear goals, or minimal stakeholder buy-in. If you're fighting at every step, you risk burnout and low-impact work.* Cadence and involvement should flex by context. A one-size-fits-all cadence doesn't work. For light-touch programs with PMs or designers leading sessions, weekly or biweekly cadences might work. For true discovery efforts, a slower pace is essential to allow for iteration, depth, and evolution in the research plan.* Build reusable frameworks and artifacts to lighten the load. To scale continuous discovery, Petra recommends investing in repeatable templates such as objective-setting docs, note-taking guides, playbooks, and pre-aligned outputs. For example, a “pathway playbook” outlines flows users will walk through and provides a structured format for collecting and analyzing data. These tools ensure quality while keeping researchers sane.Where to find Petra:* LinkedInInterested in sponsoring the podcast?Interested in sponsoring or advertising on this podcast? I'm always looking to partner with brands and businesses that align with my audience. Book a call or email me at nikki@userresearchacademy.com to learn more about sponsorship opportunities!The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views, positions, or policies of the host, the podcast, or any affiliated organizations or sponsors. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit userresearchacademy.substack.com/subscribe

This week, Carl sits down with AJ Davis, the founder of Experiment Zone and an expert in Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO). AJ has worked with a number of  Fortune 500 companies to optimize their conversion strategies and improve sales. In this episode, she shares fascinating insights from her career and personal life, including her unique annual birthday tradition of trying something new, such as wilderness survival classes and hot air balloon safaris. They delve into her professional journey, The Experiment Zone Podcast, and her passion for pickleball, which has fostered community connections and entrepreneurial opportunities for her in Austin, Texas. AJ also announces her participation in the upcoming book, Usability for the World: Building Better Cities and Communities, which discusses usability and designing better cities and communities, co-edited with her graduate advisor. The conversation expands to the power of storytelling, user experience research, and the tangible impact that personal growth and facing fears can have on one's life and career. This episode is a compelling blend of technical knowledge, personal development, and inspiring life stories. Be sure to check the show notes for links to AJ's podcast, her book, and how to get in touch for collaboration or virtual coffee sessions.   Connect with AJ and Experiment Zone: Website Podcast LinkedIn Book Usability For The World World Usability Day   Connect with Carl: Instagram Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Website   Produced by: Social Chameleon

Camila Borja is a User Research expert with almost 15 years of experience, driving insights for companies like Zalando, SumUp, and Itaú. She leads strategic projects, trains teams in research methods, and has worked with global brands such as J&J, Sanofi, and Disney. With a degree in Public Relations and Public Opinion, Camila is a dedicated problem-solver who bridges research and business to deliver impactful results.In our conversation, we discuss:* What “research theater” really means and how it undermines the value of user insights across organizations.* The risks of continuous discovery becoming a buzzword-driven process with little depth or direction.* The internal conflict researchers face when stakeholders ask to bury insights that don't fit the roadmap.* Why junior researchers are especially vulnerable to being pulled into performative work and how to protect against it.* How senior researchers can shift into a more strategic role by partnering with stakeholders and driving conversations, not just insights.Some takeaways:* Research theater can distort data and erode trust. Camila explains that research theatre often arises when teams mimic the motions of good research without actually delivering depth or insight. Whether it's cherry-picked data, rushed usability tests, or stakeholder-directed outcomes, the result is the same: decisions based on illusion rather than reality. The impact is compounded because it corrupts the foundation, the data. that other decisions rely on.* Continuous discovery needs rigor, not just speed. While continuous discovery can be powerful, Camila argues that it often turns into a performance, such as 30-minute calls each week with no clear direction, biased questions, and very little impact. Without intention and structure, these rituals drain researcher time and produce low-value outcomes, threatening the credibility of the practice.* Junior researchers are often set up to perform, not investigate. Early-career researchers can easily be pulled into validation work or asked to execute a process without context. They may lack the confidence or experience to challenge requests. Study the foundational theory, ask why relentlessly, and avoid blindly accepting stakeholder requests that don't serve users.* To escape the theatrics, researchers must become business partners. Senior researchers should step beyond insight delivery and into the role of strategic advisors. That means building relationships, staying close to decisions, and understanding stakeholder motivations. Camila urges researchers to ask what's driving decisions and find the middle ground between user needs and business realities.* Avoiding theater always starts with asking “why?” Whether it's a stakeholder request for a marketplace feature or a directive to skip over certain findings, researchers must stay curious. Asking why isn't just for participants, it's also for ourselves and our teams. This curiosity is what transforms research from performance into progress.Where to find Camila:* Dicas da Camila Youtube* LinkedIn* MediumInterested in sponsoring the podcast?Interested in sponsoring or advertising on this podcast? I'm always looking to partner with brands and businesses that align with my audience. Reach out to me at nikki@userresearchacademy.com to learn more about sponsorship opportunities!The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views, positions, or policies of the host, the podcast, or any affiliated organizations or sponsors. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit userresearchacademy.substack.com/subscribe

Learn more about the Avalanche Canada User Research Panel, our new dedicated backcountry user research community made up of people of all ability levels and travel modes sharing their experiences and providing insights about our avalanche safety products and how we communicate and share information with the public. Stan Nowak is here to tell you why we'd love for you to be a part of it.

Tu peux soutenir sur le podcast en mettant 5⭐️ sur Apple Podcasts ou Spotify !Mathieu est l'ancien VP Brand & Content et & Head of Product Design  de BrigadMathieu a suivi ses études en école de commerce en spécialisation marketing. Lorsque la personne en charge de la créa qui son BDE, Mathieu décide de prendre le relais pour rendre service. Et il y prend goût, au point de développer cette compétence en parallèle de ses études et de ses stages en agence de communication. Pour ce challenger, il fait même du freelance en design en parallèle.Après l'école, Mathieu monte sa boite : Triber, une application pour facilement retrouver ces amis en festival. En parallèle, de son Gradute Program, Mathieu voit le boom de la tech, mais ne sait pas comment en faire partie. C'est là qu'il décide de créer son app pour être un accélérateur pour le suite.Il revient sur sa création, le parcours incroyable qu'elle a eu alors qu'elle n'existait pas encore, ainsi que les nombreux soucis qu'il a rencontré sur le chemin, avant de devoir fermer l'entreprise face un concurrent grandissant : Zenly.Après Triber, Mathieu décide de faire du freelancing pour garder sa liberté. Il travaille sur du branding et passe par leboncoin où il découvre le Product. Un jour, le fondateur de Brigad, une plateforme de mise en relation entre les établissements de restauration et des freelances dans cette industrie,  le contacte pour une mission en Product Design d'un mois, qui va devenir une aventure de 7 ans.Au début, Mathieu doit s'occuper de refondre le site vitrine, remettre la marque au propre et concevoir de nouvelles fonctionnalités. Mais surtout, il doit mettre en place une véritable méthodologie centrée autour des utilisateurs et des besoins business. Mathieu revient sur la façon dont il a mis en place le Design Thinking dans l'entreprise, au point de créer sa propre méthodo.Après un an, Mathieu devient Head of Product & UX. Il doit structurer une équipe et mettre en place des process pour que les gens travaillent ensemble, afin de paralléliser les projets et accélérer sur l'évolution du produit. A l'époque, ce sont les designers qui ont tout en charge : le Product Design & le Product Management. Malheureusement, l'expérience n'est pas fructueuse et les rôles sont séparés en 2.Après 2 ans, Mathieu laisse de côté le partie Product Management et devient Head of Product Design. Il se concentre alors sur la User Research, la mise en place d'un design system ou l'accélération du design dans l'entreprise. Il nous parle aussi de son concept de North Star Experience pour guider toute l'entreprise vers un but commun. Mathieu aborde aussi l'impact du design dans un entreprise et de comment le valoriser auprès de l'ensemble des équipes.Pendant ces années chez Brigad, Mathieu a également connu la crise du covid. Il nous parle de l'impact que cela a eu sur la stratégie de l'entreprise et sur le produit et comment ils l'ont surmonté.Après un temps dans le Produit, Mathieu a fait le tour. Il est d'ailleurs sur le point de rejoindre Doctolib. Mais, au final, il décide de rester encore un peu chez Brigad pour conduire le rebranding et la construction de l'équipe Brand.Pour finir, on fait le bilan des 7 années de Mathieu chez Brigad, qui nous partage ses apprentissages.Enfin, après 2 années à la Brand, Mathieu veut renouer avec ce qui lui plait : le Product Design. Le tout en freelanceLes ressources de l'épisodeBrigadMedium de MathieuJulien Martin dans Clef de VouteDive.clubLes autres épisode de Design Journeys#6 Jeremy Barré, Head of Product Design @ Getaround Pour contacter MathieuLinkedIn 

Hello大家好！欢迎大家又来收听新一期HCI Insiders～好久没有更新了，感谢各位听众朋友们的耐心等待。这一期请到的嘉宾Helen又是Clara在ADPList上认识的mentor，之前也是邀请了许久，终于请到了。Helen目前在ENGIE Impact做senior product designer。这是一家专注于能源转型和可持续发展的全球性公司，Helen设计的产品帮助企业优化能源消耗，为企业提供全面的可持续发展解决方案以及数字化转型服务。18岁以后经历了英国留学，学习数学和统计学，进入金融领域；再到来美国学习设计，成为一个专注2B领域、能源可持续相关产品的设计师，Helen一路的经历也非常丰富。跟往常一样，我们来听听她一路走来的心路历程和对未来的展望吧！也欢迎大家去ADPList上找Helen聊天：https://adplist.org/mentors/zhao-ku时间线：0:00 开始2:03 Helen去英国学习数学、金融和统计学的原因，以及为什么毕业工作一段时间后还是想要转行。择业的时候一定要考虑自己的个性，找到自己喜欢的领域并不是一件容易的事情，有时候需要很长时间的试错。5:05 来美国念产品设计的原因和体验，以及刚毕业后的迷茫期。花了很多时间走了很多的路，才接触到现在的能源行业。8:20 是什么让Helen觉得2B能源行业就是适合自己的那个？数学背景训练了强逻辑性和思考结构性，2B对视觉的要求没有那么高。11:05 2B设计师如何掌握domain knowledge？如何在和stakeholder的沟通中掌握主动权？——要严肃的把它当成一门学科去学，要下功夫，尤其是在最初onboarding的时候13:37 分享印象比较深刻的项目，一个shadow用户使用体验的研究项目17:44 ENGIE Impact的culture是设计师要自己做User Research，希望设计师是全栈的，要负责end-to-end的项目。19:04 在访谈中如何引导用户讲述更多体验、提供更多见解？21:30 什么是mid-level UX designer？设计师和PM的合作关系。24: 24 Helen分享在公司与Dev和PM的紧密合作方式。紧密参与所有的对话和研究，可以做到甚至在PRD出现之前就开始设计了。和同事之间处成朋友，这种紧密的合作方式让商量小的design decision也变得特别容易和自然。32:10 entry-level designer如何更快成长为mid-level designer？——首先选公司和团队很重要，而选老板比选公司还要重要，需要老板给你机会让你成长和晋升。工作之外也要多参加活动、上网课，还是要保证紧凑的学习状态。35:22 Helen最近在做的产品和业务，carbon accounting平台，一系列workshop在准备中。这种高复杂、高创新的产品设计是不容易被AI取代的。41:02 如何更好跟不同的stakeholder沟通（一个老生常谈的stakeholder management问题）——不要等问题挤压很久才沟通，尽早让所有相关stakeholder介入53:48 在AI时代，New Grad面试中如何展示自己high-level的创新/产品设计的能力？——design craft一定要具备，主要还是去问candidate对产品设计的理解。实习经验是一定要有的，3-4段高质量的实习。57:32 对正在找工作的同学的建议：一定要实习！抓紧时间去实习！

Join us as we talk with Nir Sadeh, Head of Product at Wix Studio, about the platform designed specifically for web professionals. Nir breaks down how Wix Studio differs from the traditional Wix editor by offering advanced capabilities for agencies and freelancers. Learn about their newest feature—AI-powered visual sitemaps and wireframes—that helps designers quickly create site structures and get client approval. We also explore how Wix balances no-code solutions with developer flexibility, their approach to responsive design using AI, and opportunities in the Wix app marketplace. Nir shares valuable insights about product development, user research methods, and his perspective on the impact of AI on the future of web design.Show Notes00:00 - Intro01:00 - Journey to becoming Head of Product01:48 - Transition from individual contributor to manager02:21 - Team structure at Wix03:42 - Goal setting and KPIs04:36 - Overview of Wix Studio06:08 - Web-based application functionality07:03 - Code editing experiences in Wix Studio08:07 - Client control and access capabilities09:02 - New features: Visual sitemap and wireframes10:57 - AI integration points in Wix12:35 - AI generating layouts and websites14:50 - Upcoming roadmap items15:54 - User creativity surprises16:12 - Wix app marketplace17:34 - Design trends and components18:59 - User research approach20:57 - Data-driven decision making22:16 - Balancing user preferences with brand goals24:02 - Career advice for aspiring product managers25:40 - Balancing customization and consistency26:44 - Mobile responsiveness and browser support28:06 - Native apps and business management28:37 - SEO tracking and analytics29:45 - Picks and PlugsLinks and ResourcesWix Studio - The professional website creation platform discussed throughout the episodeVelo by Wix - The robust code solution mentioned at 06:45Visual Sitemap and Wireframes - The new AI feature launched by Wix StudioWix App Market - The marketplace where developers can build and sell appsVS Code integration with Wix StudioWix Studio AI Assistant - Mentioned as a coding help featureFigma to Wix - Mentioned as having import capabilities to Wix StudioPicks:Severance (TV Show) - Nir's pickRemix Dev Tools (becoming React Router DevTools) - Brad's pickAeroPress - Amy's previous pick (referenced)Prismo filter - Amy's previous pick (referenced)Milk frother - Amy's current pick 

Substack Week: AI in Product Management, Enhancing Product Development Through Artificial Intelligence with Toni Dos Santos In this Substack Week episode, we explore how artificial intelligence is transforming product management with Toni Dos Santos, co-author of The Product Courier newsletter. From automating routine tasks to enhancing strategic decision-making, Toni shares practical insights on leveraging AI to build better products faster and more efficiently. From Music to Banking to AI Product Management "I wanted to work in that area to find ways to put innovation to service to the consumers, and making it as invisible as possible." Toni's journey into AI and product management began in an unexpected place - the music industry. After working as a music producer, his interest in innovation led him to banking, where he discovered the untapped potential of data analytics. His experience working with machine learning and deep learning in banking laid the foundation for his current work with generative AI in product management. The launch of ChatGPT in 2022 sparked his deep dive into applying AI to product management challenges. Revolutionizing User Story Creation with AI "User stories are a big pain for many product managers, particularly junior ones... The idea is that you provide the AI with a PRD or description of the product, and it's going to write user stories based on best practices." Toni explains how AI can transform the process of writing user stories by automating the initial drafting while preserving the essential collaborative aspects. He emphasizes that while AI can handle the mechanics of writing, the real value comes from using it as a springboard for deeper discussions with the team. The technology can suggest edge cases, highlight potential gaps, and provide a structured foundation for further refinement. AI as a Tool for Understanding User Needs "Use all the transcripts, the feedback from user interviews that I have, feed it to AI and retrieve from it the key pain points, the major patterns that it identifies." Rather than replacing human insight, AI serves as a powerful tool for analyzing user feedback and identifying patterns. Toni shares practical examples of using AI to: Process and analyze app store reviews at scale Identify clusters of users with similar pain points Extract key themes from user interviews Validate qualitative findings with quantitative data Strategic Role of AI in Leadership "For product leaders, they should be the ones thinking how AI will affect their work because to define a strategy, to define a roadmap, AI can summarize tons of data, tons of information that you cannot do yourself." Toni challenges the notion that AI primarily impacts lower-level tasks. He argues that AI's ability to process vast amounts of information makes it particularly valuable for leadership roles. Leaders can use AI to: Prepare more effective meetings with relevant agendas Create alignment across different departments Practice important presentations and interviews Generate and evaluate strategic options Best Practices for Getting Started with AI "The best resource is to go into it... get ChatGPT, Gemini, whatever, and just dive into it and try and get learning and start practicing right away." For product managers looking to incorporate AI into their workflow, Toni emphasizes the importance of hands-on experience. He recommends: Starting with practical experimentation rather than just theoretical learning Understanding AI's limitations (20% error rate) and always double-checking outputs Treating AI interactions as conversations rather than one-off prompts Focusing on areas where AI can augment rather than replace human judgment Resources For Further Study BOOK: Bret King, Bank 3.0: Why Banking Is No Longer Somewhere You Go But Something You Do Toni's Product Courier Newsletter The AI focused episode with Marshall Goldsmith AI Course by IBM: Armin Ries, free AI course by IBM [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Check out my UXR AI prompt library, designed to help you become more efficient and effective as a user researcher!Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.—Anne-Charlotte Triple is a Senior UX Researcher at Payfit, a leading HR and payroll software company. After spending 10 years conducting research in humanitarian aid across conflict zones, she made the switch to tech during her pregnancy. With a PhD in sociology and experience working with organizations like UNICEF and the World Bank, she first joined LiveMentor, an EdTech platform helping entrepreneurs develop their business, before moving to Payfit.What makes her story interesting is how she's adapted her research skills from crisis zones to tech products, while maintaining the same core focus: understanding human needs to create meaningful impact. She's also become quite the AI enthusiast — though she'll be the first to tell you why human insight still matters most.In our conversation, we discuss:* Anne Charlotte shares her journey from academia and humanitarian work to UX research in tech, highlighting the transferable skills and challenges in the transition.* Despite technological advancements, fundamental research methods remain constant, while tools have evolved to increase efficiency and accuracy.* Adaptability is crucial for user researchers, but it must be applied strategically to ensure meaningful impact without being overwhelmed.* AI offers opportunities to streamline time-consuming tasks, but it requires careful use to maintain research rigor and avoid misinformation.* Building strong relationships and adapting communication styles to different teams help ensure research findings drive actionable business decisions.Interested in diving into using AI in your research to make you more efficient and effective (and to help you focus on the good parts of UXR)? Check out my AI prompt library. Some takeaways:* Successful researchers don't just adapt to changes—they do so strategically. Start with small experiments, learn what works, and gradually scale. Whether it's new methodologies, tools, or team dynamics, staying flexible while maintaining a clear focus ensures long-term success.* While AI can automate transcription and data synthesis, it's crucial to cross-check insights manually to maintain accuracy and depth. Researchers should use AI to free up time for deeper analysis, rather than relying on it for interpreting complex human behaviors.* Understanding how different teams consume information—whether they prefer reports, quick summaries, or visuals—is essential. Tailoring research outputs to their needs ensures that insights are actionable and drive real business value.* Researchers should avoid the trap of constantly seeking new tools. Instead, focus on mastering a few that truly improve workflow efficiency, such as AI for transcription and synthesis, while maintaining a hands-on approach to interpretation.* Rather than trying to collaborate with everyone, focus on building meaningful relationships with key stakeholders. Regular check-ins, early involvement in research projects, and aligning research goals with business priorities foster trust and greater impact.Where to find Anne-Charlotte:* LinkedInThe Impact Membership : A space for user researchers who think biggerYou know your craft. You've run the studies, delivered the insights, and seen what happens when research is ignored. You're ready to go beyond execution and start making real strategic impact but, let's be honest, that's not always easy.That's where the Impact Membership comes in.This is not another free Slack group or a place to swap survey templates. It's a curated community for mid-to-senior user researchers who want to:* Turn research into influence – Get insights to stick, shape product and business strategy, and gain real buy-in.* Break out of the research silo – Learn from peers facing the same challenges and work through them together.* Stay sharp and ahead of the curve – Dive deep into advanced research strategy, stakeholder management, and leadership.Why join now?* You don't have to figure this out alone – Every member is carefully selected, so you're learning alongside people who truly get it.* Get real value, fast – No fluff, no generic advice—just focused conversations, expert-led sessions, and practical guidance you can use right away.* Make it work for you – Whether you want to participate actively or learn at your own pace, there's no pressure—just a space designed for impact without overwhelm.Membership fee: £627/year or £171/quarterThis isn't just about keeping the lights on. Your membership funds exclusive research initiatives, high-caliber events, guest speakers, and a space that actually pushes the field forward.Spots are limited because we keep this community tight-knit and high-value. If you're ready to step up and drive meaningful change through research, we'd love to have you.Interested in sponsoring the podcast?Interested in sponsoring or advertising on this podcast? I'm always looking to partner with brands and businesses that align with my audience. Reach out to me at nikki@userresearchacademy.com to learn more about sponsorship opportunities!The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views, positions, or policies of the host, the podcast, or any affiliated organizations or sponsors. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit userresearchacademy.substack.com/subscribe

How can financial brands stand out in an industry where customer expectations are higher than ever? The answer lies in user experience research—a powerful tool that uncovers real customer needs, behaviors, and pain points. This episode dives into five essential UX research methods that help financial institutions craft seamless, user-centric experiences. It explores the critical role of UX research in financial services and why it's a game-changer for innovation, loyalty, and long-term success.Find out:How can UX research solve real customer frustrations?Which research methods are the most effective in revealing user needs and behavior?How do user research methods improve financial service UX?Read the full article on UXDA's blog: https://www.theuxda.com/blog/5-research-methods-to-design-user-centered-financial-solutions* AI podcast on UXDA article powered by Google NotebookLM

Is research still a great investment? Our guest today is Alice Lee, Strategy Director at Work & Co. You'll learn about their shippable user research process, how to ask the right questions about things you don't know, how they helped GoFundMe with their charity action page, and more.Podcast feed: subscribe to https://feeds.simplecast.com/4MvgQ73R in your favorite podcast app, and follow us on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Podcasts.Show NotesWork & CoJust Enough Research – a book by Erika HallUX Collective – a great blog on designCheck out Alice's websiteFollow Alice on LinkedInThis episode is brought to you by Wix Studio — the new web platform for agencies and enterprises. The magic of Wix Studio is its advanced design capabilities which makes website creation efficient and intuitive. Here are a few things you can do:Work in sync with your team on one canvasReuse templates, widgets and sections across sitesCreate a client kit for seamless handoversAnd leverage best-in-class SEO defaults across all your Wix sitesStep into Wix Studio to see more at wix.com/studioInterested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more here.Leave a ReviewReviews are hugely important because they help new people discover this podcast. If you enjoyed listening to this episode, please leave a review on iTunes. Here's how.

Thank you for listening to the Choice Hacking podcast! Please take 2 minutes to rate and review the podcast because it helps us find new listeners. Here are some more resources you might enjoy:✅ Find Jen Clinehens and Choice Hacking online: INSTAGRAM/THREADS/LINKEDIN/TIKTOK/YOUTUBE: @choicehacking✅ Join my free newsletter to learn what makes your buyers tick. ✅ Buy my book (or audiobook), "Choice Hacking: How to use psychology and behavioral science to create an experience that sings"

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.—Jorge Arango is an information architect, author, and educator. For the past three decades, he has used architectural thinking to bring clarity and direction to digital projects for clients ranging from non-profits to Fortune 500 companies. He's the author of Duly Noted: Extend Your Mind Through Connected Notes, Living in Information: Responsible Design for Digital Places, co-author of Information Architecture: for the Web and Beyond, and host of The Informed Life podcast. Besides consulting, writing, and podcasting, Jorge also teaches in the graduate interaction design program at the California College of the Arts.In our conversation, we discuss:* How AI is becoming a transformational technology for UX design, akin to the emergence of the web decades ago.* The limitations of AI, emphasizing its role in augmenting human work rather than replacing it.* Jorge's experiences with AI in both the research phase and content taxonomy applications for information architecture.* Tips for understanding and integrating AI tools into UX workflows, moving beyond chat-based interfaces like ChatGPT.* The importance of approaching AI with curiosity and seeing it as a way to enhance, rather than disrupt, traditional workflows.Jorge recently released a self-driven course for folks wanting to learn about information architecture.Some takeaways:* AI tools are best used to enhance human efficiency, allowing professionals to perform tasks at greater scale and speed. For instance, large website analysis becomes more feasible with retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) techniques, enabling quicker insights without compromising accuracy.* Not all AI tools are suitable for every UX process. Effective use requires tailoring tools to specific phases, such as research or content taxonomy, and understanding their strengths and limitations, like context window sizes or text-based limitations.* AI's potential is often misunderstood due to hype or fear. Developing a hands-on relationship with AI tools dispels misconceptions, revealing their actual capabilities and boundaries, such as their reliance on user input for quality output.* Rather than delegating entire tasks to AI, think of it as a collaborative editor. Prompts like “What am I missing?” can provide fresh perspectives on drafts or reports, enhancing the final product without diluting human expertise.* Viewing AI through a lens of opportunity rather than threat helps professionals integrate it constructively into workflows. This involves learning about non-chat-based AI tools and exploring new use cases, fostering innovation and efficiency in UX practices.Where to find Jorge:* Website: https://jarango.com* LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jarango* Twitter/X: https://x.com/jarangoInterested in sponsoring the podcast?Interested in sponsoring or advertising on this podcast? I'm always looking to partner with brands and businesses that align with my audience. Reach out to me at nikki@userresearchacademy.com to learn more about sponsorship opportunities!The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views, positions, or policies of the host, the podcast, or any affiliated organizations or sponsors. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit userresearchacademy.substack.com/subscribe

Tu peux soutenir sur le podcast en mettant 5⭐️ sur Apple Podcasts ou Spotify !Romain est le Head of Product Design & User Research du journal Le Monde.Après le lycée, Romain fait un DUT Services et Réseaux de Communication un peu par hasard. Autour de lui, il n'y a que des personnes qui ont déjà du design ou des sites internet. Il ne se sent pas forcément à sa place. En deuxième année, il découvre Flash et s'y intéresse fortement. Mais c'est le développement, plus que le design qui l'intéresse alors dans cette technologie. Il passe alors un entretien de développeur Flash en agence. Mais c'est un poste de designer qui lui est proposé. Poste qu'il accepte. Il doit alors faire de l'animation sur Flash.Il rejoint ensuite Les Gobelins à Annecy, mais postule dans le parcours de développeur. Mais une fois accepté, il fait en sorte d'être de suivre le parcours designer. Il suit ses études en alternance, en travaillant au service Communication & Marketing de Salomon. C'est là où il découvre un nouveau monde entre le design et le numérique : l'UX Design. Il est également formé au fait que son design doit être objectivé et avoir un impact sur le business.A la suite de ses études, Romain part en agence, à Paris. Il imagine des campagnes publicitaires numériques et les décline ensuite en wireframe.Ensuite, il rejoint la start-up Keecker qui veut créer un robot multifonctions pour la maison. Romain s'occupe alors de la création de l'interface de contrôle depuis un téléphone. Il revient sur ce qu'il a réussi à mettre en place et ce qu'il aurait aimé faire autrement.En 2017, lorsque le robot sort, Romain rejoint Deezer : la création d'un object physique est long et il est le seul designer. Il a alors l'opportunité de travailler en équipe sur un produit qui évolue vite. Il design alors l'expérience cœur de l'application (la navigation, l'application desktop ou Xbox). Après un an, il devient Lead et passe du design au management, d'une équipe de 6 personnes.Au bout de 2 années, Romain se fait débaucher par le groupe Accor. Un aventure de courte durée : le design est une partie infime du travail de Romain, il doit majoritairement faire de la politique, ce qui ne lui plait pas forcément. Au même moment, il découvre une offre pour rejoindre le journal Le Monde…… qu'il rejoint en tant que Head of Product Design. Il arrive dans une équipe bien établie, mais qui va devoir grossir. Son équipe passe alors de 4 à 10 personnes et composées de Product Designers, User Researchers, une Visual Designer et une Data Analyst.Dans cet épisode, Romain nous explique l'organisation de son équipe, ses méthodes de travail, ses rituels, ce qu'ils ont mis en place pour garder de la cohérence, etc.On aborde aussi la relation entre l'équipe Product Design et les journalistes : l'évangélisation de la User Research grâce à la mise en place d'un CMS interne, la mise en place de designs en fonction des besoins journalistiques - comme le soir des élections -, la réflexion sur de nouveaux concepts à destination des journalistes…On discute également de la difficile équation entre améliorer l'expérience utilisateur et favoriser le business model du journal centré autour de la publicité et de l'abonnement.Romain revient également sur ce qui est mis en place au Monde depuis 2 ans pour améliorer l'accessibilité et les résultats obtenus dans le temps.Enfin, on parle de ce qui arrive pour la suite du Monde et pour l'équipe de Romain.Les ressources de l'épisodeLe MondeThe Culture Code, Daniel CoyleHow to Win the Premier League, Ian GrahamLes autres épisode de Design Journeys#41 David Duhamel, Lead UX Designer @ Radio France#71 Nicolas Morand, Head of Design & Innovation @ Lunii#85 Rémi Guyot, Co-fondateur @ Discovery DisciplineCase Study#2 Discovery Discipline avec Rémi Guyot & Tristan Charvillat Pour contacter Romain LinkedIn

Welcome to Growthmates with Kate Syuma — Growth advisor, previously Head of Growth Design at Miro. I'm building Growthmates as a place to connect with inspiring leaders to help you grow yourself and your product. Here you can learn how companies like Dropbox, Adobe, Canva, Loom, and many more are building excellent products and growth culture. Get all episodes and a free playbook for Growth teams on our brand-new website — growthmates.club, and press follow to support us on your favorite platforms.Listen now and subscribe on your favorite platforms — Apple, Spotify, or watch on YouTube (new!).In this episode: We're wrapping up this incredible season with a special twist! For the first time, host Kate Syuma switches roles and becomes the guest. Kate is interviewed by her friend and former colleague, Lana Kul, in an honest and vulnerable conversation about her first year as a solopreneur.—Brought to you by Command.ai — a user-focused platform offering an alternative to traditional popups or chatbots. Their AI “Copilot” answers questions, performs actions, and simplifies complex tasks. Use “Nudges” to guide users with timely, relevant messages, all within a no-code platform. Perfect for Product, Support, and Marketing teams to positively influence user behavior while respecting their needs:—Key highlights from this episode

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.In this conversation, I cover:* The shift towards democratizing tasks like usability testing and surveys, and how AI might take over repetitive research processes* Moving away from evaluative tasks and stepping into more strategic roles that involve partnering with businesses to shape long-term goals* Focusing on uncovering unknown unknowns through generative research to find innovative solutions and disrupt existing market spaces* The importance of not just responding to requests but proactively identifying research opportunities that can drive business growth* Helping teams, especially in low-maturity environments, understand and incorporate user research into strategic business decisions* How user researchers can assist companies in anticipating future trends and unmet needs, rather than simply improving existing processesSome takeaways:* With AI and automation, tasks like usability testing will increasingly be democratized within teams or handled by AI, allowing researchers to focus on higher-level strategic work* User researchers need to evolve into thought partners, working closely with business teams to guide strategy and innovation* Instead of just enhancing existing products, researchers should focus on uncovering unmet needs and unknown unknowns that can lead to disruptive innovations* By conducting generative research, researchers can identify new opportunities and adjacent markets that companies haven't considered yet* Researchers should move towards proactive research, driving the exploration of new ideas and strategies rather than waiting for stakeholders to bring them projectsReferences:* The User Research Strategist Book Waitlist

Welcome to another episode of Supra Insider. This time, Marc and Ben sat down with Teresa Torres, author of Continuous Discovery Habits, to explore the role of AI in modern product discovery. Teresa shared why customer empathy remains irreplaceable, the common pitfalls teams face when misusing AI in research, and practical strategies for integrating AI effectively—without losing sight of the human touch.She also offered her insights on how AI can empower product teams to build skills, enhance customer interviews, and streamline discovery workflows, all while staying firmly rooted in authentic customer understanding. If you're passionate about truly knowing your customers and using AI as a tool—not a crutch—this episode is brimming with valuable takeaways!All episodes of the podcast are also available on Spotify, Apple and YouTube (video).New to the pod? Subscribe below to get the next episode in your inbox

Two guests from the City of Long Beach, California joined the podcast to discuss civic user research. Ryan Kurtzman is the Technology Partnerships Officer and Gati Wankyo is a Training Coordinator. They discussed how civic user research helps the City to improve digital services and technology. They also shared examples of the research in practice and information on the learning cohort. Host: Meredith Reynolds

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.—Dale from the UK, currently based in Italy, is a UX Researcher with 4 years experience working in fields such as the Space, Sustainability and Marketing Industries, and currently hosting the UXR Minds Podcast. His mission is to help new and aspiring UX Researchers break into the field by sharing informative episodes on best practices and trends in the industry. In our conversation, we discuss:* Dale's experience of a six-month job hunt in the UX research field.* The emotional toll of rejections, ghosting, and lack of responses.* Strategies for staying proactive, including networking on LinkedIn and refining resumes.* The importance of maintaining personal growth and mental health during a job search.Dale hosts the amazing UXR Minds podcast, where he dedicates his time to guiding new user researchers or those interested in the field. Highly recommend listening!Some takeaways:* Dale's six-month job hunt highlights the challenges of breaking into or progressing in competitive fields like UX research. His experience shows that even with in-house and freelance work on your resume, securing interviews can be difficult due to market saturation and economic downturns. Regularly update your portfolio and resume to reflect your latest projects, and tailor each application to the specific role to stand out in a competitive market.* Dale discusses how rejection emails and ghosting from potential employers can take a mental toll. He tracks his job applications to better understand response rates and gauge where improvements might be needed. Start tracking your job applications in a spreadsheet. Log the role, company, application date, and any follow-up actions. This will help you identify patterns in your applications and fine-tune your approach* Rather than relying solely on job boards, Dale finds more success by being active on LinkedIn and reaching out directly to hiring managers or heads of UX. This has led to meaningful conversations, which can open doors even if they don't result in immediate offers. Spend at least 30 minutes each day engaging on LinkedIn—comment on relevant posts, connect with professionals in your field, and send personalized messages to hiring managers. When messaging, focus on building a relationship rather than directly asking for a job.* Job hunting can be all-consuming, but Dale advises setting boundaries to protect your personal life. He recommends allocating specific days or blocks of time for job search activities while using the rest of the time for family, hobbies, or volunteering. Schedule job search activities like a workday, with clear start and end times. For example, dedicate mornings to updating resumes and afternoons to networking, then disconnect for the evening. This structured approach prevents burnout and allows for mental recharging.* One of Dale's core messages is to stay true to yourself during interviews and networking efforts. He advises job seekers not to feel pressured to mold themselves into what they think a company wants but rather to embrace their strengths and unique qualities. Before interviews, create a personal narrative around your key strengths and how they align with the company's needs. Practice framing any weaknesses as opportunities for growth, and approach networking conversations with genuine curiosity rather than just seeking a job lead. This makes your interactions more authentic and impactful.Where to find Dale:* LinkedIn* UXR Minds podcast* WebsiteFor inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email nikki@userresearchacademy.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit userresearchacademy.substack.com/subscribe

Ankur Goyal is the founder of ​Braintrust​, a year old LLM eval platform that is already used by Figma, Vercel and Stripe and just raised $36m from a16z. It's a rocketship.This episode is brought to you by WorkOS. If you're thinking about selling to enterprise customers, WorkOS can help you add enterprise features like Single Sign On and audit logs. Key Success Factors- Started with a targeted list of ~50 companies already working with AI- Focused on early adopters and innovators in the space- Strategy: If they could make the frontrunners happy, others would followLinks:- Braintrust - Ankur Goyal - Alana Goyal - Basecase  - Elad Gil  - Martin Casado Chapters:* 00:00  Introduction to BrainTrust and Its Success* 02:52  The Importance of User Research in Product Development* 06:11  Building Relationships with Key Customers* 09:05  The Role of Feedback in Product Improvement* 11:54  The Impact of Mentorship on Entrepreneurial Success* 15:11  Identifying Market Opportunities in AI Development* 18:00  Effective User Interviews and Problem Validation* 20:59  The Evolution of BrainTrust's Product Features* 23:55  Advice for Aspiring DevTool Founders* 26:48  Exciting Developments in the DevTool Space

AI Chatbots and Synthetic Users with Hassan Aleem In this special episode of the Behavioral Design Podcast, host Samuel kicks off a new mini-series featuring expert practitioners from the Nuance Behavior team. This week's guest is Hassan Aleem, a respected behavioral practitioner with a Ph.D. in neuroscience and extensive experience in industries like fintech, health wearables, and public health. Together, Samuel and Hassan explore the fascinating intersection of AI and behavioral science. They discuss AI's impact on user research, the opportunities and challenges of AI-powered chatbots, the role of synthetic users in behavioral research, and the potential of AI to streamline literature reviews. The conversation culminates in a thought-provoking discussion: can AI truly understand and design for beauty? This episode is packed with insights on how AI can enhance behavioral science practice while emphasizing the irreplaceable value of human expertise. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction to the Behavioral Design Podcast02:00 Meet Hassan Aleem: Neuroscientist and Behavioral Practitioner02:37 Exploring AI in Behavioral Science03:42 The Role of AI in User Research10:21 Chatbots and Behavioral Design18:50 AI in Literature Reviews and Research34:59 Can AI Understand Beauty?40:48 Conclusion and Final Thoughts LINKS: ⁠Hassan's LinkedIn Nuance Behavior Website -- Interesting in collaborating with Nuance? If you'd like to become one of our special projects, email us at hello@nuancebehavior.com or book a call directly on our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠nuancebehavior.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support the podcast by joining ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Habit Weekly Pro⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Welcome to Growthmates with Kate Syuma — Growth advisor, previously Head of Growth Design at Miro. I'm building Growthmates as a place to connect with inspiring leaders to help you grow yourself and your product. Here you can learn how companies like Dropbox, Adobe, Canva, Loom, and many more are building excellent products and growth culture. Get all episodes and a free playbook for Growth teams on our brand-new website — growthmates.club, and press follow to support us on your favorite platforms.Listen now and subscribe on your favorite platforms — Apple, Spotify, or watch on YouTube (new!).In this episode, Kate speaks with Benjamin Humphrey, founder of Dovetail, who opens up about his shift from corporate design roles to the challenges and rewards of startup life. Benjamin's story began as a designer at Atlassian before taking the leap into the unknown to create Dovetail, a user-focused product built to simplify research and UX processes. He delves into the defining moments that guided his journey, as well as the challenges of moving from a structured corporate environment to the entrepreneurial world.—Dovetail's mission is to improve the quality of every thing through the power of customer insights. In only six years, Dovetail has grown to drive research innovation at over 3,700 organizations including big brands like Harvard Business, Universal, Deloitte, Porsche, Starbucks, Shopify, Atlassian, Shell and more. Dovetail was deployed early at global design software company Canva, who set up its customer insights hub. Canva's product team has used Dovetail since the very beginning to analyze customer research data, uncovering insights that improve their product's user experience. Try out and start collecting your insights here → www.dovetail.com—Brought to you by Command.ai — a user-focused platform offering an alternative to traditional popups or chatbots. Their AI “Copilot” answers questions, performs actions, and simplifies complex tasks. Use “Nudges” to guide users with timely, relevant messages, all within a no-code platform. Perfect for Product, Support, and Marketing teams to positively influence user behavior while respecting their needs:—Key highlights from this episode

Yael Mark is a behavioural scientist turned product manager, who is passionate about helping others unlock the power of user-centred product design by embracing behavioural science. She believes that understanding human behaviour and cognitive biases can drive better product decisions and stakeholder alignment, as well as make sure we do it ethically. Episode highlights:   1. Behavioural science helps product managers design for real-world users Behavioural science is the study of how people think, act, and interact with their environments. By understanding human "bugs" and irrational behaviours, product managers can create products that align with user needs, addressing pain points inside and outside the app. 2. Ethics matter when applying behavioural science It's important to align behavioural tactics with user goals. Ethical applications, like encouraging language learning with Duolingo streaks, contrast with manipulative design patterns that exploit users for profit without delivering real value. 3. Cognitive biases can be leveraged for better product outcomes Cognitive biases are the shortcuts our brains take to help us make decisions. Common biases like anchoring, cognitive dissonance, and the sunk cost fallacy have an impact in product decisions. For example, Amazon Prime uses cognitive dissonance to encourage consolidated deliveries, appealing to users' environmental consciousness while reducing costs. 4. AI offers opportunities and challenges in behavioural science AI can accelerate behavioural research by simulating user responses, though it is not yet capable of replicating cognitive biases fully, even when told to exhibit them. However, biases in AI training data may introduce new challenges, requiring vigilance in its application. 5. You can prove the ROI of behavioural science through small wins Some people will be sceptical, so it's important to tie behavioural science theory to measurable KPIs and you can use A/B testing to demonstrate value. Not everything has to be a big development effort. Even reworking copy to focus on gains instead of losses can drive changes in user behaviour. Contact Yael You can find Yael and learn more on YouTube at ProductBS or connect with her on LinkedIn Related episodes you should like: Valentine's Special! A Love Letter to Problems, not Solutions (Uri Levine, Founder @ Waze & Author "Fall in Love with the Problem, not the Solution") Understanding & Interrupting Cognitive Biases in Product Design (David Dylan Thomas, Author "Design for Cognitive Bias") Using Solution Tests to Make Sure You're Building Products Users Want (Jim Morris, Founder @ Product Discovery Group) Standing up for User Research... and User Researchers (Debbie Levitt, CXO @ DeltaCX and Author "Customers Know You Suck") Building Life-Centred Products with Collaborative Product Discovery (Sophia Höfling, Co-founder & Head of Product @ Saiga) Betting on the Value of Product Design at the Organisational Poker Table (Andy Budd, Executive & Design Leadership Coach & Founder @ Clearleft) Moving Beyond Survival and Paying Off Your Vision Debt (Radhika Dutt, Consultant and Author "Radical Product Thinking") Bjarte Rettedal's Hot Take - AI Models Should Be Under Public Ownership or Completely Transparent (Bjarte Rettedal, UX Designer)

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

Episode web page ----------------------- Rate Insights Unlocked and write a review If you appreciate Insights Unlocked, please give it a rating and a review. Visit Apple Podcasts, pull up the Insights Unlocked show page and scroll to the bottom of the screen. Below the trailers, you'll find Ratings and Reviews. Click on a star rating. Scroll down past the highlighted review and click on "Write a Review." You'll make my day. ----------------------- Show Notes Podcast Episode: Understanding User Needs with Rhiannon White, Chief Product Officer at Clue In this episode of the Insights Unlocked podcast, host Kerry Johnstone from UserTesting sits down with Rhiannon White, the Chief Product Officer at Clue, a women's health app with over 10 million users globally. Rhiannon shares her journey from political marketing and roles at BBC to leading product development at Clue, offering a unique perspective on how diverse experiences shape great product leadership. Key Themes: Career Journey and Curiosity About People: Rhiannon discusses her eclectic career and the common thread of curiosity about human behavior that has driven her work. Whether in marketing or product management, understanding people's needs, problems, and desires has been central to her approach to creating successful user experiences. Bringing Insights to Product Leadership: Rhiannon shares a key moment in her career when she realized that shipping products was not enough—she needed to bring deeper insights to the table. By reconnecting with her passion for user research, she now spends time every week directly interviewing customers, a practice she refers to as her “Friday treat,” to stay grounded in the user experience. Jobs to Be Done Framework: One of the focal points of the conversation is how Clue uses the “Jobs to Be Done” framework to guide product decisions. Rhiannon explains how Clue's users have four core needs: trust, orientation (understanding what's happening to them), empowerment (knowing what actions to take), and comfort (feeling connected and not alone). These “jobs” help the team at Clue prioritize product features that address real user pain points and deliver meaningful value. Understanding Subjective User Needs: An interesting revelation from the framework was the subjectivity around accuracy, where users with highly regular cycles might have different perceptions of accuracy compared to users with irregular cycles. This insight has helped Clue refine its product approach, ensuring that the app remains valuable to a wide range of users. Combining Emotional and Functional Needs: Rhiannon discusses how Clue integrates emotional needs, like trust and comfort, with functional aspects of the product. She gives examples of product features, such as pain tracking, that help users feel validated and connected while also providing actionable insights to improve their health management. User Research as an Ongoing Practice: Instead of thinking of research as project-based, Rhiannon stresses the importance of continuous user research. This iterative approach, including fast unmoderated testing, allows Clue's team to keep refining and improving their product without slowing down development. The Role of AI and Human Connection: While AI is seen as a useful tool for processing data, Rhiannon emphasizes the irreplaceable value of direct human connection in product development. She advocates for staying close to users and cautions against over-relying on abstracted data or tools that disconnect product teams from real user emotions and experiences.

Get into the groove, as Donnie D'Amato shares his journey into the world of dance, from dancing in the kitchen with his family to mimicking moves from video games. His passion for dance continued into high school, where he joined a breakdancing group, and an unexpected audition led him to his first paid job for a DJ company. Donnie touches on his unique journey in the dance world, including his appearances on “So You Think You Can Dance” and his involvement with the New York Dance Parade. He also reflects on the balance between following patterns and finding room for personal expression.Guest BioDonnie D'Amato (he/him) is the Founder & Chief Architect of Design Systems House; a consultancy dedicated to the future of design systems.He is also the moderator of the Slack, Twitter, and Mastodon design system communities, author of gridless.design; a thesis on mismatching the design grid to the web medium, and instructor for User Research and Interaction Design at Parsons School of Design. Previously, Donnie was the first UX Engineer at Compass, and currently he is engineering lead for the UXCore library at GoDaddy.LinksDonnie's website: https://donnie.damato.design/Donnie's podcast: https://wireframe.fm/New York Dance Parade: https://danceparade.org/Central Park Dance Skaters Association: https://cpdsa.org/CreditsCover design by Raquel Breternitz.

Dalia El-Shimy, Director of UX Research at Wise, presents a framework for navigating product decision-making with confidence—from daily product decisions to the most complex and high-risk scenarios. Dalia shares how to classify decisions based on their level of risk and reversibility, along with questions and tactics to help determine the type of research or insights needed to better inform those decisions.About Dalia:Dalia is an engineer-turned-academic-turned-user-researcher. She is the Director of UX Research at Wise and the former Head of UX Research at Miro, where she helped build the team and discipline from the ground up. She started her career as a human-computer interaction researcher, then joined Shopify, where she helped scale the UX Research practice from a few researchers to a team of 60+ strong and co-led the craft across the entire organization. When she's not busy asking too many questions, she enjoys baking, eating, reading, and obsessing over all things David Bowie.Connect with Dalia:You can follow Dalia on LinkedIn or check out her website.Resources: Make Better Decisions by Thomas H. DavenportThis Is How Successful People Make Such Smart Decisions by Jeff HadenBrand Chu on MediumGamestorming by Dave Gray, Sunni Brown, and James Macanufo Follow Maze on Social Media:X: @mazedesignHQInstagram: @mazedesignHQLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesignTo get notified when new episodes air, subscribe at maze.co/podcast.See you next time!

Victoria Sakal is a growth and go-to-market expert who loves to turn customer, market and competitor insight in product, brand and business growth strategies. Her hot take? That companies are either paying the "research tax" - spending too much time and money on research and never making a move - or the "stupid tax" - making decisions based purely on gut feel and no evidence. Both of these taxes can get your organisation in trouble, and the best path is to strike the right balance of speed and quality. Find Victoria on LinkedIn. If you'd like to appear on Hot Takes, please grab a time! Related episodes you should like: Standing up for User Research... and User Researchers (Debbie Levitt, CXO @ DeltaCX and Author "Customers Know You Suck") Getting into the Habit of Continuous Discovery (Teresa Torres, Author "Continuous Discovery Habits") Making Sure You Make an Impact through User Research (Steve Portigal, User Research Consultant & Author "Interviewing Users") Product Leadership Principles for Tumultuous Times (Giff Constable, Author "Talking with Humans" & "Testing with Humans") How to Deploy Empathy to Truly Understand User Needs (Michele Hansen, Author "Deploy Empathy") Chinese Startup Culture & Putting the Minimum into MVP (Carlos Lastres, Creative & Marketing Director @ Kaiyan Medical) Reducing Waste by Only Spending Time on Really Good Ideas (Julia Shalet, Author "The Really Good Idea Test") Retail Product Management in a Global Pandemic (Rhiana Matthew, Senior Product Manager @ Publicis Sapient)

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

Welcome to another episode of Supra Insider. This time, Marc and Ben sat down with Alex Hanthorn (Drift, TripleByte, Nielsen) to explore the evolving world of user research. From scrappy research methods in early-stage startups to the more formalized processes at large tech companies, we delve into the challenges and opportunities of understanding user motivations. Alex shares insights from his experiences, including his time working with companies from Taco Bell, and discusses the art of balancing intuition with data. This episode is packed with actionable advice for founders, product managers, and anyone looking to improve their approach to user research.All episodes of the podcast are also available on Spotify, Apple and YouTube (video).New to the pod? Subscribe below to get the next episode in your inbox

Are you passionate about user research and UX optimization? Then you won't want to miss our latest episode featuring the incredible Els Aerts, a user research legend, if there ever was one!In this episode, Els talks about her straightforward, data-driven approach to user research, tracing its evolution from the 1990s to today. With decades of experience, she offers a fresh perspective on how user research has transformed, especially with groundbreaking technologies like AI reshaping the landscape.What You'll Learn:The Evolution of User Research: Discover how methodologies have changed over the years and what that means for today's UX professionals.The Importance of Expertise: Els stresses the need for deep knowledge and warns against the pitfalls of "research theater" – where research is done more for appearances than for real insights.Ethical Considerations: Learn about the risks of synthetic research methods and why genuine human interaction is crucial for meaningful data.Practical Tips for Beginners: Get actionable advice on crafting effective surveys and avoiding common mistakes with flawed tools and techniques.Dynamic Approaches to Personas: Explore why traditional personas might fall short and how frameworks like Jobs-to-Be-Done can offer more flexibility and accuracy.Els also shares her personal journey, focusing her career on user research and offering candid thoughts on the trend of democratizing this essential practice. Whether you're just starting out or looking to refine your skills, this episode is packed with valuable lessons and real-world insights to elevate your user research game.

Ravi Singh is an expert in UX, UI, Marketing, Development, Product and User Research - but he comes on the show in this episode to help demystify the concept of Empathy. What does practicing empathy look like? How do you empathize with people around what they need vs what they want? He shares his answer to all this and more!

Welcome to Growthmates with Kate Syuma — Growth advisor, previously Head of Growth Design at Miro. I'm building Growthmates as a place to connect with inspiring leaders to help you grow yourself and your product. Here you can learn how companies like Dropbox, Adobe, Canva, Loom, and many more are building excellent products and growth culture. Get all episodes and a free playbook for Growth teams on our brand-new website — growthamtes.club, and press follow to support us on your favorite platforms. Listen now and subscribe on your favorite platforms — Apple, Spotify, or watch on YouTube (new!).In this episode, I chat with Jason Giles — a VP of Product Design at UserTesting.com. We dove into his journey, from working as an electronic musician to becoming a leader in the tech industry. Jason shares his unique story about transitioning into the UX field during his time at Microsoft, his experiences with design leadership, and how human-centered design became his foundation. We also dive into the importance of research, debunking 3 myths about its cost and time, and Jason's insights into democratizing research within organizations.—Brought to you by Command.ai — a user-focused platform offering an alternative to traditional popups or chatbots. Their AI “Copilot” answers questions, performs actions, and simplifies complex tasks. Use “Nudges” to guide users with timely, relevant messages, all within a no-code platform. Perfect for Product, Support, and Marketing teams to positively influence user behavior while respecting their needs: https://command.ai/—Key highlights from this episode

Adam Frankl has been VP at four Developer Tools unicorns, including JFrog, Neo4J and Sourcegraph.Adam is the author of the Developer Facing Startup and recently launched the Developer Facing Startup Founders Academy: a program that helps founders launch and grow their developer tools. In this conversation, Adam Frankl discusses the critical role of a Technical Advisory Board (TAB) in the success of developer-facing startups. He emphasizes the importance of understanding developer needs, effective interviewing techniques, and the necessity of building credibility and community. Adam outlines a structured approach to gathering insights from developers. He also highlights the significance of storytelling in marketing and the need for founders to engage deeply with their user base to discover and address their problems effectively.Takeaways:A Technical Advisory Board is essential for startup success.Founders must prioritize understanding developer needs.Effective interviews should focus on the problem, not the product.Social proof is crucial for building credibility.Developers are influenced by their peers and community.The 'Dream Sequence' outlines the developer adoption process.Storytelling is key to engaging potential users.Founders should continuously engage with their user base.Identifying key personas is vital for targeted outreach.Developers are not leads; they require a different approach.Links:Developer Facing Startup Founders Academy https://developer-facing-founders-network.mn.co/Adam Frankl's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamfrankl/The Developer Facing Startup https://www.amazon.co.uk/Developer-Facing-Startup-market-developer-facing/dp/B0D4KJNSPPKeywords:Technical Advisory Board, Developer Startups, User Research, Developer Needs, Social Proof, Community Building, Founder Responsibilities, Developer Adoption, Interview Techniques, Startup Success

In this episode, Andrew and Sean got hit up by someone clearly using Podscan... again! They talk about it, then Andrew shares details about his recent trip to Mexico City, including highlights like a hot air balloon ride over the pyramids and an exciting Lucha Libre wrestling match.Sean provides an update on Stackwise, discussing the data sources they've uncovered and the challenges of building a comprehensive database. Meanwhile, Andrew delves into the validation process for his latest SEO-focused startup idea, weighing the pros and cons of targeting different user segments.Links:Andrew's Twitter: @AndrewAskinsAndrew's website: https://www.andrewaskins.com/ChartJuice: https://www.chartjuice.com/Sean's Twitter: @seanqsunMiscreants: http://miscreants.com/StackWise: Coming soon...FigTree: Coming soon...Podscan.fm: https://podscan.fm/For more information about the podcast, check out https://www.smalleffortspod.com/.Transcript:00:01.71SeanYou know what we should rename our podcast tagline to?00:05.21Andrewsandwich free.00:06.47SeanNo, not same.00:09.97AndrewWhat is that?00:10.48SeanNo, the best case study that Podscan works.00:15.95SeanWe should be front page on Podscan FM.00:18.73AndrewGenuinely, we should we should reach out to it's not Arjun. What's his name, Arran?00:24.60SeanI have no idea. I don't know who makes Podscan. I just know about it.00:27.08AndrewOh, he's he's the dude who's the. ah ah Oh, fuck, I signed out of Twitter everywhere. so that I wouldn't get distracted.00:36.50SeanNice. I'll look it up.00:37.86AndrewArlen, something like that, he built he built like class dojo or he he built some like teaching software with his wife, sold it.00:48.13SeanArvid. Arvid.00:48.97AndrewArvid, Arvid call, that's his name.00:49.57SeanArvid.00:51.16AndrewYeah, yeah, yeah. Also, if avid has a and Arvid hot scan trigger, we'll find out.00:56.81SeanYeah, we'll find out. Arvid.00:59.14AndrewSo, hey Arvid.00:59.99SeanArvid call. Arvid call. Arvid call. Feedback panda. Arvid call.01:03.88Andrewfeed neck to end there, that's what it was.01:06.67SeanZero to sold, or we'd call. Alright, maybe we'll summon him for the next one.01:12.62AndrewYeah, that was wild. So, I get...01:18.40AndrewI forget which podcast episodes we've published because I'm behind. So I like didn't even realize I'd published that episode.01:24.75SeanYeah.01:24.82AndrewBut we published a podcast episode where we were kind of like, I was hating on intro. You're pro intro. I was hating on intro.01:32.17SeanUh-huh.01:33.57AndrewAnd then the CEO of intro tweeted at us this week and was like, here's why you're wrong and why intro is great.01:39.63Seannot Really, it's not really a tweet. It was kind of an essay, actually. It was kind of like, yeah, yeah.01:42.93AndrewYeah.01:44.32SeanBut that's the second time someone famous on the internet has hit us up on Twitter because of that.01:49.41AndrewI wish they would fucking promote our podcast when they treat at us.01:56.45SeanI don't know.01:56.90AndrewInstead of doing it so subtly.01:57.13SeanI feel like this is a secret and feel like there's a little secret growth hack in there, you know?02:01.18AndrewYeah, but the girth hack only works if they like tell people about you.02:06.72SeanNo, no, no, no, no. I think that you can leverage it for, for more reach.02:08.29AndrewTo become biffles.02:12.19SeanCause if I, cause if I reply to his thing, I'm, you know, I feel like there's enough Twitter engagement there in in the, you know, get the algo going and, and, and you know, what is beef marketing?02:22.26AndrewIs this like even grosser beef marketing?02:27.16AndrewBeef marketing is when you start beef with somebody just for like the views and the clicks.02:30.09SeanOh, I see.02:35.19AndrewSo obnoxious.02:36.88SeanI say yeah.02:37.09Andrewyeah who's You know who's the king of beef marketing?02:41.16SeanNo. Who's the king of beef marketing?02:42.94AndrewDHH. DHH is the02:44.69SeanOh.02:45.98AndrewThe king, the founder, the creator, the the god of beef marketing.02:51.86SeanRight, right, right.02:52.08AndrewThat man can start beef with anybody.02:54.78Seanright say well What's his full name? Just in case pods can.02:56.89AndrewDavid Heinemeyer Hanson.02:58.48SeanOK, cool, cool, cool. Basecamp, basecamp, basecamp. Maybe he uses Podscan too. Yeah. Yeah. Jason.03:08.45SeanYeah. I don't know. I think he has good ideas sometimes.03:14.37AndrewWhat did you actually think of the intro guy's response to us? I can no longer pull up because I logged myself out of Twitter and don't want to log back in.03:23.34Seanyou know i think i appreciated the thoughtful response um um on it that's kind of03:29.13AndrewYou want to summarize real quick?03:29.28Seanweirded I was weirded out yeah I was weird for what's worth a a little bit weird out kind of kind of weird ...

Drew and Joe will answer a listener question about when our listener should be offering clients Market Research vs. UX Research?  How should you tackle when a client has already decided to build something and they want to move right into testing prototypes?  Drew and Joe will also offer their takes on Market vs. User Research and if it matters which one you're actually doing.Send us a textSupport the showSend your questions to InsideUXR@gmail.comVisit us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter) or our website, at www.insideUXR.comCredits:Art by Kamran HanifTheme music by NearbysoundVoiceover by Anna V

Send us a textHave you ever wondered why some products or services feel like they were designed specifically with you in mind? That's user research and user experience (UX) at play, showing how this knowledge is critical for business growth, especially in a web3 world. Tyreek Houston, a UX expert, joins me today to share his insights on the intersection of UX and web3, including his unconventional journey into the field, the challenges of fostering inclusion and diversity, the transformative role of AI in the future of UX, and so much more! This week, episode 226 of the Tech Intersect™ Podcast is about driving business growth through UX research! POWERED BY DIGITALMONEYDEMYSTIFIED.COM – Your trusted guide to separating crypto fact from fiction. Buy now, wherever books are sold and on Amazon.Tyreek Houston is a user researcher and product strategist who uses his knowledge and expertise to empower businesses with strategic insights for growth. But Tyreek is not just a strategist; he is a storyteller, a connector, and an educator who has made his mark as a thought leader in the tech space. Topics Tyreek Houston and I cover in this episode include:What user research is and why it is Unlock the key to 10x the value of your legal practice in Web3 with our exclusive Advantage EVANS FinTech Academy training series—only 20 seats available! Start separating crypto fact from fiction today. Get your copy of , Digital Money Demystified, and start learning so you can earn safely, legally and confidently. https://digitalmoneydemystified.comBuzzsprout - Let's launch your podcast!Start for FREELearn to Trade Like a Pro!Unlock the secrets of profitable trading and start your journey to financial freedom today!Elevate your digital sales game quickly!Join the Social Sales Lab and master the art of social selling to skyrocket your business success. Streamline Online Sales with ThriveCartGet your lifetime account and enhance your e-commerce experience with powerful, user-friendly tools.Maximize your website's potentialSecure a lifetime deal at ConvertBox and turn your site visitors into loyal customers effortlessly.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Regulate & The Rabbit Hole by Notty Prod licensed via Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Produced by Tonya M. Evans for Advantage Evans, LLC

On today's episode, we have Emilia Kortrynska, Head of Marketing at UserPilot. In the discussion with Emilia, we talk about some incredibly interesting research that came out of UserPilot recently about how Sales Led Growth appears to beat Product Led Growth in many categories. Which to PLG evangelists like myself, really caught me off guard. But we discuss why quant data is only one piece of the story and why you need to balance quant with qual research and the benefits of research in general.  PLG vs SLG research data If you're looking for a better way to tie research to your company goals, try out ResearchRepo for free If you're trying to get into product management and need experience to accelerate your path to product, sign up at Path2Product and start getting experience today Outline: 0:00-0:53 - Episode Introduction 0:53-2:35 - Emilia's Background and Intro 2:35-7:48  Emilia's Role In Research for Userpilot 7:48-10:59  Marketing's Role in User Research and PM Collaboration  10:59-13:00  Product-Led SEO 13:00-15:25 Research Feedback loop on usage and user segmentation 15:25-16:10 The fallacy of category creation in positioning 16:10-26:54 Sales Led vs Product Led Success Rates 26:54-30:07 How can we make research matter more at our company

Do You Really Need a UX Researcher on Your Product Team? There are no easy answers on this podcast as we react to a provocative LinkedIn post. On this episode, Product Manager Brian and Enterprise Business Agility Coach Om debate the merits and challenges of having dedicated UX researchers on product teams. Listen as we explore:Are UX researchers a must-have or a luxury? Can product managers develop research skills?Does short-term thinking undervalue the impact of UX research?Could UX researchers upskill product teams?Join us for a delightfully balanced discussion about product management, UX professionals, and agile teams.= = = = = = = = = = = =Watch it on YouTube= = = = = = = = = = = =Subscribe to our YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8XUSoJPxGPI8EtuUAHOb6g?sub_confirmation=1Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/agile-podcast/id1568557596Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/362QvYORmtZRKAeTAE57v3Amazon Music:https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ee3506fc-38f2-46d1-a301-79681c55ed82/Agile-Podcast= = = = = = = = = = = =Toronto Is My Beat (Music Sample)By Whitewolf (Source: https://ccmixter.org/files/whitewolf225/60181)CC BY 4.0 DEED (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en)

 On this episode, Meghan Hatalla, Senior Customer Experience Researcher at Veritas Technologies, discusses the use of machine learning and natural language processing to enhance user research and improve customer experience. She highlights the importance of data analysis, sentiment analysis, and personalization in understanding user behavior and needs, and talks about the challenges of implementing AI in customer experience.The role of machine learning and AI in processing large data sets and identifying patterns in user behaviorThe importance of qualitative research in understanding user experiences and problem-solvingHow to Implementing AI in customer experienceHow to build trust and emotional connections for a positive customer experienceKey Components of Effective Customer InterviewsThe Role of User Research in AI–How can you bring all your disconnected, enterprise data into Salesforce to deliver a 360-degree view of your customer? The answer is Data Cloud. With more than 200 implementations completed globally, the leading Salesforce experts from Professional Services can help you realize value quickly with Data Cloud. To learn more, visit salesforce.com/products/data to learn more. Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

In this episode of UX Leadership by Design, Mark Baldino, co-founder of Fuzzy Math, speaks with Evan English, Vice President of Design and User Research at American Express. Evan shares her journey from product management to UX leadership at Amex, where she has spent 15 years. She highlights the company's significant investment in leadership training and development, which has allowed her to build a strong design leadership team from within the organization. They discuss the importance of aligning design work with business value, the challenges and rewards of building a mature design system, and the strategic role of information architecture in delivering business results.Key Takeaways:Leadership behaviors, such as communication, collaboration, and empathy, are crucial for UX leaders.Designers possess unique qualities that make them great leaders, including empathy, active listening, storytelling, and systems thinking (dot connectors).Shared goals with product partners and design maturity goals are important for driving business value.Information architecture and design systems play a critical role in supporting the evolving business needs.Measuring metrics and setting goals are essential for tracking the impact of design efforts and improving customer satisfaction.Fuzzy Math: fuzzymath.com Mark on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markbaldino/

Erin and Carol are joined by Jo Widawski, founder and CEO of Maze, to discuss the major findings from their "Future of User Research" report, which unearthed three trends animating researchers, PMs, and founders alike: 1) the demand for research is growing, 2) research democratization empowers stronger decision making, and 3) new technology—like generative AI—allows teams to scale their research.Erin, Carol, and Jo unpack each of these trends, flagging what they mean for both the work of researchers and the value of research more broadly. For example, these trends signal a rise in importance of the research generalist, the critical value of stakeholder influence, and the skills tomorrow's successful researcher must build today. Together, these trends and skills help create a roadmap for how researcher's can grow from a tactical resource to a strategic partner.Episode Highlights03:57 The nature of research in organizations11:01 Transitioning researcher roles: from operational to educational18:01 The importance of democratization in design22:43 Overcoming resistance to research in design30:25 AI's impact on user research trust37:59 Understanding competitive landscape in building productsAbout Our GuestJo Widawksi is the Founder and CEO at Maze. He's a veteran Product Designer & former UX teacher. As a UX lead working with clients like McKinsey, Rocket Internet & PSG, he saw first-hand how hard it is for product teams to get the data, insights, and feedback they need to make confident design decisions. Now he's co-founded Maze, the continuous product discovery platform for user-centric teams.More ResourcesRead the 2024 State of User Research Report (from UI)Read the Future of User Research Report (from Maze)Learn how to create stronger stakeholder relationships

Steve Portigal is a veteran user research leader and consultant who helps companies mature their research practices. He's the author of Interviewing Users, a classic in the field, and the host of the design leadership podcast Dollars to Donuts. In this conversation, we explore:• how to use creative practices to develop your voice as a leader and storyteller• how to be a smart consumer of research findings when you aren't an expert in the craft of research• one simple question leaders can ask to set their organizations to make the most of research• and how to create the conditions for high-impact, effective creative work in your team—Topics discussed(10:21) Experimenting with writing and finding one's voice(15:47) Feedback model: GASP - goals, attempts, successes, possibilities(19:53) Workshops, creativity, and self-doubt(27:06) Embrace authenticity, find your unique facilitation style(28:10) Appreciating different approaches, understanding executives' skepticism(34:37) Engage with compassion(39:29) Research is essential for informed decision-making(49:01) Compassion and reflection are crucial for leaders(50:48) Create a safe learning space for engagement(56:03) Assessing code quality and marketing effectiveness(01:00:39) Research raises questions, timing and deployment important(01:10:31) Stay fascinated with the world around you—Links & resources mentioned• Send episode feedback on Twitter @askotzko , or via email• Steve Portigal: website, LinkedIn• Book: Interviewing Users• Podcast: Dollars to Donuts—Related episodes• #3 Christina Wodtke: Unleashing potential with extraordinary teams• #62 Sahil Lavingia: Independent Thinking & Pricing at Gumroad—Books• Interviewing Users• Don't Make Me Think—Other resources• Great User Research (for Non-Researchers)• When to Use Which User-Experience Research Methods• Nielsen: Why You Only Need to Test with 5 Users This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.makethingsthatmatter.com

In this episode of the Product Thinking podcast, host Melissa Perri celebrates the updated ten-year anniversary edition of Interviewing Users with author Steve Portigal. Steve explains what has changed in those ten years, and why this was a necessary update.