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#97 - Tacos and Tide Pods: House Cats, Research Repositories, and the Economy

#97 - Tacos and Tide Pods: House Cats, Research Repositories, and the Economy

Awkward Silences 13 July 2022

Episode Description

Roberta Dombrowski, VP of UX Research at User Interviews, is back for the second instalment of Tacos and Tide Pods with Erin and JH. In this episode, they discuss the importance of an effective personal productivity process, overestimated expectations, and the (very Tide Pod-y) state of the global economy.

In this episode:

  • Creating a research repository at User Interviews
  • Setting up an effective personal productivity process
  • Overestimated expectations
  • Meetings vs asynchronous collab

Get the transcript and show notes: userinterviews.com/podcast

Instructions on how to rate and review Awkward Silences on Apple Podcasts can be found here.

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#120- Building a Healthy Research Culture with Mike Oren of Klaviyo

#120- Building a Healthy Research Culture with Mike Oren of Klaviyo

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15 March 2023


#119 - It’s Not Research, It’s You! with Holly Hester-Reilly of H2R Product Science

#119 - It’s Not Research, It’s You! with Holly Hester-Reilly of H2R Product Science

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8 March 2023


#118- The Product Launch Playbook with Derek Osgood

#118- The Product Launch Playbook with Derek Osgood

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1 March 2023


#117 - Understanding Growth Research with Carlos Tellez of Nubank

#117 - Understanding Growth Research with Carlos Tellez of Nubank

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15 February 2023


#116 - Emerging Trends in UX and CX with Alfonso de la Nuez and Dana Bishop of UserZoom

#116 - Emerging Trends in UX and CX with Alfonso de la Nuez and Dana Bishop of UserZoom

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#115 - Optimizing In-Product Research with Ryan Glasgow of Sprig

#115 - Optimizing In-Product Research with Ryan Glasgow of Sprig

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#114 - What Does a UX Research Chief of Staff Do?

#114 - What Does a UX Research Chief of Staff Do?

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5 January 2023


#113 - Tacos and Tidepods: A Very Awkward Goodbye with Roberta Dombrowski of User Interviews

#113 - Tacos and Tidepods: A Very Awkward Goodbye with Roberta Dombrowski of User Interviews

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27 December 2022


#112 - Finding Your Best Customers with Andrew Michael, CEO at Avrio

#112 - Finding Your Best Customers with Andrew Michael, CEO at Avrio

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#111 - The 2022 UX Research Tools Map with Roberta Dombrowski

#111 - The 2022 UX Research Tools Map with Roberta Dombrowski

If you ask Roberta Dombrowski why it's her favorite time of year, she'll probably mention the UX Research Tools Map. Why? Because it’s one of User Interviews’ most popular projects of the year that features the best UX research tools available across different use cases. Ye one and all are invited to explore the fantastical land of the 2022 UX Research Tools Map! From the Royal Courts of The High Kingdom of Recruiting and Panel Management to the dark waters of Megalodon 365 and G-Dragon, you can explore more about each UX tool and get a comprehensive view of the UXR tool landscape. Informative, fun, and entertaining in its detail—the medieval-themed map is designed to help UX researchers far and wide gain a better understanding of the different UX tools available to them. In this episode, we discuss: Why the UX Research Tools Map is awesome New features we love, updates, and categories The challenges of optimizing your tool stack Tools! UX research tools! And more wonderful tools! Highlights: [00:01:44] Taco: Roberta explains the motivation behind the map [00:06:11] JH and Roberta list some of their favorite UXR tools [00:07:30] Why we created the map and how it informs the tool optimization process [00:10:44] À la carte vs all-in-one, the challenge of choosing the best solution [00:12:24] Exciting new UX research tools and use cases for tools User Interviews relies on [00:15:59] Fun features, funny details, and easter eggs Sources mentioned in the episode: userinterviews.com/awkward https://sprig.com https://www.userinterviews.com/ux-research-tools-map-2022 About our guest Roberta Dombrowski is the VP of User Research at User Interviews. She is also a Coach & Mindfulness Teacher at Learn Mindfully—her professional and personal development service that helps leaders and individuals reach their full potential. Roberta holds a Master of Science and Organizational Development Workplace Learning from Boise State University, a Level II Reiki Certification, and is a perennial lover of nature. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

14 December 2022


#110 - Experience Design Research in Healthcare with Tiffany Mura and Erica Devine

#110 - Experience Design Research in Healthcare with Tiffany Mura and Erica Devine

Healthcare organizations are responding to the UX design boom by focusing on the patient experience. What is driving this shift? Why did it take so long? How does quantitative research align with qualitative research? In this episode of Awkward Silences, Tiffany Mura, Senior Vice President of Health Practice Lead at Mad*Pow, and Erica Devine, Associate Director, Patient Experience Strategy and Support at Otsuka Pharmaceutical Companies (U.S.), discuss patient-centered design in healthcare research. They explore the complexities of the healthcare ecosystem and share key aspects of their research methodologies to help paint a picture of how research can help improve the overall patient experience. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

7 December 2022


#109 - The Challenges of Hybrid Work with Eduardo Gomez Ruiz of Miro

#109 - The Challenges of Hybrid Work with Eduardo Gomez Ruiz of Miro

What can we learn about collaboration from the widespread blend of hybrid, remote, and in-person meetings? Here’s what Miro’s latest research study says about it. Episode description: As teams look for effective ways to collaborate between in-person and remote work, hybrid meetings are a flexible solution to meet both needs. But how can teams strike a balance of both in-person and remote meetings in a hybrid setting? How can facilitators reimagine collaboration to make meetings more effective and productive? In this episode of Awkward Silences, Lead UX Research Manager at Miro, Eduardo Gomez Ruiz, is back to share his team’s insight from Miro’s latest research study on the advantages and challenges of hybrid meetings. He shares exactly how he secured stakeholder buy-ins, UX research methods, and surprising signals. As hybrid working models take hold, this study serves as a great starting point for understanding new paradigms, trends, and attitudes as we continue to navigate new ways of working. In this episode, we discuss: How UX is affected by the evolving hybrid work environment Effective ways to gather collaborators and stakeholders The various UX research methods Eduardo and his team used for the study, and some surprising results The role of inclusion in facilitating hybrid work environments Best tips and practices from successful hybrid meeting facilitators Highlights: [00:05:17] The project's hypothesis was to uncover the dynamics of the overlap between devices, environment, and culture [00:09:12] How Eduardo gained support from the CEO and the Chief Product Officer [00:13:50] The four-phase plan; observation, interviews, surveys, and a co-creation session [00:18:57] Revealing surprising insights about IRL vs. remote user research and inclusivity [00:21:27] Attending in-office meetings as if they were remote [00:25:29] The biggest challenge: maximizing hybrid meetings for both remote and in-person contributors [00:35:01] J.H. touches on emerging approaches to asynchronous communication in meetings [00:37:33] Helpful tips on inclusion and initiating collaboration during hybrid meetings Sources mentioned in the episode: userinterviews.com/awkward https://miro.com/ About our guest Eduardo Gomez Ruiz is the Lead UX Research Manager at Miro, which develops cutting-edge collaboration software trusted by over forty million users. He has also served as a Design Thinking Associate Professor at IE Business School for nearly eight years. Since Eduardo joined Miro in 2020, he has been instrumental in the growth and development of the company’s UX research department. Prior to joining Miro, he held positions at Uber and several consulting agencies as a Global UX Researcher and UX Consultant --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

30 November 2022


#108- Perfecting the UX of UX testing with Nicholas Aramouni of Userlytics

#108- Perfecting the UX of UX testing with Nicholas Aramouni of Userlytics

How do you improve the user experience of UX testing for both researchers and participants? Nicholas Aramouni of Userlytics explains how to test the UX of your own testing platform, and how to create simple and intentional user testing experiences. Episode description: The dual nature of research on research is exciting in itself, especially for Senior UX Researcher Nicholas Aramouni. In this episode, things get meta as we address the UX of UX research. Nicholas discusses the importance of testing everything, testing early, and testing often. He elaborates on his approach to UX research from different angles and describes the beauty (and absurdity) of what it’s like when UX researchers become participants. In this episode, we discuss: Best practices for building better UX The UX challenges UX researchers face Important factors that influence UX testing The pros and cons of adopting new research tools A walkthrough of Nicholas’ testing methods Highlights: [00:01:52] The keys to designing a great UX test are flawlessness, simplicity, and making it intentional [00:05:42] Nicholas’ approach: test everything, test early, and test often to create the perfect test [00:06:53] Nicholas talks about staying focused on what matters and that empathy is a powerful research tool [00:10:42] The test is a valuable asset, and how tools affect the outcomes [00:23:17] Do researchers make good participants? [00:27:52] Tips for researchers using a new UX platform [00:31:39] More on researchers as participants. Nicholas shares his experience as a participant [00:33:04] Erin asks Nick how he got into user research Sources mentioned in the episode: userinterviews.com/awkward About our guest Nicholas Aramouni is a Senior Communications Manager and UX Researcher at Userlytics who specializes in global UX practices. Nicholas has experience in various industries, including music, entertainment, media, and e-commerce. He is passionate about humanities, holds a B.Ed. in Social Studies from Mount Royal University, and was the former co-host of Mindspark. A learning podcast focused on K-12 education. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

23 November 2022


#107 - Making Research Ops Visible with Benson Low of REA Group

#107 - Making Research Ops Visible with Benson Low of REA Group

Most people have no idea what UX researchers do. Even less known is what Research Ops Specialists do, which is why one of the Research Ops community’s main priorities is to shine a light on the people, mechanisms, and strategies that set research in motion. In this episode of Awkward Silences, Hosts Erin May and John-Henry Forster chat with research design leader Benson Low about why it’s time to bring attention to Research Ops. They discuss the emerging role of Research Ops specialists, and Benson provides several strategies that can help communicate the value of Research Ops to stakeholders. Get the full transcript and links to resources mentioned on the User Interviews blog. In this episode, we discuss: Ways to communicate the value of your work in Research Ops Tactics and strategies to gain support in your organization How to leverage the power of the ReOps community Tips for Research Ops advocates on dealing with roadblocks Highlights: [00:02:32] What is Research Ops? What is the Research Ops community? [00:07:50] How to start advocating for Research Ops [00:14:49] Use ReOps community resources to create awareness [00:17:30] Stress the importance of research in the product development lifecycle [00:19:55] Communicating the impact and value your work to stakeholders [00:32:36 ] Advice on overcoming barriers during advocacy work --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

17 November 2022


#106 - Navigating gender, religion, and politics in UX research – with Zoë Glas

#106 - Navigating gender, religion, and politics in UX research – with Zoë Glas

In this episode, we discuss: Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging Why religion is an overlooked topic in UX research Attitudes and behaviors related to religion Tips for researchers on how to address inclusion from a UX perspective Highlights: [00:01:41] The ‘I’ in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) [00:04:05] Forget about equity, this episode is about diversity and inclusion [00:07:48] Applying inclusion to UX research [00:10:56] How to start difficult conversations around inclusion [00:13:25] Why Zoë is interested in UX research on religion [00:20:38] How to keep your bias in check as a researcher [00:25:09] Zoe shares how she addresses religion from a UX perspective [00:27:11] Why it’s so hard to talk about religion at work About our guest Zoë Glas is a Senior UX Researcher at Google. She specializes in gathering and triangulating qualitative and quantitative data to improve amazing products. She has a Master’s degree in Natural Resource Social Science from Purdue University and a Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana. Zoe has been published extensively in several international journals, including Sage journals, Society & Natural Resources, and Human Dimensions of Wildlife. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

26 October 2022


#105 - Tacos and Tide Pods: Big plans, a product relaunch, and healthy organizational tension

#105 - Tacos and Tide Pods: Big plans, a product relaunch, and healthy organizational tension

Our VP of User Research, Roberta Dombrowski, talks about the fast-paced work behind the scenes of UX research and the excitement when things fall into place. We also examine how deeper insight drives strategy and informs long-term planning as research matures, and the reality of team collaboration. In this episode, we discuss: Our exciting plans and strategy for the future How we use research to inform planning Product perspectives vs people perspectives The beauty of new insights and their impact on a big relaunch The difference between healthy organizational tension and dysfunction About our guest Roberta Dombrowski is the VP of User Research at User Interviews, as well as a career and life coach at Learn Mindfully. She has spent her career leading research teams and enabling researchers in various industries to better understand their customers. In addition to her work as a UX researcher, she is  known for being an excellent cat mom, gardener, and thought leader. Visit her profile to learn more. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

19 October 2022


#104 - User Research Incentives with Nick Baum of Tremendous

#104 - User Research Incentives with Nick Baum of Tremendous

Incentives do more than just attract quality participants to your study. Ultimately, offering great incentives helps you collect great data. But if logistics aren’t your thing, managing and distributing incentives can be a nightmare. Nick Baum founded Tremendous, the payouts management platform, to take the pain out of that process. He joined us to chat about how Tremendous makes researchers’ lives easier, tips for managing research incentives, and how to choose the right type and amount of incentive. In this episode: How Tremendous helps UX researchers pay incentives simply In-person versus digital incentives How to choose the right amount of incentive Managing incentive budgets Read the episode transcript and discover related content at: https://userintervie.ws/awkward-nick --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

6 October 2022


#103 - Ethical Design and Respectful UX Research with Kat Zhou of Epidemic Sound

#103 - Ethical Design and Respectful UX Research with Kat Zhou of Epidemic Sound

‘Ethical design’ is a term that encompasses a process of designing useful, empowering, and accessible products that do not harm, manipulate, or deceive people. It is, in essence, about treating people you design for with respect and consideration. That’s a deceptively simple goal, and many companies miss the mark. Kat Zhou, Senior Product Designer at Epidemic Sound and the creator of < Design Ethically >, joins us today to talk about the challenges, opportunities, and urgent need for ethical design and research. In this episode: Why is ethical design so critical for both users and companies? How to integrate ethics and respect in your UX research How ethical design empowers inclusive and equitable representation Get the transcript on the User Interviews blog. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

22 September 2022


#102 - Tacos and Tide Pods: Authenticity, Exciting Milestones, and LinkedIn

#102 - Tacos and Tide Pods: Authenticity, Exciting Milestones, and LinkedIn

Tacos = the great. Tide Pods = the not-so-great. An honest chat about the (mostly really great) state of User Interviews. Roberta Dombrowski, VP of UX Research at User Interviews, is back for our third installment of Tacos and Tide Pods. She joins Erin and JH to talk about the 100th episode of Awkward Silences, the importance of prioritizing authenticity over patterns on LinkedIn, and Roberta's upcoming wedding. In this episode: The 100th episode of Awkward Silences Why you should focus on bigger things Maintaining LinkedIn content format while expressing authenticity --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

15 September 2022


#101 - Onboarding UX: How to Research and Design a Great First Impression with Pulkit Agrawal of Chameleon

#101 - Onboarding UX: How to Research and Design a Great First Impression with Pulkit Agrawal of Chameleon

Onboarding is a customer’s first impression of your product. The way you research, design, and implement user onboarding can make or break the overall experience. So how do you refine this important aspect of your product’s UX? Pulkit Agrawal, Co-founder and CEO of Chameleon, joins us to discuss just that: How to optimize the user onboarding experience to get your customers off to a great start. In this episode: What is onboarding? Best practices for onboarding users How to integrate personality into onboarding --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

30 August 2022


#100 - UXR Productivity Hacks with Michele Ronsen of Curiosity Tank

#100 - UXR Productivity Hacks with Michele Ronsen of Curiosity Tank

Work smarter, not harder with the right UXR productivity hacks. Michele Ronsen, founder of Curiosity Tank and our first repeat guest, joins us for our landmark 100th episode to tell us about the best user research hacks she’s learned to increase productivity, reduce cognitive load, and save time. Make your life a little easier with these pro UXR tips on scheduling, archiving, recruiting, screening, and more. In this episode: What is a UXR productivity hack? UXR productivity hacks examples and tips Enhancing productivity --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

17 August 2022


#99 - Leading UX Research for Healthcare Apps with Wendy Johansson of MiSalud Health

#99 - Leading UX Research for Healthcare Apps with Wendy Johansson of MiSalud Health

Healthcare in the U.S. is expensive—and as a result, some communities struggle to afford medical services. This inequity has become increasingly apparent as underserved communities are disproportionately affected by things like the pandemic.  So, what can UXers do to help? Wendy Johansson, Co-Founder and Chief Product Experience Officer of MiSalud Health, believes the answer lies in health tech. In this episode, Wendy shares how the MiSalud app works and her approach to using qualitative research to help build a great product. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

3 August 2022


#98 -  Customer-Centricity in Practice with Ferdinand Goetzen of Reveall

#98 - Customer-Centricity in Practice with Ferdinand Goetzen of Reveall

Let’s face it… most companies these days say they are customer-centric, but the reality just doesn’t bear that out. Because in order to be truly center-centric (or even “customer-obsessed”), you need to obsessively (i.e. continuously) gather and use customer insights. Ferdinand Goetzen, CEO and Co-Founder of Reveall, joins us to explain how teams can start actually centering their customers by adopting certain practices that will help you collect, analyze, and interpret customer insights on a regular basis. In this episode: How to gather and use customer insights Active vs passive data Making the most of your data Get the transcript --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

21 July 2022


#96 - Your UX Career Is a Product with Sarah Doody

#96 - Your UX Career Is a Product with Sarah Doody

Most people—including product people—don't think of their career as a product. And even the best researchers often neglect to do the research to identify suitable roles and opportunities. The result? They stay in roles for too long, or accept one that simply doesn't align with their career goals, interest, or values. They burn out and feel stuck.  Sarah Doody, Founder and CEO of Career Strategy Lab, joins us to share why you should start thinking of your User Research career as a product and how you can start doing so today. In this episode: How to treat your UX career like a product How to build (and follow) your career roadmap Managing the UX role application process --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

30 June 2022


#95 - UX Writing and Content Design with Yuval Keshtcher of UX Writing Hub

#95 - UX Writing and Content Design with Yuval Keshtcher of UX Writing Hub

In the world of product design, wordsmiths go by many names—UX writers, content strategists, product writers, and so on. But whatever you call them, these folks play an important role in developing seamless user experiences. Yuval Keshtcher is the Founder of the UX Writing Hub, an online education platform helping hundreds of people perfect their UX writing. He joins us to explain the difference between UX writing and content design, how the discipline is growing, and his favorite writing resources. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

17 June 2022


#94 - Tacos and Tide Pods: A New Series from Awkward Silences

#94 - Tacos and Tide Pods: A New Series from Awkward Silences

We’re changing things up a bit! Introducing a brand new series: Tacos and Tide Pods! Every month or so, Erin and JH will chat with User Interviews’s VP of Research, Roberta Dombrowski. They’ll talk about what’s going on behind the scenes at User Interviews, reflect on recent lessons learned, share their thoughts on the UXR space right now, and discuss what they're hoping to see more of in the future. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

2 June 2022


#93 - Digital Ethnography and Real-World Context in UXR with Megan McLean of Spotify

#93 - Digital Ethnography and Real-World Context in UXR with Megan McLean of Spotify

Context acts as the bridge between an abstract idea (’a comfortable user experience’) and a tangible design (‘cushioned, breathable running shoes’). Although gaining context through remote research can be tricky, our UXR friends with an anthropological background know the solution: Digital ethnography. This week, we’re joined by Megan McLean, User Researcher at Spotify. Megan shared the who-what-and-how of digital ethnography, what she’s learned about mapping the digital landscape, and how she ensures her ethnography projects succeed. Read the episode transcript and highlights on the User Interviews blog: https://bit.ly/awkward-megan-spotify --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

18 May 2022


#92 - What Librarians Can Teach UXRs about Insights Repositories with Nada Alnakeeb of DoorDash and Joanna Perez of Netflix

#92 - What Librarians Can Teach UXRs about Insights Repositories with Nada Alnakeeb of DoorDash and Joanna Perez of Netflix

Public libraries have been using insights repositories for decades—and it’s time user research teams catch up. This week, we’re joined by Nada Alnakeeb, Head of Design and Research Operations at DoorDash, and Joanna Perez, Sr. Taxonomy Strategist/Digital Archivist, Studio Production at Netflix. Nada and Joanna shared learnings from their experience building the insights repository at Meta, using familiar organizational patterns to reduce mental load, tips for effective taxonomies, and more. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

5 May 2022


#91 - Design Psychology with Thomas Watkins of 3Leaf

#91 - Design Psychology with Thomas Watkins of 3Leaf

What is design psychology? Thomas Watkins of 3Leaf compares it to ergonomics—both fields aim to make products feel as comfortable as possible for their users. Where ergonomics is concerned with things like the shape of your office chair’s back or the height of its armrests, design psychology is all about making software experiences more intuitive and reducing cognitive load. This week on the podcast, Thomas chatted with Erin and JH about the similarities and differences between design psychology and UX research, risks and need-to-knows for psychologists transitioning into business research, the power of mental models, and more. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

20 April 2022


#90 - The State of User Research 2022 with Roberta Dombrowski

#90 - The State of User Research 2022 with Roberta Dombrowski

The State of User Research 2022 Report unpacks the data from our international survey of UX researchers and people who do research as part of their jobs. This week, we met with Roberta Dombrowski, VP of User Research at User Interviews and one of the creators of the report, to talk about how it was made and what she thinks of the insights. She talked about the rise of buy-in and demand for research, what democratization means for professional researchers, and her predictions for the future of user research. Read the transcript and highlights on the User Interviews blog: https://bit.ly/awkward-roberta-sour --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

5 April 2022


#89 - UX Agencies: Setting Clients Up for Success with Karen VanHouten

#89 - UX Agencies: Setting Clients Up for Success with Karen VanHouten

Doing user research in an agency setting comes with its own set of challenges—from context switching to stubborn clients to less-than-optimal tool stacks. Karen VanHouten, Director of Product Strategy at Philosophie by InfoBeans, spent most of her career in enterprise B2B before transitioning to agency life. In this podcast episode, Karen shared some great advice on setting expectations, fostering ongoing client relationships, and why she thinks more researchers should be involved in the sales cycle. Read the transcript on the User Interviews blog: https://bit.ly/karen-vanhouten --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

30 March 2022


#88 - Research Operations for Democratization at Scale with Garrett Tsukada

#88 - Research Operations for Democratization at Scale with Garrett Tsukada

The democratization of research continues to grow—and with it, the complexities of research operations. This week, we chatted with Garrett Tsukada, Head of Customer Connect UX Research Operations at Intuit about how research ops supports democratization at scale. He talked about how Intuit approaches research democratization for a 14,000+ team, guardrails and processes to ensure research quality, advice for starting and scaling a research operations function, and more. Head to the User Interviews blog for the transcript and highlights: https://bit.ly/awkward-garrett --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

2 March 2022


#87 - User Interviews 201: Leveling Up Your Interviews with Therese Fessenden of NN/g

#87 - User Interviews 201: Leveling Up Your Interviews with Therese Fessenden of NN/g

You’ve mastered the basics, but now it’s time to take your interviews to the next level. This week, we chatted with Therese Fessenden, Senior User Experience Specialist at NN/g about how to get even better at interviewing. She talked about how to master the basics, hone your skills, and become an A+ interviewer. Head to the User Interviews blog for the transcript and episode highlights: https://bit.ly/awkward-therese --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

15 February 2022


#86 - Research is Everyone’s Job: The Democratization of Research with Jonathan Widawski, CEO of Maze

#86 - Research is Everyone’s Job: The Democratization of Research with Jonathan Widawski, CEO of Maze

Should everyone do research? It’s a tricky question. Yes, research is a craft that takes years to master. But on the other hand, if we want research to happen all the time, everyone needs to be able to do some of the basics on their own. Today, we talked to Jonathan Widawski, Founder and CEO of Maze about how the democratization of research is actually advancing the craft. He talked about the need for researchers to be good teachers, how research can grow in the same way data and design did, and why the future is user-centric. Head to the User Interviews blog for the transcript and episode highlights: https://bit.ly/awkward-jo --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

1 February 2022


#85 - So Meta: Doing User Research at UXR Company with Roberta Dombrowski of User Interviews

#85 - So Meta: Doing User Research at UXR Company with Roberta Dombrowski of User Interviews

It’s our most meta episode yet. Today, we chatted with Roberta Dombrowski, VP of User Research at User Interviews, about doing user research about user researchers at a user research company. Listen in to learn about how adding a formal user research practice has benefited the UI team, the challenges of going from an IC to a leadership role, and building a research practice from the ground up. Head to the User Interviews blog for the transcript and episode highlights: https://bit.ly/awkward-roberta --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

18 January 2022


#84 - B2B Recruiting with Matthew Morrison of Braze

#84 - B2B Recruiting with Matthew Morrison of Braze

Recruiting participants for user research is hard. Recruiting participants from a pool of your own customers? Somehow even harder. There’s client relationships, privacy concerns, and lots of red tape. This week on the podcast, Matthew Morrison joins Erin and JH to share what he’s learned after a year of B2B recruiting at Braze. Head to the User Interviews blog for the transcript and episode highlights: https://bit.ly/awkward-matthew --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

4 January 2022


#83 - Being Black in UX Research with Dr. Lisanne Norman of Gusto

#83 - Being Black in UX Research with Dr. Lisanne Norman of Gusto

What’s it like to be black in UX right now? Are companies sticking by their plans for diversity and inclusion? How do researchers ensure their work is as inclusive as possible? This week on the podcast, Dr. Lisanne Norman joins Erin and JH to talk about all this and more. Lisanne is the UX Research Lead at Gusto, a founder of Black UX Austin, and an advocate for diversity and inclusion in tech. Head to the User Interviews blog for the transcript and episode highlights: https://bit.ly/awkward-lisanne --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

20 December 2021


#82 - Games User Research — with Steve Bromley

#82 - Games User Research — with Steve Bromley

Creating a video game requires more than just development time and coding—to make sure the experience is enjoyable, you have to test it. In this episode, User Researcher Steve Bromley joins us to discuss the nuances of conducting user research in the video game industry. He describes integrating user feedback with the developer's creative vision, recruitment for games research, and the evolution of the gaming industry since he first started. Head to the User Interviews blog for the transcript and episode highlights: https://bit.ly/awkward-steve --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

8 December 2021


#81 - Establishing Sustainable Research Practices with Gregg Bernstein of Condé Nast

#81 - Establishing Sustainable Research Practices with Gregg Bernstein of Condé Nast

How do you build a long lasting research practice? Aim for a healthy one. Gregg Bernstein, User Research Lead at Condé Nast is here to show you how. He’s led research teams at Vox and Mailchimp. This week on the podcast, Gregg talked to us about how to contribute to a healthy research practice every day and what a healthy practice even means. Head to the User Interviews blog for the transcript and episode highlights: https://bit.ly/awkward-gregg --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

23 November 2021


#80 - UX Research and Arab Cultures – with Norah Abokhodair of Microsoft

#80 - UX Research and Arab Cultures – with Norah Abokhodair of Microsoft

Doing research with users from different cultures is (very, very) important. It can also be complicated. In this episode, we are joined by Norah Abokhodair, Senior Program Manager at Microsoft, who spoke about conducting research in Arab cultures. She explained some of the nuances of Arabic and Arab cultures, how to recruit diverse participants, and how to adjust your research style depending on the context. Head to the User Interviews blog for the transcript and episode highlights: https://bit.ly/awkward-norah --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

9 November 2021


#79 - Participatory Research – with Alexis McNutt Unis of Better

#79 - Participatory Research – with Alexis McNutt Unis of Better

What is participatory research? And how do you include it in your UXR practice? Alexis McNutt Unis, Lead UX Researcher, Homeowner Experience at Better is here to explain. Alexis shared how she involves stakeholders in engaging workshops, co-creates with participants, and takes research readouts to the next level to drive a participatory research practice that works for everyone. Head to the User Interviews blog for the transcript and episode highlights: https://bit.ly/better-alexis --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

27 October 2021


#78 - Accessible UXR: Recruiting and Researching Participants with Disabilities – with Samuel Proulx of Fable

#78 - Accessible UXR: Recruiting and Researching Participants with Disabilities – with Samuel Proulx of Fable

We learned so much in this week’s episode of Awkward Silences. Samuel Proulx, Accessibility Evangelist at Fable, joined us to talk to us about accessibility and why it (really, really) matters. He taught us about the assistive technologies that many people with disabilities use to navigate the digital world, why accessibility is more important now than ever, and how designing for accessibility makes everyone’s user experience better. Get the transcript and links to resources mentioned on the User Interviews blog: https://bit.ly/3iYs9a1 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

12 October 2021


#77 - Breaking Into User Research – with Eniola Abioye of SVB

#77 - Breaking Into User Research – with Eniola Abioye of SVB

Eniola Abioye—Senior UX Design Researcher at Silicon Valley Bank and user research career coach—joined us for a special live episode of Awkward Silences. She answered audience questions and shared some of her best tips for crafting a research portfolio that stands out, transitioning from different fields, and why not everyone needs a bootcamp. Get the transcript and links to resources mentioned on the User Interviews blog: https://bit.ly/eniola-ep77 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

29 September 2021


#76 - UXRs Need to Care About the Business, Too – with Zack Naylor of Aurelius

#76 - UXRs Need to Care About the Business, Too – with Zack Naylor of Aurelius

This week we’re joined by Zack Naylor, CEO and co-founder of UX research tool Aurelius. We spoke about what researchers need to know about their company, why tying research outcomes to business impact is so important, and how to navigate the waters when business goals and user research don’t align. Zack talked about… Conducting stakeholder interviews to deeply understand your business. Choosing a company that aligns with your values and personal goals. Using business knowledge to get high level stakeholder buy-in. Get the transcript and episode highlights on the User Interviews blog: https://bit.ly/awkward-aurelius --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

21 September 2021


#75 - Debunking UX Research Myths with Zach Schendel of DoorDash

#75 - Debunking UX Research Myths with Zach Schendel of DoorDash

As a seasoned researcher who has led teams at Unilever, Netflix, and DoorDash,  Zach Schendel has come up against every type of skeptical stakeholder you can imagine. He joined us to chat about the research myths he runs into most often, how he debunks them, and why he wants to banish “let’s do a qual” from everyone’s vocabulary forever. Zach talked about… The 4 UX research myths he’d like to debunk once and for all. Stories from his time at Unilever, Netflix, and DoorDash. How he gets stubborn stakeholders onboard, even if they’re hesitant about the merits of research. Get the transcript: https://bit.ly/zach-doordash --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

8 September 2021


#74 - Building a Product Vision with Rajesh Nerlikar of Prodify

#74 - Building a Product Vision with Rajesh Nerlikar of Prodify

Rajesh Nerlikar works with companies to help them build great products. As the CEO of Prodify, he and his team advise startups on how to build impactful, vision-led products that get customers excited. In his experience, the best way to get teams on the same page is with a compelling product vision that’s easy to understand. In this episode, Rajesh joins Erin and JH to chat about why great product visions are like comic strips, the hard work of actually putting those visions into action, and how to get stakeholders on board with it all. Get the transcript on the blog: https://bit.ly/rajesh-pod --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

24 August 2021


#73 - Getting Stakeholder Buy-In at a Large Organization with Meg Pullis Roebling of BNY Mellon

#73 - Getting Stakeholder Buy-In at a Large Organization with Meg Pullis Roebling of BNY Mellon

Meg Pullis Roebling, Head of CX Research, Data & Analytics Solutions at BNY Mellon, talks us through her approach to building relationships with stakeholders, finding people to support her research efforts, and making research visible to the whole organization. Meg discussed... How she convinces relationship managers to get clients involved in research. What metrics she uses to make the case for research. How to know when research is weaving its way into the fabric of your organization. Get the transcript: https://bit.ly/awkward-meg --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

10 August 2021


#72 - How to Ask Great UX Research Questions with Amy Chess of Amazon

#72 - How to Ask Great UX Research Questions with Amy Chess of Amazon

Great user research projects start with great research questions. This week on the podcast, Amy Chess, UX Researcher at Amazon, explains why you can’t do great user research without the asking right research questions. She also talked about the difference between interview and research questions, building trust with stakeholders, and why you definitely can’t choose a methodology before you establish a research question. Get the transcript on the User Interviews blog: https://bit.ly/a-chess --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

27 July 2021


#71 - Running a Blended Research Team with Dave Chen of Flipp

#71 - Running a Blended Research Team with Dave Chen of Flipp

Insights can come from a lot of different places. Dave Chen, Director of Consumer Insights at Flipp, talks about how he streamlines insights with a blended UX, CX, and market research team. His team takes feedback from CX, large survey studies from market research, and qualitative insights from the UX research team to get a more complete view of their customers and their product. Transcript and episode notes available on the User Interviews Blog: https://bit.ly/ux-cx-mktg  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

13 July 2021


#70 - Radical Listening and Practical Empathy with Babz Jewell of Variant

#70 - Radical Listening and Practical Empathy with Babz Jewell of Variant

What the heck is empathy, anyway? What does empathetic research really look like in practice? Babz Jewell—an ethnographic sociologist and Principal UX Researcher at Variant—joined Erin and JH to share her practical approach to empathy and active listening and how these skills have transformed her UX research process. Babz talked about… How active listening can help UX researchers improve their entire research process. Building better relationships with stakeholders. Using notetaking to be a better active listener. Visit the blog for the full transcript and links to resources mentioned in this episode: https://bit.ly/babz-jewell --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

29 June 2021


#69 - Thinking Styles and "Average" Users with Indi Young

#69 - Thinking Styles and "Average" Users with Indi Young

Indi Young, independent Qualitative Data Scientist, researcher, author, educator, and thought leader joined our hosts to explain how designing for the “average user” can marginalize and harm real people. Indi shared how she finds patterns in people’s behaviors, thoughts, and needs—and how she uses that data to create thinking styles that inform more inclusive design decisions. Indi talked about… Why researchers should look for patterns, not anecdotes, to understand real user needs. What are thinking styles and how to uncover and use them. Why your “average” user often doesn’t exist in the real world, and how we can do better --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

18 June 2021


#68 - Actionable Generative Research with Lucy Denton of Dovetail

#68 - Actionable Generative Research with Lucy Denton of Dovetail

Lucy Denton, Product Design Lead at Dovetail, spoke with Erin and JH about how she tackled a large-scale opportunity research project with a small team. She talked about how she got the whole team involved, how they turned all that research into actionable insights, and what they’ve built with them so far. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

1 June 2021


#67 - Growing a UX Research Startup with Basel Fakhoury of User Interviews and Benjamin Humphrey of Dovetail

#67 - Growing a UX Research Startup with Basel Fakhoury of User Interviews and Benjamin Humphrey of Dovetail

This week we’re mixing things up a bit. In this special episode, Basel Fakhoury, CEO and cofounder of User Interviews, and Benjamin Humphrey, CEO and cofounder of Dovetail, sat down for a conversation about starting a company in the UX research space, current projects, and what they think the future holds for user research tools. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

18 May 2021


#66 - Agile Research Ops with Joey Encarnacion of Slack

#66 - Agile Research Ops with Joey Encarnacion of Slack

How do you measure success in a still-evolving field? Joey Encarnacion, Senior Research Operations Lead at Slack, has been working in research ops since 2017. He joined us on the pod to talk about Slack’s Rolling Research program, what success looks like for his team, and how he builds systems that scale. Joey discussed… Ensuring research ops can scale by building the smallest operable system first How he measures the success of his efforts in such a new field Slack’s Rolling Research program --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

4 May 2021


#65 - The Best of Awkward Silences (So Far)

#65 - The Best of Awkward Silences (So Far)

To celebrate our launch on Product Hunt, we're taking some time to reflect on what Awkward Silences is all about. We'd appreciate your support in our (belated) launch here: https://www.producthunt.com/posts/awkward-silences-podcast Guests featured in this episode, in order: Jon Macdonald, Founder of the Good Cat Noone, CEO of Stark Roy Opata Olende, Research Operations Manager at Zapier Maria Rosala, User Experience Specialist at Nielsen Norman Group Joel Klettke, Founder of Case Study Buddy Erika Hall, Co-Founder and Director of Strategy at Mule Design Harrison Wheeler, Senior Manager, Product Design at LinkedIIn  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

30 April 2021


#64 - Civic Tech with Cyd Harrell

#64 - Civic Tech with Cyd Harrell

Whether you’re paying a parking ticket or getting a divorce, chances are high that you’ll go through some (if not all) of that process online. Chances are also good that the UX of that process will be… not great. Cyd Harrell wants to change that. Cyd—prominent Civic Design Consultant and Service Design Lead at the Judicial Council of California—has been working in civic tech since 2012. She’s passionate about helping governments create digital services that meet people where they are. In this episode, Cyd joins Erin and JH to talk about her past projects, navigating the public sector, what inspired her to get involved in civic tech, and how people can contribute to the field. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

20 April 2021


#63 - Information Architecture in UX with Page Laubheimer of NN/g

#63 - Information Architecture in UX with Page Laubheimer of NN/g

Information architecture is everywhere. Page Laubheimer, Senior User Experience Specialist at Nielsen Norman Group, joins our hosts to shed some light on the complicated topic of IA and how the way we organize data impacts how we interact with products. He explains how and when to do IA work on a UX project, which research methods you’ll need, and how to launch your IA career. See the blog for the transcript and highlights from the episode: http://bit.ly/IA-podcast --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

6 April 2021


#62 - The State of User Research with Katryna Balboni

#62 - The State of User Research with Katryna Balboni

Katryna Balboni, the content director at User Interviews, joins our hosts to dive into the data from our State of User Research 2021 report. They chat about the challenges of survey design and distribution, the impact of stakeholder engagement on UX researcher fulfillment, and the changing landscape of UX research. Bonus fun facts about medieval data collection included. See the blog for the transcript, links to resources, and a bonus medieval fun fact: http://bit.ly/sour-podcast --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

23 March 2021


#61 - The Role of Research in CX Transformation with Kim Salazar of Nielsen Norman Group

#61 - The Role of Research in CX Transformation with Kim Salazar of Nielsen Norman Group

Is your company truly customer-centric? Are your systems actually helping you create better experiences for your customers? Last week, Kim Salazar, Senior User Experience Specialist at Nielsen Norman Group, joined us for a live podcast episode to share valuable insights from her own work with teams trying to create truly customer-centric companies through CX transformation. She highlighted the importance of drawing from multiple sources of data and communicating the business benefits of CX work. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

9 March 2021


#60 - Discovery Research and Interview Skills with Maria Rosala of Nielsen Norman Group

#60 - Discovery Research and Interview Skills with Maria Rosala of Nielsen Norman Group

Are your research discoveries really discoveries? Or are you collecting validation for your own assumptions? That’s just one of the big questions Maria Rosala, UX Specialist at Nielsen Norman Group, tackled in our second-ever live “podinar.” Maria shared her expertise on conducting thoughtful discovery research and user interviews. Listen to (or watch!) the episode to learn: Why the discovery process is a non-negotiable part doing quality user research  Maria’s favorite discovery methods How to get stakeholder buy-in Tips for conducting better, more insightful interviews & more... --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

18 February 2021


#59 - Ethical Hacking, Information Security, and UX with Ted Harrington of ISE

#59 - Ethical Hacking, Information Security, and UX with Ted Harrington of ISE

Building great products is hard. Building great, secure, products is even harder. This week on Awkward Silences, we talked to Ted Harrington about the intersection between security and UX. He outlined what exactly ethical hackers do, how he challenges stakeholder assumptions about security work, and what teams can do to ensure their systems are secure. Ted talked about… What UX and security work have in common How teams can ensure their work is more secure Some of the common issues and myths he encounters --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

1 February 2021


#58 - The Lone UXR: Being a UX Research Team of One with Izzy Nichols

#58 - The Lone UXR: Being a UX Research Team of One with Izzy Nichols

Being a research team of one isn’t easy. When you’re the only researcher at a company, you have to do every type of research, recruiting, planning, and analysis by yourself—all without the resources of a large team. But for Imani “Izzy” Nichols, being a UX research team of one is an exciting challenge. She’s been a team of one twice now and has learned a lot from her experience. In this episode of Awkward Silences, Izzy talked about how being a team of one allowed her to focus on championing research, leveling up her career in meaningful ways, and growing her skills. Izzy talked about… How she finds mentors and a sense of community. How to educate your teammates about the differences between market and UX research. How to conquer the inevitable imposter syndrome that comes with being the first and only researcher. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

19 January 2021


#57 - Research Amid Sudden Change: Working on Google Classroom During COVID with Amanda Rosenburg of Google.

#57 - Research Amid Sudden Change: Working on Google Classroom During COVID with Amanda Rosenburg of Google.

In March 2020, Google Classroom’s user base grew from 30 million to hundreds of millions almost overnight. As schools closed, teachers needed new ways to conduct lessons and manage their work. This meant that Amanda Rosenburg, a Staff UX Researcher & Team Lead working on Google Classroom, had a lot of work to do. Research requests were suddenly piling up, and her team needed to execute quickly to help the product team adapt to new and unexpected challenges. Amanda talked about… How she adjusted her research strategy to cover more ground, faster. Her biggest challenges, and the changes she’s sticking with. How students and teachers are coping with all this change. Read the transcript here:  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

5 January 2021


#56 - 2020, UXR Year In Review

#56 - 2020, UXR Year In Review

The year is wrapping up and it’s finally time to say bye forever to 2020 👋. The hosts of Awkward Silences, Erin May and JH Forster, took this opportunity to reflect on some of the things that happened in research this year, what changes they think are here to stay, and what they see on the horizon in 2021. They also revisited some of the best conversations we’ve had on the podcast so far, like chatting with Vivianne Castillo about self-care, Cat Noone about accessibility, and Randy Duke about diversity and inclusion in UXR. Erin and JH talked about… How work and research changed this year. What changes they think are going to stick. What they expect for 2021. Highlights [2:48] Erin and JH talk about the world going remote and vulnerability at work. [16:08] Dark design patterns and how UXers are working on fixing them. [19:31] UX Collective's 2020 lessons and what we learned. [22:49] Accessibility is a growing focus for researchers and designers. [26:46] How are we going to adjust to life after COVID? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

22 December 2020


#55 - So You Want to Be In Research Ops? How Roy Olende of Zapier Made The Switch

#55 - So You Want to Be In Research Ops? How Roy Olende of Zapier Made The Switch

There is a growing need for research operations. As more companies embrace the importance of user research and scale their UXR efforts, a dedicated ops function is quickly becoming a necessity. Research ops—which involves things like participant recruitment, research processes, and programs to help non-researchers do better research—can be a career path for many different kinds of people. Roy has worked with ops pros who come from traditional business operations, marketing, UX, and of course, research. He says the key to succeeding in a research ops role isis to being comfortable with blazing a new trail and taking joy in creating processes that work. Roy talked about… How to decide if research ops is a good career for you What he does on a day to day basis How research ops works at Zapier --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

8 December 2020


#54 - From Start to Finish: End-to-End Experience Teams with Danielle Smith of Express Scripts

#54 - From Start to Finish: End-to-End Experience Teams with Danielle Smith of Express Scripts

Understanding your product from start to finish is easier said than done. The same goes for integrating research into every stage of a project. Danielle Smith found that she would often work on foundational projects for a product team, then move right along to the next thing, losing sight of the end-to-end experience. When she was tasked with building the research team at Express Scripts, she knew she wanted to have a better view of the big picture. So she brought  data scientists, analysts, pro survey designers, and user researchers together to create a superpowered experience team. Danielle talked about… How combining different disciplines has improved her recruitment process. Being able to support more cross-functional career interests. What she’d do differently if she built a team like this from the ground up again. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

24 November 2020


#53 - Everything in Context: Anthropology and User Research with Vanessa Whatley of Google

#53 - Everything in Context: Anthropology and User Research with Vanessa Whatley of Google

User research and anthropology have more in common that you may realize. Both involve studying the way people interact with their surroundings and make critical decisions, though anthropologists focus on the cultures and societies that shape behavior. This week on Awkward Silences, Erin and JH chatted with Vanessa Whatley—a Senior UX Researcher at Google—about what researchers can learn from anthropology. Vanessa talked about… How anthropology can teach user researchers to look more closely at the context of participants’ decisions and behaviors The benefits of a diverse research team, And how she puts insights into perspective for stakeholders. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

10 November 2020


#52 - The Missing Ingredient: How Storytelling Can Make User Research More Impactful with Harrison Wheeler, UX Design Manager at LinkedIn

#52 - The Missing Ingredient: How Storytelling Can Make User Research More Impactful with Harrison Wheeler, UX Design Manager at LinkedIn

People are 22% more likely to remember something when it’s presented as a story, rather than a cut and dry fact. So if you’re struggling to get stakeholders to care about and utilize your research, storytelling can be the key to getting research to stick.  This week on the podcast, Erin and JH chatted with Harrison Wheeler, UX Design Manager at LinkedIn and host of Technically Speaking, about the power of storytelling. Harrison talked about how getting everyone on board with storytelling can make the facts of research stick around for longer, learning if your research presentations are engaging, and reminding everyone that it’s all about the users.  Highlights [4:13] Ideally, research is the base for everything. Your whole team starts with research and learns to use it to tell compelling stories about the product. [8:17] Understanding your audience, their expertise, and how they like to consume data is incredibly important to telling a story that sticks. [13:47] Telling your user story by using quotes is really impactful at the beginning of a project. [19:07] Practicing telling fact-based stories about research helps you reflect on how well you know the information. [23:23] Knowing what kinds of media resonates well with your key stakeholders can help you tell a better story on their terms. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

28 October 2020


#51 - Uncharted Territory: AI, User Research, and What’s Next with with Hana Nagel Service Designer at Element AI

#51 - Uncharted Territory: AI, User Research, and What’s Next with with Hana Nagel Service Designer at Element AI

AI is becoming a part of everything we do. With voice-activated smart homes, ad targeting algorithms, and increasingly smart cars, AI is more and more a part of the fabric of daily life. But how do we make sure AI is built in a way that is user-friendly, unbiased, and ethically sound? That's where user research comes in. Erin and JH chatted with Hana Nagel, a Service Designer at Element AI, about how she researches for AI, why inputs are just as important as outputs, and the ethics around improving AI through your data.  Highlights [2:53] Establishing the ethics around AI is a collaboration between private enterprise, governmental organizations, and the civic sector. [4:53] The difficult part of researching for AI is assessing how people may feel about something they've never interacted with before. [9:25] A big challenge for theAI industry as a whole is how comfortable are we with giving up our data in exchange for optimization? [14:42] How the system as a whole is responsible for AI outputs, not just the individuals who work on the AI. [24:59] It is incredibly important to identify our own biases when building AI systems. This involves a lot of self-reflection to root out biases you may not know you have. [32:42] In Hana's dream world, the work of creating and researching AI would be more widely shared among people with different expertise to create something more reflective of many perspectives. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

14 October 2020


#50 - To Manage or Not to Manage? Leveling Up Your UX Research Career with Amber Davis, UXR Director at Audible

#50 - To Manage or Not to Manage? Leveling Up Your UX Research Career with Amber Davis, UXR Director at Audible

It's time to take the next step in your research career, but is management right for you? Erin & JH chatted with Amber Davis, UXR Director at Audible, about her journey as a research manager, how to evaluate what you really want from your career, and who to talk to when you're ready to level up.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

30 September 2020


#49 - The Magic of Diary Studies with Tony Turner of Progressive

#49 - The Magic of Diary Studies with Tony Turner of Progressive

Looking to add a new research method to your stack? Diary studies are a great way to get to know what your users are thinking in context, plus they can be run remotely! We chatted with Tony Turner, Lead UX Researcher at Progressive Insurance, about how his team uses diary studies to build out better customer experiences.  He offered some tips on scaling up diary studies, which tools he uses to get the job done, and how he uses the data he gathers from diary studies to build out customer journey maps.  Highlights [4:03] Diary studies are all about context. [9:08] Tony talks about how he combines self reported data from diary studies with in-app analytics. [10:27] Using a mixture of open ended questions and closed ones is incredibly important to getting the most useful feedback. [12:32] Recruiting early is key in a dairy study because it gives you time to find the best participants for your work. [14:54] It's ok if every participant doesn't answer every prompt, as long as you're getting the moments that matter. [19:37] If diary studies seem intimidating, start small with just a few participants. You can hone your skills and get lots of great insights. [21:44] After each diary study, Tony and his team make individual journey maps for each participant that help them understand how different people experience the process. [28:05] User research is all about helping people share their stories and experiences.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

16 September 2020


#48 - Rising to the Moment: UXR, Diversity, & Inclusion with Randy Duke of Cantina

#48 - Rising to the Moment: UXR, Diversity, & Inclusion with Randy Duke of Cantina

This week on the podcast, Erin and JH chatted with Randy Duke, Senior Research & Design Strategist at Cantina. They covered a topic that's on many people's minds right now, systemic racism and inequality, and how UX research can have a positive (or negative) impact on these systems. Randy talked with us about UXR's role in all this, how we can work to change the systems we work in, and how we can create more inclusive research. Highlights [4:58] A good place to start thinking about how to address inequality is to reflect on the system we work in. [6:03] People in UXR help to bring truth to the organization through research, which puts them in a good position to do it in a greater context. [8:46] Now is the time to really dig into the messiness that comes with the details of user research. [10:22] You need to be actively seeking out feedback and information from all of your users and thinking about their unique situations. If you don't, you're opening yourself up for failure. [12:49] We spend a lot of time asking if we can build something, rather than should we built it. [14:57] Don't look at where you can go wrong when solving a new problem, look at what you can do to get it right. That means including people of diverse backgrounds from the start. [18:25] To make more inclusive panels when you recruit, think about the demographics that are actually important to your study. If you're recruiting for a test of a new keyboard on a mobile phone, does the person's income or location really matter? [26:35] Inclusivity is not only the right thing to do morally, it's also the law. [28:25] Randy talks about the difference between how think something will be used vs. how it is actually used and the importance of checking in. [31:35] It's also important to think about how features and products could be abused. [35:08] At the end of the day, systems work because we allow them to work. Taking the time to stand up and say things should be different is the only way to create change. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

2 September 2020


#47 - Up and to the Right: How User Research Improves Conversion Rates with Jon MacDonald, Founder of The Good 📈

#47 - Up and to the Right: How User Research Improves Conversion Rates with Jon MacDonald, Founder of The Good 📈

We've been more and more curious about how user research can be used by more than just researchers. This week, Erin and JH chatted with Jon MacDonald, founder of The Good, about how marketers can use research to improve conversion rates. He talked about what conversion rate optimization really is, how to get stakeholders to see the value of research work, and why the key to conversion success is really just giving users what they came to your site for in the first place.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

4 August 2020


#46 - Help! Creating Better Help Content with Andrew Sandler, Director of Innovation and Experience Strategy at Adobe

#46 - Help! Creating Better Help Content with Andrew Sandler, Director of Innovation and Experience Strategy at Adobe

When Andrew joined Adobe back in November, he faced an interesting design challenge. How do you manage a vast library of help content, spanning tons of different products in different industries, so that users can easily find what they need to know to fix their problems? Andrew has learned a lot about leveraging the power of community to problem solve, experimenting with different formats to make technical explanations more accessible, and proving the value of great help content.  Erin and JH chatted with him about how he positions help content to stakeholders, tackles creating content for products that have evolved from box software to the cloud, and uses research to focus on the right things at the right time.  Highlights [1:43] Great product doesn't need as much help content, but people will always need help, and the more powerful your product is, the more help they will need. [8:53] By connecting customers with the right information through communities, they're 3x less likely to reach out to support for help. [10:59] Early engagement = better retention, so Adobe segments out its customers to focus on what gets them started. [13:35] Adobe has segments and chapters to keep everyone on the same page and communicating well. [25:20] People who get value from help content actually end up having a higher lifetime value. It's all about trust and mutual respect. [27:41] How Adobe creates help content for different languages and cultures. [32:09] How Andrew is thinking about simplifying solutions, and making help content work smarter, not harder [37:58] Help content and product can work together to create even better solutions for users. [39:32] Quantitative information can tell you what some of the issues are, while qualitative can help your team dig deeper into why they're there [43:03] Building out recommendations for other things you may be looking for helps your help content build a story for the user. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

15 July 2020


#45 - Get Aligned: How Alignment Can Speed Up Your Work with Jonathon Hensley of Emerge Interactive

#45 - Get Aligned: How Alignment Can Speed Up Your Work with Jonathon Hensley of Emerge Interactive

This week on the pod, Erin and JH chatted with Jonathan Hensley, Co-Founder and CEO of Emerge Interactive, about the power of alignment right now. He talked about what alignment means for teams, how it can help speed up your process, and where research fits into the picture.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

2 July 2020


#44 - Researcher, Take the Wheel: Being Data-Driven vs. Data-Informed with Hannah Shamji, Head of Research at Copyhackers

#44 - Researcher, Take the Wheel: Being Data-Driven vs. Data-Informed with Hannah Shamji, Head of Research at Copyhackers

There's a lot of data out there. Keeping track of Google Analytics, NPS scores, site metrics, usability test results, industry data, and everything else can be downright overwhelming. Which is why Hannah Shamji, Head of Research at Copyhackers, likes to say she's doing data-informed work, not data-driven work. For Hannah, her team, and her clients, working with tons of data can be overwhelming. Since you can usually find at least one graph to support a research point, it's important to put data in context. Hannah outlined how she gets in the zone with large amounts of data, puts things in context while doing her best to stay unbiased, and frames data around her research questions. Highlights [2:12] The difference between being data-informed and data-driven. [6:21] Why it's important to put data in context and pull from many different sources. [9:25] How Hannah approaches data through the lens of her research question. [16:40] How Hannah tries to build data narratives that tell both sides of the story. [23:21] Digging deep into data is a little bit like meditating. [27:07] Hannah, Erin, and JH chat about data and COVID-19. (This episode was recorded on April 24, 2020.) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

12 June 2020


#43 - UX Benchmarking: Demonstrate Design ROI with Kate Moran, UX Specialist at Nielsen Norman Group

#43 - UX Benchmarking: Demonstrate Design ROI with Kate Moran, UX Specialist at Nielsen Norman Group

UX benchmarking can help teams set goals, keep an eye on how their designs are improving, and most importantly, show the ROI value of their work. Kate Moran, a UX Specialist at Nielsen Norman Group, joined Erin and JH yesterday for our very first live podcast and gave us all the details on UX benchmarking. She outlined specific case studies of creative benchmarking, walked through how to demonstrate ROI, and highlighted when and how benchmarking is most useful to UX teams. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

29 May 2020


#42 - 2 for 1: Combining Customer Research & Sales Demos with Jane Portman, Co-Founder of Userlist and Host of UI Breakfast

#42 - 2 for 1: Combining Customer Research & Sales Demos with Jane Portman, Co-Founder of Userlist and Host of UI Breakfast

Sales demos are a great opportunity to get to know your customers. The person on the other end is interested in your product, looking for a solution to a problem, and likely have some pain points with their current solutions. That's why Jane Portman, co-founder of Userlist, uses demos as an opportunity to connect with potential customers, keep pain points top of mind, and learn how to make her product even better.  She chatted with Erin and JH about why she's doing customer research and sales demos at the same time, how constantly talking to customers helps her develop a better product, and how she came up with the podcast name UI Breakfast.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

20 May 2020


#41 - 10x: User Research for Growth with Aazar Shad of Userpilot

#41 - 10x: User Research for Growth with Aazar Shad of Userpilot

We’ve heard from a lot of designers and user researchers on the show, but we’re always looking for fresh perspectives on how research can help your business. So this week, Erin and JH chatted with Aazar Shad, Head of Growth at Userpilot, about how research methods are essential to his growth strategy. Aazar started using research methods to find our who his users were but continued using them to grow Userpilot’s business. He talked about how secondary research helped him find the best ways to connect with his target audience, continuous interviews help him identify where to go next, and how he honed his research skills over time.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

7 May 2020


#40 - Dream Stack: Create an ROI Driving User Research Toolset with Daniel Loewus-Deitch and Leo Smith

#40 - Dream Stack: Create an ROI Driving User Research Toolset with Daniel Loewus-Deitch and Leo Smith

With so many research tools on the market, it can be hard to nail down exactly which ones are right for your team. This week on the pod, Erin and JH chatted with Daniel Loewus-Deitch and Leo Smith, who are the Directors of User Experience and Research, respectively, at a large insurance company. They wanted to learn more about how Daniel and Leo choose the tools with the best ROI for their team. Daniel and Leo have spent a lot of time building out their tool stack. Since they have a lot of experience working for large organizations with many people conducting research and even more consuming it, it was important to them to get it right. In this episode, they talked about how they evaluate the ROI of tools, the summit they assembled to identify the tools their team could and would use, and how important it is to leave your assumptions at the door when tool-hunting. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

30 April 2020


#39 - A User Interview Every Day for A Year with Jonathan Anderson of Candu

#39 - A User Interview Every Day for A Year with Jonathan Anderson of Candu

After three failed MVPs, Jonathan Anderson and the team at Candu realized they needed a better strategy for understanding how users interact with their product. So they started doing some user interviews. And they kept doing them. Every day for a year before launching their product. Jonathan chatted with Erin and JH about what he learned from those interviews, how it changed the direction of his company, and how he went from a total newbie to a research pro.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

17 April 2020


#38 - Accessibility, User Research, and Inclusive Design with Cat Noone, CEO of Stark

#38 - Accessibility, User Research, and Inclusive Design with Cat Noone, CEO of Stark

This week on the pod, Erin and JH talk to Cat Noone, CEO of Stark, a suite of tools designed to help teams ship accessible work. They chatted about how accessibility is constantly evolving, what teams can do to get started, and inclusive design.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

10 April 2020


#37 - Using Research to Write Next Level Copy with Joel Klettke of Business Casual Copywriting

#37 - Using Research to Write Next Level Copy with Joel Klettke of Business Casual Copywriting

This week on Awkward Silences, Erin and JH chatted with Joel Klettke, who has 6+ years of experience writing killer conversion copy for clients like Hubspot, Scott's Cheap Flights, and WP Engine. His first piece of advice? "All the best copy [is] words you've stolen from the customers themselves." He also stressed the importance of meeting your customers where they are, involving copy from the start of any new project, and structuring your user research so it's easy to pull out the best insights. He walked us through how he used research to make changes at Hubspot that resulted in a 35% increase in demo requests and a 27% increase in inbound call volume. He also outlined how he used chatbot data to help an online divorce startup net an extra 165k in revenue by answering questions their users needed answers to. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

25 March 2020


#36 - User Research as a Growth Engine at Early Stage Startups with Loic Alix-Brown, CEO of Flick

#36 - User Research as a Growth Engine at Early Stage Startups with Loic Alix-Brown, CEO of Flick

This week on Awkward Silences, Erin and JH chatted with Loic Alix-Brown, CEO of Flick. They talked about how he built his MVP, how his research strategy has changed as his business has grown, how he used research to find the right pricing structure for his customers, and how he's maintained a regular research cadence amidst the chaos of launching a startup.  Read the transcript + highlights here: https://bit.ly/2WpDtBs --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

19 March 2020


#35 - Democratizing Research in Large Enterprise Companies with Luke Fraser of Paper Ventures

#35 - Democratizing Research in Large Enterprise Companies with Luke Fraser of Paper Ventures

This week on the pod, Erin and JH chatted with Luke Fraser, Founder & Managing Director of Paper Ventures. They work with insurance innovation and product development teams to get products to market faster. Before starting Paper Ventures, Luke worked at IDEO's Design Lab and Liberty Mutual Insurance as a Product Manager. All in all, he's spent a lot of time working with teams at large enterprise companies, with lots of red tape around user research. He chatted with Erin and JH about how he democratizes research in risk adverse environments, works with legal teams instead of against them, and even how he got teammates from legal to start attending daily standups.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

12 March 2020


#34 - Self Care As A UX Researcher with Vivianne Castillo of Salesforce

#34 - Self Care As A UX Researcher with Vivianne Castillo of Salesforce

Vivianne Castillo’s career has always been human-centered. She started off as a counselor, helping people navigate through complex issues, but eventually found her way to UX research, helping companies better understand their users.  Though she loves user research, she’s found it frustrating that it doesn’t adopt the same standards of care for its practitioners that counseling and other human service work does. Since researchers deal with the messy task of human emotion, all those sessions can take a toll on them. Things like compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma occur often, but without a name for what they’re feeling or the tools to do something about it, researchers are left feeling burned out and unsuccessful. Erin and JH chatted with Vivianne about how researchers can take better care of themselves and how they can empower their teams support each other psychologically.  📚 Read the full blog post and transcript here --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

14 February 2020


#33 - Using Session Replay Tools to Supercharge Your User Research with Elyse Bogacz

#33 - Using Session Replay Tools to Supercharge Your User Research with Elyse Bogacz

This week on the pod, we chatted with Elyse Bogacz, who has worked on product on Drift, Runkeeper, and now NDVR. She walked us through how she uses session replay tools like FullStory to supercharge her user research. She talked about how she shares replays with developers and stakeholders, how she deals with privacy issues, and how other teams can use session replay tools to add to their user research programs.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

31 January 2020


#32 - 7 Reasons Not To Do User Research with Michele Ronsen

#32 - 7 Reasons Not To Do User Research with Michele Ronsen

Erin and JH chat with Michele Ronsen, founder of Curiosity Tank and General Assembly instructor. Michele talks to a lot of different people about user research, and she's found there are some situations where user research is (😱) not the best move forward. In fact, there are 7. Michele walked us through each one, and what teams should do instead.   --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

7 January 2020


#31 - Why No One Listens to Your Research Reports with Caitria O’Neill of Google

#31 - Why No One Listens to Your Research Reports with Caitria O’Neill of Google

If you’ve ever presented research to a crowd of glazed over eyes, or sent around a detailed report only to hear back crickets, this episode is for you. After reading Caitria O’Neill’s article UX Research is Boring and No One Reads It, we knew we had to chat with her. Caitria has made sure research is heard, absorbed, and utilized in companies like Airbnb and Facebook before moving on to her current role as a Senior UX Researcher at Google. She shared tips on how to make research reports fun, storing insights so they’re used more often, and how she makes the whole process easier for herself and her team. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

6 December 2019


#30 - How 3 Mailchimp Researchers Landed Their Dream Jobs with Jud Vaughan, Khalida Allen, and Christianne Elliott

#30 - How 3 Mailchimp Researchers Landed Their Dream Jobs with Jud Vaughan, Khalida Allen, and Christianne Elliott

There are many ways to become a UX Researcher. To learn more about the winding career paths many researchers take, Erin and JH talked to Jud Vaughan, Khalida Allen, and Christianne Elliott, who are all UX Researchers at Mailchimp. Though they all hold the same job at the same company, they took very different paths to get there. Jud started at a Support Technician at Mailchimp and worked his way over to the Research department. Khalida wanted to go into medicine and studied Psychology in college. Then she got into the startup scene and began doing freelance design and research and eventually found herself at Mailchimp. Christianne also studied Psychology and wanted to go into medicine, but fell in love with academic research and moved into that after school. She wanted a new challenge and found her way to UX Research at Mailchimp.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

7 November 2019


#29 - Researching Your Own Users with Chad Aldous of Abodo

#29 - Researching Your Own Users with Chad Aldous of Abodo

Researching with your own users means you have to make some special considerations. When was the last time they used your product? Where are they in the funnel? When was the last time they participated in a research session with you? We chatted with Chad Aldous, Head of Design and Co-founder of Abodo, an apartment listing company, about how he and his team handle research with their own users. He chatted with Erin and JH about doing continuous and one-off research projects, how he chooses the right users to talk to, and how he creates great research invites that get results.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

23 October 2019


# 28 - Part 3 - The Three Tiers of Culturalization with Chui Chui Tan of Beyō Global

# 28 - Part 3 - The Three Tiers of Culturalization with Chui Chui Tan of Beyō Global

This is the third episode in our three part series on cross-cultural research. In this episode, Erin and JH chat with Chui Chui Tan, author of  International User Research and Founder of Beyō Global. Chui Chui walked us through her "three tiers of culturalization", which can help international and cross-cultural researchers focus in on what they need to be researching. She also talked about how to prioritize different elements of your research based on the culture you're researching, the product you're working on, and how those two things interact with each other.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

17 October 2019


# 27 - Part 2 - International Markets and Anthropology with Leia Atkinson of Shopify

# 27 - Part 2 - International Markets and Anthropology with Leia Atkinson of Shopify

This is the second episode in our three part series on cross-cultural research. In this episode, Erin and JH chat with Leia Atkinson, Senior Market Researcher at Shopify. Leia chatted with Erin and JH about how her degree in Anthropology helps her learn more about international audiences through research. She shared her technique for recruiting participants through "snowballing", how she deals with culture shock, and how she maximizes her learning each time she takes a research trip abroad.   --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

17 October 2019


# 26 - Part 1 - Cross Cultural Research in Action with Elsa Ho of Uber

# 26 - Part 1 - Cross Cultural Research in Action with Elsa Ho of Uber

This is the first episode in our three part series on cross-cultural research. In this episode, Erin and JH chat with Elsa Ho, a Senior UX Researcher at Uber who works on airports and events. Elsa is no stranger to international and cross-cultural research though, she's spent most of her career helping companies and teams learn about international audiences. She walked through some of the meaningful cultural differences she's encountered over the years, how she works with translators to ensure she's getting the full message, and how she makes the most of each trip.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

17 October 2019


# 25 - Why Participants Participate in User Research with Brittany Rutherford of User Interviews

# 25 - Why Participants Participate in User Research with Brittany Rutherford of User Interviews

We’ve talked a lot about how researchers do research, now it’s time to hear from the participants. We invited our Participant Marketing Lead, Brittany Rutherford, and had some recent participants leave voicemails about their experience. We asked participants, "why do you participate in user research?" to help us understand how participants think about user research and how we can make their experience better.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

1 October 2019


#24 - What's in a Name? Building Custom Research Programs that Stick with Vicki Tollemache of Grubhub

#24 - What's in a Name? Building Custom Research Programs that Stick with Vicki Tollemache of Grubhub

How do you get everyone on board with research? Vicki Tollemache has found that building a branded research practice that's fun, engaging, and impactful is pretty effective. She started Grubhub's Parts Unknown research practice to involve everyone in researching emerging markets and exploring new ideas within their product. Erin and JH talked to Vicki about how she set up Parts Unknown, the effect its had on Grubhub, and her tips for establishing your own standing research day. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

23 September 2019


#23 - How to Interview Customers Continuously with Teresa Torres of Product Talk

#23 - How to Interview Customers Continuously with Teresa Torres of Product Talk

Everyone wants to talk to customers more often, but Teresa Torres of Product Talk wants teams to do it at every opportunity. This week on the pod, Erin and JH chatted with Teresa about continuous interviewing. She shared tips on how to get started with continuous interviewing, be a great active listener, and work customer feedback into more of your product decisions. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

20 August 2019


#22 - Why the Twitterverse Can Stop Freaking Out About the Evils of Personas with Andy Budd of Clearleft

#22 - Why the Twitterverse Can Stop Freaking Out About the Evils of Personas with Andy Budd of Clearleft

Personas are polarizing, some love them, but many love to hate them. This week, Erin and JH talk to Andy Budd, CEO and co-founder of Clearleft about why the social mediaverse should stop freaking out about the evils of personas. They're a tool in the toolkit, and come with contextualized nuance all their own. Read our blog post about it here: https://bit.ly/2KA7B5H --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

8 August 2019


#21 - Why Surveys [Almost Always] Suck with Erika Hall of Mule Design

#21 - Why Surveys [Almost Always] Suck with Erika Hall of Mule Design

Surveys are everywhere. They bombard us at every turn, and most of them aren't even helping teams learn what they need to know. We chatted with Erika Hall, co-founder of Mule Design and author of Just Enough Research about why most surveys suck and what we can do about it. Check out our blog post about this episode here 👉 https://bit.ly/2O5oDOg --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

23 July 2019


#20 - Why Being Wrong is Right with Alec Levin of The UXR Collective

#20 - Why Being Wrong is Right with Alec Levin of The UXR Collective

This week on the pod, we talked to Alec Levin, one of the co-founders of UX Research Toronto, a major UXR conference. He chatted with us about something he thinks UX research needs more of—failure. He put it this way in the podcast, "If you’re batting 100% on all your points of view, you’re not trying hard enough. You’re working on stuff that’s too easy." Erin and JH chatted with him about being open to new ideas, challenging yourself, and being transparent about your work.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

10 July 2019


#19 - What UX Researchers Can Learn From Children with Noam Segal of Wealthfront

#19 - What UX Researchers Can Learn From Children with Noam Segal of Wealthfront

This week on the podcast, Erin and JH talk to Noam Segal, Director of User Research at Wealthfront. Noam recently gave a talk at the UXR Strive conference in Toronto, and after hearing all the buzz we had to chat with him about it ourselves. He shared some lessons he's learned about research from his four year old daughter, including, keep your eye on the prize, find a method in the madness, tell it like it is, be a good host, and believe in magic.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

28 June 2019


#18 - Juggling Hardware and Software (and Service Design) Research with Susan Rice of Toast

#18 - Juggling Hardware and Software (and Service Design) Research with Susan Rice of Toast

This week on the podcast, Erin and JH talk to Susan Rice, Head of of Product Design and Research, at Toast. As Toast developed their Toast Go, a handheld POS system for restaurants, Susan learned a lot about researching for both hardware and software at the same time. She also talked about her passion for service design, what she loves about working in design and research, and how she juggles design for B2B, B2C, and everything in between. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

30 May 2019


#17 - Is It Ok To Recline Your Seat On An Airplane? with Bob Saris of User Interviews

#17 - Is It Ok To Recline Your Seat On An Airplane? with Bob Saris of User Interviews

This week, we’re doing something a little bit different. We’re talking to the CTO of User Interviews, Bob Saris, and a bunch of random strangers about one of the biggest questions out there—is it ok to recline your seat on an airplane? We got our whole team involved to do some on-the-street research. Read all about it here: https://bit.ly/2w3iUfU --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

16 May 2019


#16 - How to Facilitate User Research in Any Team with Nicola Rushton

#16 - How to Facilitate User Research in Any Team with Nicola Rushton

This week on Awkward Silences, we talked to pro UX designer and researcher Nicola Rushton. She's worked with teams large and small to facilitate fantastic research. She walked us through how she does it and how to think of researchers as facilitators of learning. Read all about it here: https://bit.ly/2VRwqSk --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

8 May 2019


#15 - Starting a ResearchOps Practice with Kate Towsey of Atlassian

#15 - Starting a ResearchOps Practice with Kate Towsey of Atlassian

This week on Awkward Silences, we talked to Kate Towsey, who is the Research Operations Manager at Atlassian. You may know her as the person who started the ResearchOps Slack community in March of 2018. In the past year, the ResearchOps community has grown and Kate has left her consulting career to join Atlassian. Erin and JH talked to Kate about how she's started a ResearchOps practice and what she's excited to see as ResearchOps grows. Read more here: https://bit.ly/2XZavWK --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

1 May 2019


#14 - 3 Ways to Make a Potentially Awkward User Interview Less Awkward with Adam Sigel of Hometap

#14 - 3 Ways to Make a Potentially Awkward User Interview Less Awkward with Adam Sigel of Hometap

This week, we're maxing out on awkward. Erin and JH talked to Adam Sigel, Head of Product at Hometap, about the (potentially) awkward and (usually) emotional interviews that make up his research with homeowners. Through his years in product, he's learned some things about making user interviews less awkward. Check out the full blog post here: https://bit.ly/2DyY7Vw --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

24 April 2019


#13 - Make Qualitative Research Your Competitive Marketing Advantage with Katelyn Bourgoin of Customer Camp

#13 - Make Qualitative Research Your Competitive Marketing Advantage with Katelyn Bourgoin of Customer Camp

Talking to customers is pretty powerful stuff. This week Erin & JH talked to Katelyn Bourgoin, 3x startup founder and growth geek, about how qualitative research can become your marketing team's competitive advantage. Learn more about the episode here https://bit.ly/2IHsbSu --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

18 April 2019


#12 - 3 Essential Times for Qualitative Research With Shipra Kayan of Upwork

#12 - 3 Essential Times for Qualitative Research With Shipra Kayan of Upwork

This week on the podcast, Erin and JH talk to Shipra Kayan. After 10 years of working in UX design and research at Upwork, she's launched her own consultancy. On the pod, she talked about getting your research started on the right foot, no matter what kind of research you're doing or how big your team is. Read all about it at https://bit.ly/2Z6gyKH --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

11 April 2019


#11 - Integrating Research Faster with John Cutler of Amplitude

#11 - Integrating Research Faster with John Cutler of Amplitude

This week on Awkward Silences, we talked to John Cutler, Product Evangelist at Amplitude. He talks about how to integrate research faster, starting together with your whole team, and practicing just-in-time research. Want to learn more about what we talked about in this episode? Check out our blog post here: https://bit.ly/2CEaoaO --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

27 March 2019


#10 - Give Us Your Feedback and Reviews (Retro #1) - with Erin & JH

#10 - Give Us Your Feedback and Reviews (Retro #1) - with Erin & JH

In this special edition episode, we're talking about what we think about the podcast so far and where we hope to go. We want your feedback to help us decide what to do next! Let us know what you think here: https://bit.ly/2uoijV9 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

22 March 2019


#9 - Running Amazing Remote UX Research Sessions with Sonya Badigian of Marketade

#9 - Running Amazing Remote UX Research Sessions with Sonya Badigian of Marketade

Erin and JH talk to Sonya Badigian, UX and Content Specialist at Marketade. As a researcher at a fully-remote company, Sonya is a big fan of remote research. She walks us through how remote research can be affordable, flexible, and fun.  Want to learn more about remote user research? Check out our blog post! https://bit.ly/2O2O3Iz --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

13 March 2019


#8 - Continuously Delivering and Discovering with James Aylward of Pluralsight

#8 - Continuously Delivering and Discovering with James Aylward of Pluralsight

What does it take to run a team that's constantly researching customers and shipping product? James Aylward of Pluralsight has a framework that keeps his team moving while creating products that are all about the customer. In this episode, he talks about Pluralsight's directed discovery process and how they assemble awesome teams that keep it all moving.  Want to learn more? Check out our blog post: https://bit.ly/2BVI0Rn --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

27 February 2019


#7 - Making User Testing Fast, Fun, and Accessible with Laura Powell of Appcues

#7 - Making User Testing Fast, Fun, and Accessible with Laura Powell of Appcues

JH and Erin talk to Laura Powell, creator of User Test Fest, an event hosted by Appcues to bring user testing to more companies and users. User testing is fun, informative, and impactful. User Test Fest is here to prove it.  Want to learn more about quick user testing? Check out our blog post: https://bit.ly/2UUzetN --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

13 February 2019


#6 - Building Products That Don't Cause Emotional Trauma with Laura Klein

#6 - Building Products That Don't Cause Emotional Trauma with Laura Klein

This week on the podcast, Erin and JH talked to Laura Klein about building products that consider user's real life situations more thoughtfully. Sometimes, big tech does things that actually end up emotionally harming users. How do we do better? Check out our blog post about this episode 👉 https://bit.ly/2ZrlpFf --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

30 January 2019


#5 - Collaboration Between UXR and Stakeholders with Holly Hester-Reilly

#5 - Collaboration Between UXR and Stakeholders with Holly Hester-Reilly

This week on the pod, Erin and JH talk to Holly Hester-Reilly, CEO of H2R Product Science. They talk about creating org structures that are great for collaborative research, presenting your research in a way that makes it easy to empathize with users, and how research can get left behind as a company grows.  Want to learn more about creating research that works with stakeholders? Check out our blog post here: https://bit.ly/2McVQTh --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

16 January 2019


#4 - Conversational Research with Maggie Crowley of Drift

#4 - Conversational Research with Maggie Crowley of Drift

This week on the pod, Erin and JH talk to Maggie Crowley, Director of Product Management at Drift, about research as a product manager at a rapidly growing startup. They talk about how to do great research in a conversational way, how Drift's research practice is growing, and how Maggie thinks about research as a PM.  Want to learn more about conversational research? Check out our blog post here: https://bit.ly/2TqA5lk --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

2 January 2019


#3 - Quant and Qual Flow with Cat Anderson

#3 - Quant and Qual Flow with Cat Anderson

The best research plans leave room for evolution, to see what the research reveals, and build further testing to drive deeper insights. Cat Anderson, a UX writer at AP Intego, joins us to talk about how methods can inform each other, and lead to better customer understanding to benefit the entire company. Check out our blog post for even more qual and quant talk: https://bit.ly/2QKgYF6 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

12 December 2018


#2 - When Research Doesn't Go As Planned with Jaclyn Perrone of Thoughtbot

#2 - When Research Doesn't Go As Planned with Jaclyn Perrone of Thoughtbot

This week, Erin and JH talk to Jaclyn Perrone, Design Director at thoughtbot, about how to handle research that doesn't quite go as planned. They dive into preparing for your research sessions, making participants feel comfortable, and staying calm when things go wrong. Want more info on how to prepare for awesome research? Check out our blog post here https://bit.ly/2B2q7yX --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

4 December 2018


#1 - Why are we here? with your co-hosts, JH and Erin

#1 - Why are we here? with your co-hosts, JH and Erin

Listen as JH and Erin wrestle with the biggest question there is: why are we here anyway? We'll dive into what we think the podcast should (and should not) be and pave the way for our first guest. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

28 November 2018


#0 - Trailer

#0 - Trailer

What's this Awkward Silences podcast all about anyway? As a place to start, it's about embracing the awkward beauty of talking to people to learn and build better stuff. Get a sneak peek in this pre-episode and meet our hosts, JH Forster and Erin May of User Interviews. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awkwardsilences/message

26 November 2018

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