#154 - Building the UX Team of Tomorrow with Brad Orego of Webflow

Awkward Silences

#User Interviews #User Experience #Tech #Software Development #Business #Research #Productivity #UX Design #Product Management #Research Ops #UXR #Ethnography #Customer Interview

57:50

Alex (@alex_kamenca) and Carley (@carleymitus) are both members of our Action Academy Community that purchased TWO small businesses last thursday! Want To Quit Your Job In The Next 6-18 Months Through Buying Commercial Real Estate & Small Businesses? 👔🏝️ Schedule A Free 15 Minute Coaching Call With Our Team Here To Get "Unstuck" Want to know which investment strategy is best for you? Take our Free Asset-Selection Quiz Check Out Our Bestselling Book : From Passive To Passionate : How To Quit Your Job - Grow Your Wealth - And Turn Your Passions Into Profits Want A Free $100k+ Side Hustle Guide ? Follow Me As I Travel & Build: IG @brianluebben ActionAcademy.com…

大约1年之前 45:05

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Brad shares their three-step process for creating a research practice that's ready to deliver for the business, including the questions you must ask stakeholders. Using examples from Webflow, Brad also talks about tactical considerations such as managing cross-team research requests, the importance of Operations, and how they think AI will help with democratization.

This is must-listen for anyone building a research team, looking for ways to expand their influence or impact, and even early career folks who want a look inside an innovate team.

Highlights

03:14 Building Relationships and Networks for Long-Term Success
16:18 Monitoring Customer Trends for Strategic Insights
22:26 Optimizing Best Practices and Research Insights Activation
29:37 Enhancing Efficiency and Reducing Risk Through Automation
36:22 Four Key Questions to Guide Your Research
40:41 Strategic Evolution and Research Maturity at Webflow

About Brad
Brad (they/them) is a UX Leader, User Researcher, Coach, and Dancer who's been helping companies from early-stage startup to Fortune 500 develop engaging, fulfilling experiences and build top-tier Research & Design practices since 2009. They have helped launch dozens of products, touched hundreds of millions of users, managed budgets ranging from $0 to $10M+, and coached hundreds of Researchers.

Resources

166集单集

#154 - Building the UX Team of Tomorrow with Brad Orego of Webflow

Awkward Silences

79 subscribers

published 大约1年之前

MP3•单集首页

This is must-listen for anyone building a research team, looking for ways to expand their influence or impact, and even early career folks who want a look inside an innovate team.

Highlights

03:14 Building Relationships and Networks for Long-Term Success
16:18 Monitoring Customer Trends for Strategic Insights
22:26 Optimizing Best Practices and Research Insights Activation
29:37 Enhancing Efficiency and Reducing Risk Through Automation
36:22 Four Key Questions to Guide Your Research
40:41 Strategic Evolution and Research Maturity at Webflow

Resources

166集单集

#User Interviews #User Experience #Tech #Software Development #Business #Research #Productivity #UX Design #Product Management #Research Ops #UXR #Ethnography #Customer Interview

所有剧集

1
#165 - High Impact Research on Embedded Teams with Hannah Ghidey of Etsy 35:16

8天之前35:16

35:16

Embedded research teams—where UXRs are dedicated to a single product area—are popular. The proximity to design, product, and engineering stakeholders increases subject-matter expertise and user insight integration. But how can those working in this structure balance deep diving product-specific work with longer-term strategic opportunities? Hannah Ghidey, Senior Research Manager at Etsy has successfully navigated this balance, finding big, strategy-setting questions while maintaining product-specific influence and know-how. It’s a great conversation for anyone working as a UXR on a product team or searching for a scaleable way to build a responsive team that’s also strategically-oriented. Highlights 03:09 Strategic Research in Business Innovation 07:30 Effective Collaborative Research Planning 11:03 Harnessing Team Insights for Innovation 15:01 Building Trust in Research Collaboration 20:15 Sustaining Research Relevance 29:53 Integrating Research into Business Strategy About Hannah Hannah Ghidey is a UX leader, currently at Etsy. She is a creative, strategist, and researcher, helping teams shape experiences at the intersection of user needs, business goals, and data. Resources Ultimate Guide to Research Strategy Research x Product Collaboration Report Build a UX Research Team From Scratch…

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#164 - UX Lessons from a Decade Researching AI with Jess Holbrook of Microsoft 49:29

22天之前49:29

49:29

Much of the conversation around AI in UX involves how it will shape and change researchers' work. Today's guest, Jess Holbrook, who leads UX research for Microsoft AI, has been thinking a lot about how this technology can be improved with design and UX best practices. Jess has spent over a decade working on the UX of AI at companies like Meta and Google. He's also helped develop foundational principles for the ethical use of LLMs. Jess joins Erin and Ben to reframe the AI conversation, focusing on how UXRs can and should adapt, what working on these systems has taught him about the UX discipline, and his philosophy for building teams that are ready to take on the innovative challenges of tomorrow. Jess's recommendations: Matt Webb , Maggie Appleton , and the Pessimists Archive Newsletter . Highlights 07:15 Human-Centered AI Evolution 17:53 Evolving AI Forecast Strategies 24:04 Diverse AI Team Building 33:27 Navigating Responsible AI Challenges 37:01 Qualitative Analysis with AI Tools 40:15 Optimism and Concerns About AI About Jess Senior Director of Research specializing in human-centered AI. Early stage investor in AI, AI hardware ecosystems, climate, and anything that seems like the world would be better with it in it. Currently leading UX research for Microsoft AI. Previously led the Generative AI team and supported all UX functions for the Responsible AI and data transparency teams at Meta. I also served on the Board of Forging Youth Resilience, a nonprofit that empowers young people to build physical and mental strength for life by providing access to a national network of community-based fitness programs and mentorship. Resources The AI in UX Research Report 20+ Tools for Every Research Phase Using AI in UX: A Day-in-the-Life…

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#163 - Creating Mindful Product Experiences with Jay Vidyarthi of Still Ape 48:46

5 weeks之前48:46

48:46

In this episode, Erin and Ben chat with Jay Vidyarthi, designer, author, and founder at Still Ape. Jay is a leading thinker around designing mindful product experiences. He's also published a new book, RECLAIM YOUR MIND , which examines the balance of technology use and mindfulness in our everyday lives. Jay shares his journey to working in the mindful technology space, how we can shift our frame from "user" to "life" experience design, and the benefits companies see when their products consider the whole person on the "other end." Jay also shares strategies for maintaining mindfulness during our own technology use, and ways we can carry these practices into research and design practices. Highlights 03:55 Design for Mindful Well-Being 08:13 Mindful Design: Impact Over Intentions 14:54 Broadening Design's Impact on Life 25:20 Holistic Recruitment Strategies 34:10 Enhancing Connection Through Mindful Presence 42:48 Understanding Technology's Emotional Pull About Jay Jay Vidyarthi is the author of RECLAIM YOUR MIND and an accomplished designer, entrepreneur, and thought leader at the unique intersection of mindfulness and technology. As the founder of Still Ape, he’s been involved in over fifty technologies that have helped millions of people improve their well-being, including Muse, the Healthy Minds Program, Sonic Cradle, and many more. His work and ideas have been featured by Harvard, MIT, TED, Forbes, CNN, Fast Company, and Vice. Resources The Self Care Playbook for UX Researchers Cultivating Empathy for Your Colleagues Wellness and UX: Going Beyond the User Experience…

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#162 - Empowering PwDR Using Research Education with Daniel Gottlieb of Microsoft 48:37

7 weeks之前48:37

48:37

Many research activities are completed by non-researchers, but whose work is benefited from user insights. Generally, these folks—designers, PMs, developers, among others—are called "PwDR" or "people who do research." In addition to their own work, many UX researchers and operations specialists are focusing on educating and empowering this group. When stakeholders and colleagues are better informed on the hows and whys of user research, more of it gets done, more insights are integrated, and customer experiences improve. Daniel Gottlieb, Head of Research Operation for Microsoft's Developer Division, has spent a lot of time designing research education programs. He joins to discuss his success creating workshops that empower and inspire non-researchers to get involved. He shares the parts of a good workshop, ways to keep attendees engaged, and how he measures success. This is a revealing conversation for anyone who has wondered what successfully "democratizing" user research could look like. Daniel brings pragmatism and positivity to research education. You'll leave with a better sense of how to begin educating your own stakeholders on the power of user research, and maybe even get a democratization practice up and running. Highlights 12:12 - Empowering UX Researchers Multiplies Impact 17:21 - Collaborative Research and Customer Insights 22:08 - Guided Customer Research Workshops 27:22 - Building Excitement Through Coaching 36:38 - Benefits of Diverse Group Dynamics 38:25 - Empowering Developer-Led Research Showcase About Daniel Daniel Gottlieb is the Head of Research Operations for Microsoft’s Developer Division User Research Group. He received his PhD in Animal Behavior from the University of California, Davis, where he focused on animal welfare (quality of life) and primate (monkey) behavior. Daniel moved from researching monkey behavior, to managing research logistics at a National Primate Research Center, to managing UX Research Operations in Microsoft’s Developer Division. He is passionate about making research easy and accessible, teaching, and finding ways for disparate groups to work together to support a unified research mission. Resources PwDR questions answered live by UXpert Nikki Anderson Discovery research exploring "people who do research" The " State of Research for Non-Researchers " Report…

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#161 - Learn More Faster About Customers with Michael Margolis of GV 51:09

9 weeks之前51:09

51:09

This episode is all about learning from customers...early and often. Our guest, Michael Margolis, UX Research Partner at GV (formerly Google Ventures), has made a career of helping teams do this successfully. He joins to share his Bullseye Customer Method, which is the result of his experience (it's also the subject of his latest book, "Learn More Faster," which is available for free ). Michael breaks down the Bullseye Customer Method, including best practices for recruitment, question design, and analysis. He's found that research is more successful when it's a team effort, and shares ways to promote cross-team collaboration throughout the Bullseye process, like using watch parties for share-outs. Michael also weighs in (using his 30+ years in the industry) on topics like the current UX job market, the impact of AI on researchers, and the power democratization for resource-limited teams. It's a must-listen for anyone working on early-stage products or struggling with visibility and buy-in from stakeholders. Highlights 06:33 Defining Core Value Proposition 16:29 Founders' Key Concerns Analysis 21:58 Clarifying Customer Understanding 26:38 Effective Open-Ended Survey Questions 31:46 Leveraging Associations for Networking 43:01 Benefits of Team Watch Parties About Michael Michael joined GV in 2010 as the venture industry’s first UX research partner. As a UX researcher with over 30 years of experience, Michael has boosted conversion, tested new concepts, streamlined workflows, and defined bullseye customers for hundreds of companies. He helped develop the design sprint method made famous by the seminal book, Sprint . He has also written about his research work for startups at medium.com/@mmargolis . Resources Choose the right method with this selection tool Making research essential to company success The steps to asking better UX research questions…

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#160 - Where Design Thinking Went Wrong with Brett Krajewski of Accelerant Research 44:12

11 weeks之前44:12

44:12

In 2022, the UX community experienced a series of convulsions: layoffs, reorgs, and reduced budgets. A common thread throughout was accountability: user researchers faced frequent questions about their direct impact on and importance for the business. "Doing" UX research and "being" a design thinker was no longer enough. Today's guest believes these questions present opportunities for UX researchers. Brett Krajewski, VP Research and Growth at Accelerant Research, joins Erin and Carol to share strategies for researchers to stay sharp, stay relevant, and stay valuable. These include balancing business goals with user needs, being more experimental with methods, reframing how we use time for research, and more. Highlights 06:30 Justifying UX ROI Amid Economic Challenges 12:02 Integrating Insights for Improved UX 18:50 Balancing User Needs and Business Goals 21:07 Scalable Research in Fortune 500 Companies 29:47 Innovative Strategies in Research Planning 38:30 Storytelling's Role in Research Impact About Brett Brett Krajewski is the Vice President of Research & Growth at Accelerant Research, where he leads the research and client solutions teams, delivering innovative insights to empower businesses and many fortune 500 companies. With a career spanning both in-house industry roles and consulting/agency leadership, Brett has built and led high-performing, multi-method research teams for Fortune 50 companies. His past roles include Head of Design Research: Customer at Walmart and Lead of Product Research at Lowe’s, where he drove customer-focused innovation and strategy. Resources Complete Guide to UX Research Methodologies On-Demand Business 101 for Researchers Course Panel Discussion on the Future of UX Research…

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#159 - Building Cross-Functional Research Impact with Judy Xu of Salesforce 33:31

13 weeks之前33:31

33:31

Creating strong stakeholder relationships is important for UX researchers at any company. Doing this at "enterprise" companies—large organizations with many products and an international footprint—can feel daunting. Our guest, Judy Xu, has successfully navigated the scale of enterprises like Hubspot, Meta, and Salesforce, where they work as a Senior Researcher. They join Erin to take us inside the enterprise, unpacking how research "happens" and what this has taught them about building cross-functional relationships. Specifically, Judy shares the value of using environmental inputs (like whether it's B2B or B2C) to map stakeholder structures, identify (and start using) meaningful metrics, and choose the right method for the moment. Together, these strategies have helped Judy create lasting UX impact, building influence and trust with key stakeholders. Listen to learn how you can start creating more impact inside your organization, whether it's an enterprise or a startup. Highlights 06:16 Learning and Research Challenges in Large Organizations 10:56 B2C vs B2B: User Metrics vs Revenue Focus 15:43 Adapting Research Insight Presentation to Stakeholder Needs 17:43 Collaboration with Key Stakeholders and Functional Diversity 22:39 Understanding Matrix Structures: Cross-Functional Roles & Incentives 26:55 Embrace Details: Mastering Business Processes Efficiently About Judy Judy is a Senior Researcher at Salesforce, where she uses I use qualitative (e.g., interviews, codesign) and quantitative (e.g., text analysis, surveys) approaches to tackle strategic, exploratory, and evaluative research questions. She has worked at Meta, Hubspot, and Simplisafe, and has a Ph.D. in Psychology from Columbia University. Resources Learn the fundamentals of business with this free course Use these five steps to calculate the ROI of UX research These skills build credibility and influence for more impact…

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#158 - Leading Design as a Researcher with Emily Wurgler of McDonald's 44:17

15 weeks之前44:17

44:17

Erin and Carol are joined by Emily Wurgler, Global Director of Experience Design at McDonald's, whose journey has had many moments of evolution and iteration. She started as an academic researcher in sociology, transitioned to innovation research at growth stage companies, and ultimately to her leading enterprise research and design teams. Emily talks about the unique value researchers bring to design leadership, how she's had to adapt her approach, and explains how product experiences are iterated and improved at large companies with a strong design-research partnership. Emily also shares how she's preparing her team of designers for the future of UX work and the characteristics she looks for in a new hire. Highlights 07:30 Essential User Understanding for Product Success 13:50 Identifying Users for McDonald's Enterprise Products 24:38 Developing Innovative Product Solutions for Shift Leadership 30:46 Balancing Innovation with Existing Workflow Challenges 34:56 Cultivating Patience and Persistence for Organizational Change 39:05 Ranking Four Attributes: A Favorite Interview Question About Emily Emily Wurgler is the Global Director, Experience Design at McDonald's. She has over a decade of research experience at places like PeaPod Labs, dscout, and Over the Shoulder. She has a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Indiana. Resources UX Designer's Guide to Research Working in Design Research Consulting Design Thinking for Better Partnerships…

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#157 - The Future of Design Collaboration with Andrew Hogan of Figma 41:09

17 weeks之前41:09

41:09

Few companies are most closely associated with UX design right now than Figma, which not only helps designers get their work done, but serves as a bridge for others to get more involved in the process. Erin and Carol are joined by Andrew Hogan, Figma's Head of Insights, to explore the nature of collaboration today and how the structure of that collaboration can impact our ability to effect UX change. Andrew shares some of his team's own research on design collaboration, from how it's changed , what still needs improving, and how UX professionals can collaborate better. This includes the growing and evolving impact of AI. He also talks about what he learned during his recent parental leave—including the pervasiveness of screens—and how he's applying that learning to his own team. Highlights 11:13 Design's Role in Software and Team Collaboration 18:01 Diverse Methods for Sharing Research Insights 20:46 Uncertain Future of AI: Expectations Reset 24:34 AI's Impact on Productivity and Team Collaboration 29:49 Overcoming Challenges: Standing Out in Content Saturation 33:05 Perceptions of Change: Exploring Role Spikiness About Andrew Andrew Hogan conducts research on the design industry and design practices to figure out what’s happening. He love anecdotes, anecdata and data. He also likes to write and speak about what he finds, sometimes in the form of jokes and is occasionally quoted by places like Fast Company, WSJ, Forbes, CNN, Business Insider, AdAge, CIO.com and Tech Republic. In the past he authored/co-authored 50+ Forrester reports about design, UX, CX and the design industry, and created CX certification training modules on journey mapping and data/AI + design. Resources A Designer's Guide to UX Research Product x Research Collaboration Report The 2024 AI in UX Research Report…

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#156 - Change Management with Graham Gardner of U.S. Bank 35:44

19 weeks之前35:44

35:44

Change is an important and inevitable part of developing as a user experience professional. But what does change look like when it happens at the organizational level? That is the focus of this episode, featuring Graham Gardner, VP of UX Design Research Operations at U.S. Bank. He joins Erin and Carol to talk about change management, which is the practice and process of evolving and adapting a company's approach to something. Graham takes us inside his strategy for this, including how team structures can affect change (and their impact on research tooling). He also unpacks just how important Research Operations (ReOps) is to planning, executing, and managing change at an organizational level. Finally, Graham looks ahead to the impacts of AI and how he believes it might help teams like CX, analytics, and marketing work together better. If you've ever wondered about how companies grow and develop, and how these developments can impact user insights, check it out. Highlights 08:16 Enhancing Collaboration through Transparent Tool Mapping 14:37 Harmonizing AI and Human Roles for Success 20:44 From Projects to Service Design: A Strategic Shift 23:46 Research Insights: Steering Through Complexity for Success 28:40 Integrating Research into Client Relationship Strategies 31:37 Insights from Backgrounds: Decoding Environmental Cues About Graham Graham Gardner, VP of UX Design Research Operations at U.S. Bank, is a researcher, designer, strategist, and maker. He brings a human-centered design lens to research ops (thanks to a long stint at IDEO and a background in inclusive education research). He works to collaboratively and iteratively understand and design research and design ecosystems that grow and evolve with the changing contexts of our beautifully messy world and the people that live in it. Conversations with Graham usually involve dad jokes, dog cameos, and snack breaks. More Resources Guide to UX Research Strategy AI in UX Research Report The Importance of Research Operations…

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#155 - Exploratory Design Research with Will Notini of IDEO 40:17

20 weeks之前40:17

40:17

The consulting firm IDEO helped pioneer "design thinking" as a way to create products that better solve customer wants and needs, creating fans. Over 30 years later, the interplay between design and research has never been more important. Will Notini joins to dig into that interplay—how research is at the heart of design and vice versa. In particular, he thinks the best companies are using design research principles to explore new opportunities, both what they create and how those experiences function. Will also shares a framework for researching "fast and slow," the importance of participant recruitment, and how building trust with colleagues creates more impactful, lasting user insights. Highlights 04:11 Uncovering Unbiased Insights Through Exploratory Design 12:20 Finding Participants Who Truly Care and Invest 19:43 Building Trust for Collaborative Design Discussions 24:54 Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Expertise-Sharing at IDEO 30:37 Simulated Research: Addressing Urgency and Resource Challenges 34:10 Iterative Learning: Updating Assumptions and Approaches About Will Will Notini is a Senior Design Research Lead at IDEO, where he is a generalist —drawing on his training in social science research to execute design and innovation work for clients in a range of industries. In his role, he manages multi-disciplinary teams and leads the research. His background is in anthropology and did mixed methods market research in the restaurant industry before transitioning to design research and has been at IDEO since. He has also recently picked up an MBA and a potentially unhealthy (unrelated) obsession with tennis. Resources The Designer's Guide to User Research How to Recruit Participants for Research Storytelling Basics for UX Researchers…

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#154 - Building the UX Team of Tomorrow with Brad Orego of Webflow 45:05

21 weeks之前45:05

45:05

The craft of UX research is at an all-time high. How research leaders structure, staff, and scale their teams is more important than ever. Erin and Carol are joined by Brad Orego, Head of Research at Webflow, to talk all about the ways we can build better research teams. Brad shares their three-step process for creating a research practice that's ready to deliver for the business, including the questions you must ask stakeholders. Using examples from Webflow, Brad also talks about tactical considerations such as managing cross-team research requests, the importance of Operations, and how they think AI will help with democratization. This is must-listen for anyone building a research team, looking for ways to expand their influence or impact, and even early career folks who want a look inside an innovate team. Highlights 03:14 Building Relationships and Networks for Long-Term Success 16:18 Monitoring Customer Trends for Strategic Insights 22:26 Optimizing Best Practices and Research Insights Activation 29:37 Enhancing Efficiency and Reducing Risk Through Automation 36:22 Four Key Questions to Guide Your Research 40:41 Strategic Evolution and Research Maturity at Webflow About Brad Brad (they/them) is a UX Leader, User Researcher, Coach, and Dancer who's been helping companies from early-stage startup to Fortune 500 develop engaging, fulfilling experiences and build top-tier Research & Design practices since 2009. They have helped launch dozens of products, touched hundreds of millions of users, managed budgets ranging from $0 to $10M+, and coached hundreds of Researchers. Resources Building a UX Research Team From Scratch Create Lasting UX Impact With Stakeholders The Three Facets of High-Impact Research…

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#153 - Security-Minded UX with Caroline Morchio of Dashlane 33:55

40 weeks之前33:55

33:55

In our Season 3 finale, Erin and Carol are joined by Caroline Morchio, Head of UX at Dashlane, a credential management platform. Their conversation explores UX research best practices at a security-minded organization like Dashlane, highlighting other what teams can bring to their own work. Caroline shares the ways she structures the UX team to support the product landscape at Dashlane, their processes for empowering colleagues to contribute to research, and why she prefers a "decentralized" model. The conversation also unpacks the core skills that Caroline emphasizes no matter the company: storytelling, actionable insights, and templates. Together, these help her team maintain rigor while scaling to meet new user experiences opportunities. Finally, Caroline discusses how to balance the security and usability when conducting UX research, and forecasts what the future of data privacy and security might have in store, like passwordless authentication. Episode Highlights 04:27 Implementing research in stages 07:22 The strategic impact of UX on a business 11:23 Focusing on ICP segmentation and user sophistication 18:06 The importance of privacy and data security 23:01 Decentralizing research processes 30:17 The importance of research in complex technology About Our Guest Caroline is a Design leader with experience in innovative companies transforming their industries. She has led design teams through all phases of product development and fostered a culture of open collaboration and feedback. Caroline was previously VP of Design at Handshake, Neuralink, and is now an AWS Design ambassador and Head of UX at Dashlane. More Resources on Security in UXR A Researcher's Guide to Data Privacy Regulations NDAs and Consent Forms for UX Research Examining Ethical Design and Respectful UX…

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#152 - The Future of Research in Three Trends with Jo Widawski of Maze 43:05

42 weeks之前43:05

43:05

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 Highlights 03:57 The nature of research in organizations 11:01 Transitioning researcher roles: from operational to educational 18:01 The importance of democratization in design 22:43 Overcoming resistance to research in design 30:25 AI's impact on user research trust 37:59 Understanding competitive landscape in building products About Our Guest Jo 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 Resources Read 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…

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#151 - Improving Your UX Research Efficiency with Auzita Irani of AirBnB 54:47

44 weeks之前54:47