Episode summary:

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, Nathan Isaacs sits down with Andrew Thomas, head of marketing at Archer, to explore how deeply understanding consumer behavior—not just data—drives effective brand building and sustainable growth. Andrew shares lessons from scaling Archer into a nationally recognized brand, including how simplifying messaging, embracing distinctive brand assets, and aligning insights across product, packaging, and campaigns can unlock breakthrough performance.

The conversation dives into the realities of modern marketing—from avoiding internal echo chambers to balancing creativity with business impact—and why intuition, when paired with data, remains a critical decision-making tool. Andrew also discusses the challenges of rebranding in a crowded market, how to measure success beyond awareness, and where AI is (and isn’t) transforming marketing workflows today.

You’ll learn:

• Why consumers don’t think in categories—and how that impacts brand strategy

• How simplifying messaging can drive stronger engagement and growth

• The role of distinctive brand assets in standing out on crowded shelves

• How to balance bold creativity with measurable business outcomes

• Why intuition is still essential in a data-driven marketing world

• How to evaluate brand performance across both awareness and sales metrics

• Practical ways AI can accelerate insights and decision-making (without replacing marketers)

Resources & links

• Andrew Thomas on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-j-thomas/)

• Archer Meat Snacks (https://archerjerky.com/)

• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)

Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

Epsiode description

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, Nathan Isaacs sits down with Stephen Baer, author of Stickology: How to Build Unbreakable Connections with Employees and Customers for Life, to explore why engagement is the true engine behind business performance—not just a feel-good initiative.

Drawing on more than 30 years of experience across gaming, corporate leadership, and behavioral science, Stephen introduces a powerful framework for understanding connection in organizations: “Velcro vs. glue.” He explains why most companies rely on fast, surface-level engagement that fails under pressure—and what it takes to build deeper, more resilient relationships with both employees and customers.

Stephen also unpacks the critical link between employee experience and customer experience, sharing why disengagement shows up long before metrics drop—and how leaders can spot early warning signs. From designing for belonging in product and UX to embedding purpose into everyday decisions, this conversation offers a practical roadmap for creating organizations that truly “stick.”

Along the way, Nathan and Stephen discuss the role of leadership, the importance of coaching over managing, and why not all friction is bad—highlighting how thoughtful, human-centered moments can actually strengthen trust and loyalty.

You'll learn:

• Why engagement is a business strategy, not an HR initiative
• How employee experience directly impacts customer experience
• The difference between “Velcro” and “glue” organizations
• Early warning signs of employee and customer disengagement
• How to design for belonging in products and experiences
• What “good friction” is—and why it builds trust
• How to turn purpose into everyday operational decisions
• A practical 30-60-90 day approach to improving engagement

Episode links

• Stephen Baer's website (https://stephenbaer.com/#home-section
  
• Stickology book (https://www.amazon.com/Stickology-Unbreakable-Connections-Employees-Customers/dp/9699592532)
• Stephen Baer on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenbaer/
  
• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)
• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

Episode summary

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, Nathan Isaacs is joined by Mike Mace and Michael Domanic to explore how AI is fundamentally reshaping customer experience, user journeys, and digital strategy. From the rise of conversational interfaces to the emergence of agentic AI, they unpack why traditional UX patterns and marketing funnels are quickly becoming obsolete—and what teams need to do instead.

Mike and Michael break down two major shifts: how conversational AI is changing the way people interact with technology, and how AI agents are beginning to act on behalf of customers. They discuss why trust, tone, and personality are now critical components of UX, how AI is disrupting the path to purchase, and why companies must rethink how they design, test, and deliver experiences.

The conversation also explores the rapid pace of AI adoption, the risks of focusing on novelty over real customer value, and how teams can balance immediate action with ongoing experimentation. Ultimately, this episode is a call to rethink not just tools—but the entire relationship between humans and technology.

You’ll learn:

• Why conversational AI is changing how users interact with products

• How AI is disrupting traditional customer journeys and marketing funnels

• What agentic AI is and how it impacts digital experiences

• Why trust, tone, and personality matter in AI-driven UX

• How to rethink testing for AI-powered products

• Where to act now vs. where to experiment with AI

Resources & links

• Mike Mace on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemace/)
• Michael Domanic on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldomanic/)
• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)
• How to test AI: A practical guide for evaluating AI user experience and product design (https://www.usertesting.com/blog/how-test-ai-practical-guide-evaluating-ai-user-experience-and-product-design)
• Learn more about Insights Unlocked:⁠ https://www.usertesting.com/podcast⁠

Episode summary:

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, host Lija Hogan sits down with Priyanka Kuvalekar, senior UX researcher at Microsoft, to explore how AI is reshaping user experience research and what it takes to build trustworthy, human-centered AI products.

Priyanka shares her journey from architecture to UX research and offers a behind-the-scenes look at how she evaluates AI experiences—moving beyond usability to focus on trust, emotional response, and inclusivity.

The conversation dives into how researchers can stay strategic in a fast-evolving AI landscape, the growing importance of accessibility and diverse user perspectives, and why trust is the defining factor of great AI experiences. Priyanka also shares practical ways researchers can integrate AI into their workflows, partner more effectively with cross-functional teams, and evolve their skill sets to remain impactful.

You’ll learn:

• Why trust—not just usability—is the foundation of great AI experiences
• How UX research methods are evolving to measure emotion, behavior, and credibility
• Ways to evaluate AI outputs for accuracy, consistency, and transparency
• How researchers can influence product strategy instead of just validating decisions
• Practical tips for using AI tools to speed up research workflows
• Why accessibility and inclusive research are critical in AI development
• How to build AI fluency and stay relevant in a rapidly changing field

Resources & links

• Priyanka Kuvalekar on LinkedIn ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/priyanka-kuvalekar/)
• Priyanka’s UX content on Instagram ( https://www.instagram.com/uxr.pri/)
• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)
• Learn more about Insights Unlocked (https://www.usertesting.com/resources/podcast)

Episode summary:In this episode of Insights Unlocked, host Mike McDowell sits down with Jeff Lash, VP of Product Management at Insperity, to explore how product leaders can turn customer insight into smarter decisions and better outcomes. 

Drawing on decades of experience across UX, product management, and consulting, Jeff shares practical advice on balancing voice of the customer with business strategy, avoiding common roadmap pitfalls, and building high-performing, customer-centric teams.

Jeff explains why product teams often misinterpret customer feedback, emphasizing the importance of asking better questions and digging deeper into the “why” behind what customers say. He also highlights how over-reliance on processes, artifacts, or quantitative data can obscure real insight—and why qualitative research remains a powerful, often underutilized tool.

The conversation dives into how teams can prioritize effectively, align around strategy, and avoid getting stuck in reactive “firefighting” mode. Jeff also shares how successful teams use customer insight as a unifying force across stakeholders, while maintaining a growth mindset that drives continuous improvement.

You’ll learn:

• Why asking better follow-up questions leads to better product decisions

• How to balance qualitative and quantitative customer insights

• Common mistakes teams make when relying on roadmaps and feedback

• How to prioritize effectively without getting stuck in reactive work

• Why voice of the customer should act as a “great equalizer” across teams

• How a growth mindset helps product teams continuously improve

Resources & links:

• Jeff on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jefflash/)

• Jeff’s website (https://www.jefflash.com/)

• The Insperity website (https://www.insperity.com/)

• Mike McDowell on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmcdowell1/)

• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

Episode summary: In this episode of Insights Unlocked, Nathan Isaacs sits down with Dave Kerry, UserTesting’s Global Value Engineering Director, to tackle one of the most persistent challenges facing research and insights teams: proving ROI.

Drawing on conversations with more than 500 organizations, Dave shares a surprising pattern—most teams don’t struggle with complex financial modeling; they simply fail to measure ROI at all. The result? A “PR problem” for research teams, where executives call for customer-centricity but don’t clearly see the financial impact of insights work.

Dave breaks down four core value drivers—business growth, faster innovation, reduced operational costs, and risk mitigation—and explains how teams can translate customer experience improvements into measurable business outcomes. Through practical examples (from digital banking to municipal websites), he shows how reducing friction, shifting research earlier in the product lifecycle, and aligning with executive priorities can directly impact revenue, cost savings, and strategic decision-making.

The conversation also explores how framing insights through executive empathy—understanding what makes a great day for your boss—can transform internal conversations, reduce political friction, and earn research a true seat at the table. Dave offers simple, actionable advice for teams just getting started: track your work, state your assumptions, collaborate cross-functionally, and iterate on your ROI story over time.

You’ll learn:

• Why failing to measure ROI creates a visibility and credibility gap for research teams
• The four value drivers that connect insights work to executive priorities
• How to quantify friction in customer journeys and tie it to revenue and cost impact
• Why “shifting left” reduces rework and increases product success
• How executive empathy can improve alignment and reduce internal politics
• Practical first steps to start building your own ROI model

Resources & links:

• How to measure UX ROI and impact (https://www.usertesting.com/blog/how-measure-ux-roi-and-impact)
• The ROI of consumer insights when building digital finance products (https://www.usertesting.com/blog/roi-consumer-insights-when-building-digital-finance-products)
• Dave Kerry on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-kerry/)
• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)
• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

Episode summary

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, host Blair Fraser sits down with Andrew Ackermann, VP of Product Design at Samsara, to explore what it really takes to design technology for frontline workers—the people powering the physical economy.

Andrew shares how his early exposure to design shaped his career, and why he was drawn to building AI-powered tools for industries like transportation, logistics, and field operations. From ride-alongs with truck drivers to observing mechanics at work, he explains why designing for the frontline requires deep humility, real-world immersion, and a relentless focus on eliminating friction.

The conversation dives into the hidden complexity of physical operations, the challenge of replacing paper-based systems with truly better digital tools, and why “elegance” is a guiding principle for creating experiences that feel seamless—even in gritty, unpredictable environments. Andrew also reflects on his transition from Google to Samsara, the difference between designing for moments that matter versus mission-critical daily workflows, and how AI is accelerating product development while raising the bar for quality and value.

You’ll learn:

• Why field research and in-person observation uncover insights remote research can’t

• How frontline workers often create their own “workarounds”—and what that reveals about product gaps

• What it means to design tools that are truly better than paper and pencil

• Why elegance, humility, and curiosity are essential for enterprise product design

• The difference between high-volume consumer design and mission-critical B2B software

• How rapid prototyping and tight feedback loops drive adoption and trust

• The role AI will play in accelerating product development—and the challenge of cutting through the noise

Resources & links

• Andrew Ackermann on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/anackermann/)
• Learn more about Samsara (https://www.samsara.com/)
• Watch Samsara’s Beyond 2025 conference highlights (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtUxSK4AhAdaFEzqudt-uYIXZUAKpwEkW&si=sjVFJmMweDQ4NoZY)
• Blair Fraser on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrblairfraser/)
• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)
• Learn more about Insights Unlocked https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

Episode summary:

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, Jason Giles sits down with Andrew Hogan, who leads insights at Figma, to explore what the future of design looks like as AI reshapes product development.

Drawing from Figma’s State of Design 2026 report and recent hiring research, Andrew shares why more people than ever are participating in design—and what that means for craft, quality, and leadership. With 60% of new Figma files created by non-designers, design is becoming shared infrastructure across organizations.

Andrew and Jason unpack the tension between speed and confidence in AI-enabled workflows, debating whether craft is about polish, problem solving, or something deeper. They explore why taste and discernment matter more in a world where you can generate 30 design variations in seconds—and how leaders must define what “good” looks like if they want to scale quality.

The conversation also dives into hiring trends, the growing demand for senior designers who can navigate complexity, and the importance of strong design systems as more cross-functional teams begin prototyping. Ultimately, the episode reframes AI not as a replacement for designers, but as an accelerator that increases the need for thoughtful validation, customer understanding, and clear decision-making.

You’ll learn:

• Why AI makes taste and discernment more important—not less

• What the State of Design 2026 reveals about craft and hiring trends

• Why speed is increasing faster than confidence

• How design systems help scale quality across teams

• What leaders should define before scaling AI-driven workflows

• How to avoid false confidence when using AI prototypes

• Why design is becoming infrastructure inside modern organizations

Resources & links:

• Andrew Hogan on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahhogan/)

• Figma State of Design 2026 report (https://www.figma.com/reports/state-of-the-designer-2026/)

• IDC study on the growing design workforce (https://www.figma.com/blog/idc-design-population-study/)

• Jason Giles on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaygiles/)

• UserTesting’s latest report: Defensible Design in the Age of AI (https://www.usertesting.com/resources/reports/defensible-design-in-the-age-of-ai)

• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast
  

Leading without the title: The real power of the staff designer

What does it take to grow your impact as a designer—without becoming a manager?

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, host Jason Giles sits down with Catt Small, staff product designer, game maker, and author of The Staff Designer, to unpack the evolving role of senior individual contributors in design organizations.

Catt shares her unconventional journey from creating digital dress-up dolls as a kid to shaping products at Etsy and Asana—and how those experiences shaped her perspective on leadership, influence, and creative confidence.

At the heart of the conversation: a mindset shift. Moving from being told what to design to diagnosing what matters most.

What you’ll learn in this episode

• The misunderstood role of the staff designer: Catt explains why the staff-level IC role often feels ambiguous—and how influence, not authority, becomes your primary tool. She breaks down what “building influence” actually means in practice and why it’s more intentional than mystical.

• Invisible work and strategic impact: From relationship building to cross-team alignment, much of a staff designer’s impact happens behind the scenes. Catt explores how to prioritize the work that truly moves the business forward—and avoid getting stuck in “glue work” that doesn’t drive career growth.

• From craft to communication: Design leadership at the IC level requires a shift from pixel perfection to clarity of thinking. Catt shares why low-fidelity diagrams and conceptual artifacts often create better alignment than polished UI—and how to coach teams away from jumping into high fidelity too soon.

• Navigating politics with integrity: If you’ve ever felt “allergic to politics,” this conversation reframes the idea. Catt explains how understanding motivations, fears, and power dynamics is less about manipulation—and more about empathy, curiosity, and emotional intelligence.

• Managing energy like a product: Influence takes energy. Catt shares practical strategies for auditing your calendar, designing your workweek intentionally, and partnering with your manager to balance short-term execution with long-term strategy.

• AI as a tool, not a replacement: AI is another tool in the designer’s toolkit—but you’re still the creative director. Catt discusses how to use AI to accelerate research and exploration without outsourcing your thinking or critical judgment.

A key takeaway: Leadership is a mindset

One of the most powerful themes in this episode is confidence. Staff-level designers aren’t waiting for permission—they step into leadership by trusting their experience, sharing their perspective, and partnering across the organization.

As Catt reflects, the transition is uncomfortable at first. But the shift from execution to influence starts with believing you belong in the room.

Resources & links

• Catt Small on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/cattsmall/)

• Catt’s website (https://cattsmall.com/)

• Catt’s Maven page (https://maven.com/catt-small/staff-designer)

• The Staff Designer book page — 20% off with code UserTesting until Feb 28, 2026 (https://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/the-staff-designer/)

• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

Episode summary:

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, design and research leaders from TruStage share how they transformed UX research from an inconsistent, ad-hoc effort into a scalable, trusted practice embedded directly within their design team. Through a creative “cookbook” framework, the team built shared standards, accelerated time to insights, and increased stakeholder confidence—without sacrificing flexibility or creativity.

What you’ll learn

• Why TruStage shifted from siloed research teams to an embedded UX research model
• How a visual “cookbook” system helped standardize research without making it rigid
• The power of shared language and artifacts to build stakeholder trust and buy-in
• How repeatable research “meal plans” enabled faster pivots and better decision-making
• What it takes to scale research volume while improving quality and consistency

Key themes and ideas

From potluck to practice. The TruStage team describes their early research approach as a “potluck”—rich in individual expertise but lacking consistency. By designing a shared system, they moved toward a polished, repeatable research practice that stakeholders could rely on.

The research cookbook framework. Using food metaphors, the team created:

• Recipes for designers and researchers that explain how to run specific studies
• Menus for stakeholders that clearly outline value, effort, and outcomes
• Meal plans that bundle methods together across stages of the product lifecycle

This framework helped align internal teams and external partners around expectations, scope, and impact.

Embedding research into everyday workflows. By building the system directly in Figma and connecting it to their agile tooling, TruStage made research easy to plan, prioritize, and execute—removing friction that previously slowed teams down.

Scaling impact through trust and clarity. Clear artifacts and shared standards made research easier to explain, faster to approve, and more likely to be requested. As a result, the team more than doubled the number of research stories completed year over year and shifted from “selling” research to responding to demand.

Empowering teams through co-creation. Rather than dictating a process from the top down, the team involved designers across experience levels in shaping the system. This created stronger ownership, higher adoption, and a culture where research felt both accessible and fun.

Advice for teams operationalizing research

• Lean into tools your team already loves and uses daily
• Invest time in shared philosophy and language—not just templates
• Co-create systems with the people who will use them
• Treat research operations as an evolving practice, not a one-time deliverable

Resources & links

• TruStage’s website (https://www.trustage.com/)
• Nick Higbee on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-higbee-95540425/)
• Benny Brooks on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebenbrooks/)
• Betsy Drews on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/betsy-drews-4a30256b/)
• Natalie Padilla on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-weiner/)
• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)
• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

Episode summary:

What does it really take to move from doing UX research to leading it?

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, host Amrit Bhachu sits down with Emmanuelle Savarit, a global UX research leader, author, and podcast host, to unpack what research leadership looks like in today’s fast-moving, AI-driven organizations.

Drawing on more than two decades of experience across academia, consulting, government, and enterprise, Emmanuelle shares her journey into UX research leadership—and the hard-earned lessons that shaped her perspective along the way. She explains why great research alone isn’t enough, and why researchers must learn to align their work with business priorities, influence senior decision-making, and think beyond deliverables.

The conversation explores the critical mindset shift from being an excellent individual contributor to becoming a strategic research leader—even when you’re a team of one. Emmanuelle offers practical guidance on how researchers can create impact by understanding stakeholder needs, prioritizing what matters most to the business, and embedding insight directly into decision-making.

The episode also dives into the growing role of AI in UX research. Emmanuelle discusses how AI can dramatically improve research efficiency—from transcription to synthesis—while also emphasizing the essential role researchers play in shaping where and how AI should be used in products. Drawing parallels to past digital transformations, she makes a compelling case for research as a cornerstone of responsible, human-centered AI adoption.

Throughout the discussion, Emmanuelle references her new book, The UX Research Powerhouse, Vol. 1, which focuses on research leadership, influence, and building long-term impact within organizations. The book is designed to be the resource she wishes she’d had when first stepping into leadership—and offers a practical roadmap for researchers at any stage of their career who want a stronger seat at the table.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The difference between doing UX research and leading UX research

• Why research impact depends on business alignment, not report length

• How solo researchers can act as leaders and influencers

• Practical ways to shift from tactical usability work to strategic insight

• How AI is changing both UX research workflows and product strategy

• What it takes to build research credibility and influence over time

About the guest:Emmanuelle Savarit is a global UX research leader, author of The UX Research Powerhouse, Vol. 1, and host of the UX Research Club podcast. She specializes in helping organizations turn human insight into strategic impact and empowering researchers to lead with clarity, confidence, and influence.

Resources & links

• Emmanuelle Savarit on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmanuelle-savarit-phd-17565019/)
• The UX Research Powerhouse, Vol. 1 on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Research-Powerhouse-vol-Foundation-Leadership/dp/1919249419)
• UX Research Club podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ux-research-club/id1652269307)
• Amrit Bhachu on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amritsbhachu/)
• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)
• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

Episode summary:

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, Nathan Isaacs chats with Natalie Nixon, creativity strategist, author, and CEO of Figure 8 Thinking, about her transformative framework for redefining productivity in the modern workplace. Drawing from her latest book, Move, Think, Rest, Natalie shares how integrating movement, reflection, and rest into your day-to-day work can unlock creativity, boost innovation, and lead to measurable business outcomes.

Natalie explains why our current obsession with speed and efficiency is rooted in outdated models from the Industrial Age, and how adopting a more human-centered, both/and approach helps teams thrive in today’s complex environment. She dives into her “Wonder+Rigor” method, the power of daydreaming, and how leaders can spot burnout before it becomes a crisis.

The conversation also touches on how intuition and lived experience can—and should—complement data in decision-making, and why AI should be treated as a co-creator rather than a creativity killer.

You’ll learn:

• Why productivity needs to evolve beyond speed and output

• How the “Move, Think, Rest” framework supports creative work

• Tips for integrating micro-rest and movement into busy schedules

• The connection between creativity and business ROI

• Why curiosity, collaboration, and intuition are essential to innovation

• How to work with AI as a co-creator, not a replacement

Resources & links

• Natalie Nixon on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalienixonphd/)

• Natalie’s Figure 8 Thinking (https://www.figure8thinking.com/)

• Move, Think, Rest (https://www.figure8thinking.com/published-and-featured/)

• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

Episode summary:

In this special episode, guest host Kate Towsey—ResearchOps thought leader and founder of the Cha-Cha Club—sits down with Baran Erkel, Chief Strategy Officer at UserTesting, and Basel Fakhoury, CEO and co-founder of User Interviews, to unpack the recent acquisition of User Interviews by UserTesting.

Together, they dive into the strategy, vision, and community impact behind the merger, addressing head-on the questions and emotions stirred within the UX and research communities. 

Listeners will gain insight into why now was the right time, what the future holds for both platforms, and how this partnership aims to strengthen the researcher-first values that User Interviews is known for.

Whether you're part of a large enterprise or a one-person research team, this episode sheds light on how the two companies plan to maintain openness, improve integration, enhance tools like Research Hub, and invest in a future where research plays a central role in shaping customer experiences.

Key topics discussed:

• Why UserTesting acquired User Interviews and what it means for researchers

• How the platforms will remain open, flexible, and independently accessible

• Future investments in Research Hub and panel innovation

• Ensuring a positive experience for participants remains a priority

• The evolving role of research in an AI-driven future

• What researchers—from solo practitioners to large teams—can expect going forward

• Lessons from past acquisitions and why humility and customer-centricity matter

Resources & links

• Kate Towsey on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/katetowsey/)

• Baran Erkel on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/baranerkel/)

• Basel Fakhoury on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/baselfakhoury/)

• Kate’s book Research that Scales (https://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/research-that-scales/)

• Kate’s website (https://katetowsey.com/)

• Press Release about the acquisition of User Interviews (https://www.usertesting.com/company/newsroom/press-releases/usertesting-acquires-user-interviews)

• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

Episode summary:

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, host Nathan Isaacs sits down with Amy Wigdahl, principal solution marketing manager at UserTesting, to discuss the trends transforming the banking and fintech landscape as we approach 2026. Amy shares how financial institutions are moving beyond basic digital convenience to create more empathetic, personalized experiences powered by AI and customer insight.

Key themes and takeaways:

• AI-driven personalization with a human touch: Banks are leveraging generative AI to make digital interactions feel more personal, aiming to replicate the warmth and familiarity of in-branch experiences. The goal is to use technology to support customers at critical life moments—without coming across as intrusive or robotic.

• From broad strategies to precision targeting: With profit pressures rising and competition intensifying, banks are shifting from generic, one-size-fits-all approaches to hyper-targeted experiences. Success hinges on understanding the unique needs, motivations, and emotions of specific customer segments.

• Loyalty in the age of choice: As most consumers now use multiple financial providers, customer loyalty is fragile. Trust, clarity, and relevance are emerging as the new drivers of loyalty—outpacing even new product offerings. Amy emphasizes that customer experience must be clear, emotionally reassuring, and responsive to evolving financial pressures.

• The importance of customer insight: Truly understanding customer needs is at the heart of effective personalization. Insights gathered from real users inform everything from onboarding processes to new service design, ensuring banks stay relevant and build lasting trust.

Actionable advice:

• Banks and fintechs should continuously gather and apply customer insights to design experiences that build trust and reduce friction.

• Executives and product leaders are encouraged to “walk in their customers’ shoes”—try opening an account or using a service themselves to spot opportunities for improvement.

Resources & links

• Amy Wigdahl on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amywigdahl/)

• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)

• The CSAT playbook for modern banks (https://www.usertesting.com/resources/guides/csat-playbook-for-banks)

Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

Episode description: 

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, Phillip Jackson, CEO and co-founder of Future Commerce, joins the show to explore how commerce is fundamentally shaped by culture, not just technology. Phillip dives into how leading brands use AI in retail to enhance customer experiences quietly and authentically, why friction in the customer journey isn’t always a bad thing, and how brands can stand out in a sea of sameness.

Key themes and takeaways

• Commerce is culture, not just tech. Phillip explains that what we buy and how we buy it are deeply tied to identity and culture. The smartest brands are those who see commerce as part of daily life, not just a transaction.

• The invisible hand of AI in retail. AI can transform retail experiences, but its best applications are often invisible. Using examples like Taco Bell, Phillip discusses how AI can quietly make things easier and more delightful for customers—without being intrusive.

• Friction’s hidden value. Not all friction is bad. While reducing unnecessary pain is important, Phillip argues that some friction helps customers make better decisions, reduces returns, and actually builds trust.

• Personalization: meaningful, not just flashy. True personalization goes beyond using someone’s name. Phillip suggests it’s about understanding intent and context, and that surface-level personalization often falls flat or feels invasive.

• Standing out from e-commerce sameness. E-commerce platforms have made shopping easier, but also more homogenous. Phillip shares research showing that when branding is stripped away, many sites are indistinguishable—and that differentiation is key to long-term loyalty.

• Clean data is your AI superpower. Brands that want to unlock the full power of AI need holistic, clean data. Phillip shares how brands like Kith leverage years of clean purchase data to launch ambitious customer programs.

• Invest in what matters. Rather than chasing every trend, Phillip encourages brands to focus on practical, high-value areas—like smarter search, better recommendations, and strong post-purchase support—that truly solve customer pain points.

Resources & links

• Phillip on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/philwinkle/)

• Mike on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmcdowell1/)

• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)

• Future Commerce website (https://www.futurecommerce.com/)

• UserTesting’s 2026 2026 State of AI in Retail Experiences Report (https://bit.ly/4sy3awg)

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

Episode description:

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, I flip the mic on two of the podcast’s regular co-hosts: Lija Hogan and Amrit Bhachu, both Principals of Experience Research Strategy here at UserTesting. Together, they dive into the evolving conversations they’re having with customers as we head into 2026.

From the rise of AI to the expanding role of UX researchers, Lija and Amrit unpack what’s keeping experience teams up at night—and what’s inspiring them. They explore how researchers are experimenting with AI to optimize workflows, the importance of validating generative outputs, and the new expectations being placed on teams to demonstrate impact across the business. The episode also explores the shift toward conversational interfaces and the operational challenges of supporting research at scale.

Topics covered:

• How AI is changing research and design workflows

• The “garbage in, garbage out” risk with AI and how to overcome it

• Why researchers must become stronger business storytellers

• Building cross-functional empathy through insights

• Voice, gesture, and multimodal experiences as the next UX frontier

• Why research ops is critical to scaling insights across the org

• Advice for validating AI-driven outputs before they go public

Whether you’re a researcher, designer, or product leader, this episode will leave you with practical ways to experiment with AI and bring more human-centered thinking into your work.

Resources & links

• Lija on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lija-hogan-894769/)

• Amrit on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amritsbhachu/)

• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

Episode description: 

In this forward-looking episode of Insights Unlocked, Mike McDowell returns to the mic to share what’s ahead for UserTesting in 2026—and it’s all about speed, scale, and smarter insights. Mike and host Nathan Isaacs dive into the latest developments in AI-powered research, from automated test creation and participant feedback to enhanced report generation and seamless integrations with tools like Figma.

As always, Mike brings a ton of energy and clarity to what these innovations mean not just for researchers, but for anyone trying to get closer to their customers. Whether you're a product manager, designer, or marketer, this episode will leave you inspired by what’s possible when AI meets human insight.

Key takeaways

• AI-enhanced test creation: Just type what you want to learn, and AI builds the test plan for you—making customer feedback more accessible to non-researchers than ever.

• New Figma plug-in: Beta users can now launch usability tests directly from Figma, without leaving the design environment.

• Automated insight generation: From smart analysis to video summaries and report creation, AI is speeding up the time from question to answer.

• Smarter screener tools: AI-powered fraud detection and screener guidance ensure better participant quality and more reliable feedback.

• Customer empathy at scale: Mike emphasizes the power of embedding customer videos in tools like Jira, Confluence, and Figma to build buy-in and challenge internal assumptions.

Resources & links

• Mike on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmcdowell1/)

• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

As we head into 2026, design is no longer just about aesthetics—it’s about strategy, collaboration, and customer empathy. In this episode of Insights Unlocked, Nathan Isaacs sits down with Lacey Fabrizio, Principal Solution Marketing Manager at UserTesting, to discuss the major shifts happening in the design and product space.

Lacey shares three key trends reshaping the field:

• Designers are moving upstream and playing a more strategic role in defining problems—not just polishing solutions.

• AI is becoming a powerful brainstorming partner, helping designers break creative patterns and explore new directions.

• Teams are adopting continuous, lightweight feedback loops to stay tightly connected to customer needs and avoid designing in the dark.

Whether you're in design, product, or marketing, this conversation offers valuable insight into how to embrace these changes and design with more intention.

What you’ll learn:

• How designers are gaining influence earlier in product development

• Why AI is most powerful as a creative collaborator

• The importance of fast, continuous user feedback to improve outcomes

• How these trends are shaping a more empowered, customer-first design culture

Resources & links:

• Lacey Fabrizio on LinkedIn
• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn
• The 2026 Experience Survival Guide: scaling human insight across every team — This on-demand webinar explores how AI and connected workflows help teams gather and act on customer feedback faster, smarter, and at scale across UX, product, design, and marketing.
• How to enhance design efficiency through continuous user feedback — This guide shows how continuous user feedback helps designers move faster, make smarter decisions, and reduce rework by testing early and iterating often.
• How to transform your UX design process with continuous customer feedback — an Insights Unlocked episode about building continuous customer interview programs to support the product development life cycle.
• How design teams leverage user feedback in design to transform products — This blog post explains how user feedback bridges intention and real experience to elevate design outcomes and reduce costly revisions.

Episode description:

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, host Amrit Bhachu sits down with Mario Callegaro, founder of Callegaro Research and a leading expert in survey methodology and AI-augmented research. Mario brings a wealth of experience from his 15 years at Google and shares practical, thoughtful guidance on how to responsibly integrate AI tools into UX, market, and survey research workflows.

From the evolving role of the researcher to the risks and potential of synthetic users, this episode unpacks what’s changing, what to be cautious of, and what skills are now essential in the age of AI.

What you’ll learn

• How AI supports every phase of the research workflow: planning, execution, and activation

• The role of prompt engineering in getting better insights from AI tools

• Why synthetic users and synthetic data can't yet replace real human participants

• What researchers are gaining—and potentially losing—by relying on AI

• The current limitations of large language models in capturing nuance and variability

• Practical advice on testing and validating AI tools with known datasets

• Why transparency, iteration, and responsible experimentation are key

Resources & links

• Mario on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcallegaro/)

• Amrit on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amritsbhachu/)

• Callegaro Research (https://callegaroresearch.com/)

• Quantitative User Experience Association (https://www.quantuxcon.org/)

• There’s an AI for that (https://theresanaiforthat.com/)

• Mike on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemace/)

• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

Episode summary:

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, host Nathan Isaacs sits down with Mike Mace, Executive Business Strategist at UserTesting, to explore a major shift already underway in the tech landscape: the rise of AI-powered conversational interfaces. Drawing from decades of industry experience, Mike warns that this is not a distant future trend—it's happening now, and it’s reshaping how companies must approach user experience, product design, and customer interaction.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why companies need to stop treating AI as just a feature and start seeing it as a transformational force

• How conversational interfaces are changing the rules for software UX—much like the shift to graphical interfaces decades ago

• Why today’s AI tools require testing not only for usability but also for tone, personality, and brand alignment

• How emotional responses to AI-driven conversations can dramatically impact user trust and satisfaction

• Simple strategies companies can use today to evaluate and improve their AI experiences

Mike also shares practical advice on how to begin adapting to this shift, including how to use tools like ChatGPT to understand user behaviors and preferences in real time.

Resources & links

• Mike on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemace/)
• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)
• Effective AI: how to choose the right generative AI features (https://www.usertesting.com/resources/guides/how-to-choose-generative-ai-features)
• Designing AI-powered shopping experiences for the next generation of commerce (https://www.usertesting.com/resources/guides/designing-ai-powered-shopping-experiences-ecommerce)
• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

Episode description:

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, Zoom CMO Kim Storin joins host Johann Wrede for a candid conversation about the realities of leading through transformation. Kim shares why change is harder than most leaders admit and how Zoom is evolving from a company known for meetings to a full multi-product collaboration platform. She also breaks down new Zoom + Deloitte research uncovering surprising gaps in how organizations measure collaboration ROI.

From the power of curiosity and calculated risk-taking to the importance of authenticity and community in B2B marketing, Kim offers practical, human-centered guidance for anyone navigating rapid growth or organizational change.

Key topics discussed:

• Why transformation is so challenging: “You can have the greatest strategy in the world, but the culture can make or break it.”

• Balancing optimism and pragmatism: Kim explains why optimism inspires progress—but only works when paired with realistic planning.

• Zoom’s evolution beyond meetings: From events to customer support to sales enablement, Zoom is building a more-than-meetings collaboration ecosystem.

• The collaboration paradox: Workers now spend 25 hours/week on meeting-related tasks—yet companies still struggle to see true productivity and ROI.

• Community as a competitive edge: Why users proudly say “I’m a Zoom user,” and how brands can build authentic connection at scale.

• The 3 traits of modern marketing leaders: Curiosity, agility, and the confidence to take calculated risks.

Resources and links:

• Zoom CMO Kim Storin on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlystorin)

• Johann Wrede on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/johannwrede/)

• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: Nexthttps://www.usertesting.com/podcast

Episode summary:

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, UserTesting’s VP of Design Jason Giles sits down with Tessa Forshaw and Rich Braden—co-authors of Innovation-ish and longtime instructors of design thinking at Harvard and Stanford—to explore what truly drives innovation and why most people hesitate to participate in it. Tessa and Rich break down the science behind “innovation hesitation,” share tools for unlocking creativity, and explain how empathy, rapid prototyping, and metacognition can make innovation more human—and less intimidating. Whether you’re a product leader, designer, marketer, or team facilitator, this conversation provides practical strategies to build innovation habits, uncover deeper insights, and help teams think more creatively.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why so many people experience “innovation hesitation”—and how evolutionary wiring shapes our fear of ambiguity
• A practical framework for understanding innovation across a spectrum—from jump shots to moonshots
• How empathy physiologically changes the way our brains process information
• What separates real insights from surface-level feedback
• How to use rapid prototyping to gather evidence instead of relying on opinions
• Why metacognition (thinking about how you think) dramatically increases creativity and idea quality
• Tools and prompts to help teams collaborate, synthesize insights, and tell better innovation stories

About the guests:

Tessa Forshaw is a cognitive scientist and co-founder of Harvard’s Next Level Lab. She teaches design thinking, innovation, and creative problem solving at Harvard and previously at Stanford. Her research explores how empathy, cognition, and metacognition shape human-centered innovation.

Rich Braden is a design strategist with a background that spans software engineering, marketing, and more than a decade of improv teaching. He teaches innovation and design thinking at Stanford and Harvard, blending creative methodologies with practical business experience.

Together, Tessa and Rich are the authors of Innovation-ish: How Anyone Can Create Breakthrough Solutions to Real Problems in the Real World.

Resources & links:

• Innovation-ish website – https://innovation-ish.com

• Tessa Forshaw on LinkedIn –https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessaforshaw/

• Rich Braden on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardcoxbraden/

• Jason Giles on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaygiles/

• Harvard Next Level Lab – https://nextlevellab.gse.harvard.edu

• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked – https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

About the show:

Insights Unlocked is the go-to podcast for marketing, UX, product, and CX leaders. Each week, we feature candid conversations with the builders and thinkers behind today’s most impactful customer experiences. Brought to you by UserTesting.

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Episode summary:

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, Nathan Isaacs talks with marketing powerhouse Bill Macaitis—former CMO of Slack, Zendesk, and Salesforce—about how B2B companies can scale efficiently by prioritizing customer experience, building authentic brands, and embracing new go-to-market models. Bill shares lessons from his career and dives into the importance of customer-centric cultures, long-term thinking, and the strategic use of AI in modern marketing.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why capital-efficient growth beats “growth at all costs”—and how to build it

• The playbook for operationalizing customer centricity in a B2B environment

• How to align teams across marketing, product, and sales with shared metrics

• What most companies get wrong about attribution models

• How AI can empower marketers—without replacing them

• The secret to building a B2B brand people actually love (and talk about)

• Tips for individual contributors to challenge legacy playbooks and advocate for change

About the guest:

Bill Macaitis is an executive advisor and board member who has led marketing at some of the most iconic names in SaaS, including Slack, Zendesk, and Salesforce. Known for his customer-first approach and bold brand vision, Bill now advises AI startups on how to build scalable, loved companies from the ground up.

Resources & Links:

• Bill Macaitis on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bmacaitis/)
• SaaS CMO Pro website (https://www.saascmopro.com/)
• SaaS CMO Pro newsletter (https://saascmopro.substack.com/)
• Bill’s YouTube videos (https://www.youtube.com/@SaaSCMOPro/videos)
• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)
• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

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Episode summary:

What does it really mean for marketing to be "effective" in today’s complex, data-rich environment? In this episode of Insights Unlocked, Sorin Patilinet—PepsiCo’s Global Marketing Insights leader and author of Marketing Effectiveness—joins UserTesting CMO Johann Wrede for a deep dive into how marketers can shift from tactical fixes to strategic, system-wide thinking.

Sorin unpacks the concept of marketing as a system, not just a set of disconnected tactics, and explains how AI and automation can enhance—not replace—human decision-making. From defining what effectiveness actually means within your organization to embracing consistency and simplifying the martech stack, this conversation is full of actionable insights for marketing leaders navigating change.

Key themes and topics:

• Why marketing effectiveness must go beyond ad performance metrics

• Applying engineering-based systems thinking to brand strategy

• The evolving role of AI in enhancing marketing decision-making

• How to define "effectiveness" for your organization—and stick to it

• The power of creative effectiveness and the compounding impact of consistency

• Why marketers need to focus more on understanding customers than chasing channels

• Practical advice for internal stakeholder alignment and building a culture of insights

• Balancing innovation with simplification in a cluttered martech world

Resources & Links:

• Sorin Patilinet on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/patilinet/)

• Sorin’s book Marketing Effectiveness (https://marketing-effectiveness.com/)

• UserTesting’s Johann Wrede on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/johannwrede/)

• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

About the show:

Insights Unlocked is the go-to podcast for marketing, UX, product, and CX leaders. Each week, we feature candid conversations with the builders and thinkers behind today’s most impactful customer experiences. Brought to you by UserTesting (https://usertesting.com/podcast)

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Episode summary:

In this eye-opening episode of Insights Unlocked, host Mike Mace chats with Surojit Chatterjee—former Chief Product Officer at Coinbase and current founder and CEO of Ema—about the sweeping changes generative AI is bringing to the workplace.

Surojit unpacks his vision of “AI employees”—intelligent agents that can handle complex workflows, adapt to company-specific processes, and act as true collaborators rather than just tools. Drawing on his leadership at Google, Coinbase, and now Ema, he explains why organizations must stop retrofitting AI into outdated workflows and instead embrace an “AI + human” model of work.

From transforming enterprise functions like HR, finance, and customer support to challenging legacy software models, this conversation delivers sharp insights for leaders navigating the shift to AI-driven operations. Surojit also shares advice for companies just starting their AI journey, including the importance of experimentation, transparency, and reskilling teams.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why the next generation of software must adapt to the enterprise—not the other way around

• How AI can eliminate mundane tasks and unlock more meaningful human work

• What legacy tech companies risk if they don’t embrace a new AI-first paradigm

• The role of customer empathy and rapid experimentation in building

• Transformative AI products

• How to lead an “AI + human” business transformation, function by function

• Why trust and transparency are key to successfully integrating AI into your team

Resources & Links:

• Surojit Chatterjee on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/surojitchatterjee/)

• Ema website (https://www.ema.co/)

• UserTesting’s Mike Mace on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemace/)

• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

About the show:

Insights Unlocked is the go-to podcast for marketing, UX, product, and CX leaders. Each week, we feature candid conversations with the builders and thinkers behind today’s most impactful customer experiences. Brought to you by UserTesting.

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Episode summary:

How do you know when your content is hitting the mark? And once you do, how can you scale it efficiently and strategically?

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, host Nathan Isaacs sits down with Ross Simmonds, CEO of Foundation, a B2B content marketing agency known for its bold distribution strategies. Ross breaks down how to move beyond guesswork in content marketing by identifying real signals of content-market fit and using those insights to fuel smarter, faster content creation.

From mining Reddit threads to making your content "baby unicorns," Ross shares tactical strategies for understanding your audience, experimenting with purpose, and leveraging data to guide decision-making. He also discusses why marketers should embrace AI to scale their efforts and stay competitive—without losing the curiosity and creativity that drives meaningful engagement.

Whether you're a solo content creator or part of a larger marketing team, this episode is packed with practical advice on how to produce content that resonates, distributes well, and drives real business results.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why content, like products, needs to have a strong fit with your audience

• How to spot signals of content-market fit across platforms like Reddit, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, and more

• Why you need to slow down in order to move faster—and how to "be the meerkat" in your marketing strategy

• Tips for running quarterly content reviews and influencing stakeholders with data

• How one tweet became a foundational content pillar for Ross’s entire brand strategy

• The role of curiosity and experimentation in finding new content channels before they’re saturated

• How to embrace AI to boost efficiency, scale distribution, and improve as a marketer

Resources & Links:

• Ross Simmonds on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosssimmonds/)

• Foundation (https://foundationinc.co/)

• Distribution.ai (http://Distribution.ai)

• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

About the show:

Insights Unlocked is the go-to podcast for marketing, UX, product, and CX leaders. Each week, we feature candid conversations with the builders and thinkers behind today’s most impactful customer experiences. Brought to you by UserTesting

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Episode summary:

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, host Nathan Isaacs sits down with Sara Fortier—founder and CEO of Outwitly, Silicon Valley design veteran, and author of the upcoming book Design Research Mastery. Together, they explore the enduring relevance of human-centered design in an age increasingly dominated by AI tools.

Sara breaks down what human-centered design really means and why it remains essential, even as AI accelerates many aspects of product development.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why empathy and qualitative insights are irreplaceable, even with powerful AI tools at your fingertips

• How to win over skeptical stakeholders by speaking their language and showing business value

• What synthetic users can and can’t do in research workflows

• Tips for early-career designers on staying relevant and strategic in a rapidly evolving UX landscape

• How to balance AI efficiencies with the human touch in high-stakes product decisions

Sara also explains how AI can give researchers back the time to do more meaningful work—if used wisely—and the kinds of soft skills every designer should prioritize to thrive in the coming decade.

Resources & Links:

• Sara on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarafortier/)

• Outwitly website (https://outwitly.com/)

• Outwitly Academy (https://outwitlyacademy.thinkific.com/courses/design-research-mastery)

• Design Research Mastery Book - Preorders (https://a.co/d/apa6alB)

• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, host Nathan Isaacs sits down with Sangram Vajre—co-founder of Terminus and GTM Partners, bestselling author, and pioneer of the Flip My Funnel movement—to explore how customer-first thinking reshapes business growth. Sangram recounts the moment of inspiration that led to flipping the traditional sales funnel on its head and how that napkin sketch evolved into a movement that transformed B2B marketing.

Sangram also shares insights from his MOVE framework (Market, Operations, Velocity, Expansion), offering a fresh lens for diagnosing go-to-market (GTM) challenges at every stage of business growth. He dives into the rise of fractional leadership, the role of AI in driving customer insight and product innovation, and why focusing on Net Revenue Retention (NRR) may be the single best way to align teams around growth.

Whether you're in marketing, product, UX, or customer experience, this episode will challenge how you think about pipeline, growth, and what it really means to put the customer first.

What you’ll learn in this episode: 

• The origin story behind Flip My Funnel and how it reshaped ABM and B2B marketing

• Why most marketing and sales funnels fail—and what to do instead

• The MOVE framework: a diagnostic tool for GTM strategy

• How Net Revenue Retention (NRR) is the ultimate measure of customer-centric growth

• The rise of fractional roles and what it means for the future of work

• How AI is changing the way we listen to and serve customers at scale

Resources & Links:

• Sangram Vajre on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sangramvajre/)

• GTM Partners (https://gtmpartners.com/)

• MOVE and other books (https://sangramvajre.com)

• GTM Mondays newsletter on Substack (https://gtmonday.substack.com/)

• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

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Episode summary:

In this thought-provoking episode of Insights Unlocked, host Lija Hogan sits down with Dr. John Whalen—cognitive scientist, author, and founder of Brilliant Experience—to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping the way teams conduct customer research. With deep expertise at the intersection of UX and cognitive science, John shares how his team has integrated AI tools like synthetic users, AI moderators, and automated analysis into their research workflows.

But rather than replacing human researchers, John makes the case for how AI can accelerate and augment our work, expand inclusivity, and even inspire better human-to-human interviews. He shares practical advice, lessons learned from hands-on experimentation, and the importance of skepticism, context, and strategic thinking when working with AI-powered tools.

Whether you're excited or apprehensive about AI, this conversation offers a grounded, insightful look at the future of UX research and how to prepare for it.

Key topics discussed:

• Why human-to-human research still matters in an AI-enhanced world

• The surprising effectiveness of AI-moderated interviews

• How synthetic users can support ideation and stakeholder engagement

• Using AI as a strategic tool for preparing, scaling, and synthesizing research

• Ethical considerations and the importance of context when interpreting AI-generated insights

• Future trends: continuous learning, new research workflows, and evolving team roles

• Why curiosity and prompt engineering are essential skills for modern researchers

Episode Links:

• John Whalen on LinkedIn ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnwhalen/)
• Podcast: AI for UX ( https://bit.ly/ai-for-ux-podcast)
• Course: AI for Customer Research: https://maven.com/john-whalen/ai-skills-for-research
• Brilliant Experience website ( https://www.brilliantexperience.com/)
• Free Synthetic User Resource: https://maven.com/p/4d211a 
• Book: Design for How People Think https://bit.ly/dfhpt 
• Lija Hogan on LinkedIn ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/lija-hogan-894769/)
• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)
• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

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Episode summary:

Joe Pulizzi—bestselling author, founder of the Content Marketing Institute, and creator of the Content Inc model—joins host Nathan Isaacs to talk about redefining work, meaning, and success in the age of AI and economic uncertainty. From his transition after a successful business exit to founding The Tilt and launching Creator Economy Expo, Joe shares how content creation can unlock personal freedom and lasting impact. He discusses themes from his latest book, Burn the Playbook, and why now is the time for marketers and creators to lean into their unique edge—what he calls your “tilt.”

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why marketers have all the skills needed to become entrepreneurs

• How to find and refine your “tilt” to stand out in a crowded digital space

• The difference between passion and monetizable expertise

• Why building an owned audience is more sustainable than relying on social platforms

• How to create meaningful work that aligns with your life goals—not just your job title

• Why Joe believes the best time to start is always right now

Memorable quote:

“Create before you consume. If you do that every day for 30 days, it will change your life.” — Joe Pulizzi

Resources & Links:

• JoePulizzi.com (https://www.joepulizzi.com/)

• Burn the Playbook (https://www.joepulizzi.com/books/burn-the-playbook/)

• The Tilt newsletter (https://www.joepulizzi.com/signup/)

• [Creator Economy Expo (CEX)](https://www.creatoreconomyexpo.com)

• This Old Marketing podcast (https://www.thisoldmarketing.com/)

• Content Inc podcast

• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

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Episode summary:

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, we dive deep into the intersection of customer research, growth strategy, and fast decision-making with Asia Orangio, founder and CEO of DemandMaven. Host Lija Hogan, principal of experience research strategy at UserTesting, guides the conversation as Asia shares how product-led SaaS companies can find traction by uncovering the real problems hiding behind the data.

Key topics discussed:

• The art of understanding customers: Asia’s unexpected journey from oil painting to SaaS growth consultancy, and how her artistic background sharpened her skills in reading human behavior and motivation.

• Making KPIs talk: Why every important business metric can be unpacked through thoughtful customer conversations—and how to ask the right questions to get there.

• Dispelling research myths: Asia challenges the common belief that customer research is slow, expensive, or overly complex. Instead, she shows how fast and focused studies can lead to high-impact decisions.

• Interviewing for impact: Best practices for customer and churn interviews, including how to design research studies that align with your company’s stage and challenges.

• Getting buy-in through presence: Why having founders and executives attend research interviews can be the game-changer for turning insights into action.

• Prioritizing what matters: How to separate controllable vs. uncontrollable churn factors, and how to turn qualitative feedback into a roadmap of quick wins and long-term opportunities.

Quotes worth highlighting:

“Behind every KPI you want to improve, there’s a set of conversations you can have. You can make the number talk.” – Asia Orangio

“Research doesn’t have to take six months. You can get meaningful insights in two weeks—or less.” – Asia Orangio

Resources & Links:

• Asia Orangio on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/asiaorangio/)

• Lija Hogan on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lija-hogan-894769/)

• DemandMaven website (https://demandmaven.io/)

• DemandMaven podcast (https://in-demand.castos.com/)

• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

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Episode summary:

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, Joe Chernov, a seasoned B2B marketing leader and Executive in Residence at Battery Ventures, joins host Johann Wrede to unpack the modern CMO’s biggest trap—playing out of position. Joe shares the pivotal career moment that pulled him from traditional PR into the world of content marketing, and explores how today’s marketing leaders can navigate the pressure to chase pipeline at the expense of long-term brand impact.

From understanding your company's true expectations to balancing creativity with accountability, Joe offers hard-earned wisdom on what it really takes to succeed—and stay—in the CMO seat. He also dives into the role AI can play in strengthening personas, removing bias, and ultimately helping marketers become better strategic partners.

If you’re a marketing leader feeling the pressure to prove value through short-term metrics, this episode will help you rethink your role, and how to future-proof your impact.

Memorable quote: “I did my best work when I wasn’t afraid of getting fired.” – Joe Chernov

What you'll learn in this episode:

• “Underpaid CROs”: Why many CMOs unknowingly mimic CROs, and how it’s limiting their influence
• Pipeline vs. brand: The need to balance immediate performance metrics with long-term brand stewardship
• Maslow’s hierarchy for marketers: Why predictable pipeline must come first—but can't be the end game
• AI’s new role in marketing: How artificial intelligence can reshape persona development and uncover hidden customer insights
• The spirit of your role: Why aligning with the reason you were hired—not just your KPIs—matters for lasting impact
• The power of brand moments: A surprising sneaker story that connects influencer gifting to big revenue wins

Resources & Links:

• Joe Chernov on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jchernov/)

• Johann Wrede on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/johannwrede/)

• Battery Ventures (https://www.battery.com/)

• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast
  

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Episode summary:

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, host Lija Hogan sits down with Jake Burghardt, author of Stop Wasting Research and ex-Amazon and ex-Microsoft. Together, they dive into one of the most overlooked challenges in customer research: why so much valuable insight never gets used.

Jake shares his framework of preparation, motivation, and integration for reducing research waste and turning overlooked findings into meaningful product impact. He and Lija explore the cultural and operational shifts teams need to make—beyond tools and repositories—to ensure insights are visible, reusable, and embedded in decision-making.

The conversation touches on practical strategies for reusing past research, connecting insights across teams like marketing and customer success, and the opportunities and risks of AI in shaping research workflows. Jake also underscores the importance of keeping research human-centered, even as synthetic data and automation gain traction.

Whether you’re a researcher, product leader, or marketer, this episode offers actionable guidance for making the most of the knowledge your teams already have—and ensuring customer insights don’t go to waste.

• Why so much customer research goes unused
• Jake’s framework for reducing research waste: preparation, motivation, integration
• How to make research insights more visible and reusable across an organization
• Ways to bridge silos between UX, marketing, and customer success teams
• The promise and pitfalls of AI in research operations
• Practical steps to keep research human-centered in an AI-driven world
• How leaders can run small experiments to unlock more impact from existing insights

Resources & Links:

• Jake Burghardt on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakeburghardt/)

• Stop Wasting Research book; 15% off discount code SWR-POD will work through Dec 15, 2025, (https://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/stop-wasting-research/)

• Jake’s monthly newsletter (https://www.integratingresearch.com/newsletter)

• Lija Hogan on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lija-hogan-894769/)

• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

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Episode summary:

In this thought-provoking episode of Insights Unlocked, host Lija Hogan is joined by Tara May, CEO of Spirit Tech—a pioneering tech company where more than 90% of the staff are autistic. Together, they explore what it truly means to create inclusive workplaces, the business value of kindness, and how small, thoughtful changes can make a big difference in employee well-being and productivity.

Tara shares the inspiring origin of Aspiritech, founded to provide meaningful employment for autistic adults, and how the company scaled into a $6 million operation serving Fortune 500 clients. She introduces powerful ideas like the “ROI of kindness” and emphasizes that neurodiversity is not only already present in most workplaces but also a source of innovation when embraced thoughtfully.

Listeners will gain insights into practical strategies for fostering psychological safety, debunking myths about working with neurodivergent individuals, and how companies can start their journey toward greater neuroinclusion—often with simple, cost-free adjustments. Tara also discusses how AI, if shaped by diverse perspectives, can either reinforce biases or help break them.

Whether you're a team leader, HR professional, researcher, or product designer, this episode offers fresh perspectives on designing work environments where everyone can thrive.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why neurodiversity is already part of your team, even if it's not talked about

• The real business impact of empathy and kindness

• What “the ROI of kindness” means and how it can drive innovation

• Misconceptions about working with autistic professionals

• Easy, low-cost accommodations that support all employees

• How neurodivergent perspectives are critical in shaping inclusive AI

• Actionable tips for starting or advancing your neuroinclusion efforts

Resources & Links:

• Tara May on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/taranmay/)

• Aspiritech website (https://aspiritech.org)

• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

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Episode summary:This week on Insights Unlocked, Nathan Isaacs sits down with Gwen Hammes, co-CEO of CRO Metrics, to explore how brands can turn real customer behaviors into powerful, business-driving insights. With a career spanning top global agencies and now leading a growth experimentation firm, Gwen shares how her experience in different cultures, especially Mexico City, helped reshape her leadership style, making it more adaptable, empathetic, and outcome-focused.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why conversion optimization is more than just a tactical fix—it’s a rich source of behavioral insight

• How cultural experiences can break rigid thinking and inspire more creative, human-centered problem-solving

• What symmetrical messaging is and why it’s one of the most overlooked opportunities for brands

• How to use experimentation to de-risk web redesigns and new capabilities

• Ways to reframe change to make it energizing for teams rather than destabilizing

• How CRO Metrics is adopting AI tools, not just for efficiency but to deepen client insights

• Why mentorship and community-building matter, and how Gwen is investing in the next generation of women in growth

Resources & Links:

• Gwen Hammes on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gwen-hammes/)

• The CRO Metrics website (https://crometrics.com/)

• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

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Episode summary:In this episode of Insights Unlocked, host Nathan Isaacs sits down with Talia Wolf—founder of GetUplift and author of Emotional Targeting—to explore how emotions drive conversions and why most teams overlook this critical factor in their optimization efforts.

Talia shares her journey from social media marketing to creating her own emotional targeting framework, explaining how she discovered that every buying decision—whether for a luxury watch or a B2B SaaS tool—hinges on how customers feel. She calls out the “deadly hamster wheel” of CRO, where teams rely on best practices, competitor mimicry, and quick fixes instead of building strategies rooted in genuine customer insight.

Listeners will learn:

• Why emotions are the foundation of all decisions—and how to identify the emotional triggers that influence your customers.

• How even “boring” products can connect on a deeply emotional level to boost conversions.

• Strategic questions to audit your digital experiences beyond surface-level UX fixes.

• How to prioritize CRO efforts when resources are limited, and why solving specific problems beats chasing generic best practices.

• The right way to integrate AI into your optimization process without losing the human touch.

• Steps leaders can take to embed emotional targeting into their team’s culture and win buy-in through small, high-impact experiments.

Resources & Links:

• Tara Wolf on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taliagw/

• GetUpLift: https://getuplift.co/

• Emotional Targeting book: https://taliawolf.com/book

• Tara Wolf’s personal website: https://taliawolf.com/

• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

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Episode summary: In this episode of Insights Unlocked, host Nathan Isaacs chats with Chris Silvestri, founder of Conversion Alchemy, about what really makes copy convert. And spoiler alert, it’s not about being clever with words. Chris unpacks the importance of research-driven messaging, sharing his journey from software engineering and UX to conversion copywriting. He reveals why 70% of his work is dedicated to research and how pattern recognition, user testing, and cross-team interviews uncover the insights needed to build impactful, customer-first messaging.

You’ll learn:

• Why writing effective copy is about translating customer thinking, not sounding smart

• How to spot when teams are operating on assumptions instead of data

• The overlooked power of user testing videos for understanding customer behavior

• How to organize and scale research using an “iceberg” framework

• The promise (and pitfalls) of using synthetic personas for copy testing and stakeholder alignment

• Practical tips for using voice of customer data to clarify and strengthen your value proposition

Resources & Links:

• Chris Silvestri on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophersilvestri/)

• Conversion Alchemy website (https://christophersilvestri.com/)

• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

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What do magicians and marketers have in common? A lot more than you think. In this episode of Insights Unlocked, Nathan Isaacs chats with Jimi Gibson, Vice President of Brand Communication at Thrive Agency, to explore how lessons from the stage can radically transform how brands communicate and connect with customers.

Jimi, a former professional magician turned messaging strategist, shares how the principles of illusion, empathy, and storytelling apply directly to customer experience design. Drawing from decades of experience—both on stage and in the boardroom—Jimi introduces his “magic script” framework, which walks brands through three emotional cues: connection, curiosity, and conversion.

You’ll hear how brands can shift from “me-first” messaging to customer-centered narratives that actually resonate. Jimi also discusses why clarity beats cleverness, how to test messaging in the wild, and the powerful impact of customer feedback on creative strategy. From landing page makeovers to understanding the psychology of engagement, this episode is packed with insights you can act on right away.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why great marketing is more like great theater than you’d think

• How the “magic script” uses brain chemistry to build deeper customer connection

• Why empathy, clarity, and insight should be the foundation of all messaging

• The power of message testing—before you go live

• Real-world examples of emotional storytelling in action

Resources & Links:

• Jimi Gibson on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimi-gibson/

• Thrive Agency https://thriveagency.com/

• Storynomics by Robert McKee

• Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara

• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

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In this episode, we sit down with UX veteran and startup advisor Oksana Kovalchuk to explore the common pitfalls early-stage founders make when building digital products and how to avoid them. Drawing on two decades of design, development, and mentoring experience, Oksana shares why user experience must be prioritized from day one, and how building a product for your users, not yourself, is the key to startup survival.

What you’ll learn:

• Why "you are not your user" is still the Golden Rule. Founders often build products based on their own logic and preferences. Oksana explains why that leads to UX failure, especially when designing for different demographics.

• The “more ideas than money” principle. Discover how Oksana helps startup teams focus their limited budgets on what matters most: getting the MVP right and learning from real users quickly.

• Fail fast, learn fast. Learn how iteration, feedback loops, and competitor reviews play a central role in UX design at the startup level.

• When UX is ignored, disaster follows. Hear a jaw-dropping real-world example of a fintech app with a 98% onboarding drop-off; all caused by a single UX decision.

• Measuring UX success. Explore metrics like time-to-value, drop-off rates, and support ticket trends that reveal how your product is really performing.

Resources & Links:

• Oksana Kovalchuk on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/oksanakovalchuk/

• ANODA https://www.anoda.mobi/

• Mike McDowell on Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmcdowell1/

• Mike’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@mikedropvideos

• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

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What does it take to consistently deliver exceptional customer experiences? In this episode of Insights Unlocked, guest Mark Slatin—CX thought leader, educator, and host of The Delighted Customer podcast—shares how trust acts as the foundation for business transformation. Drawing on his Trusted Guide Framework, Mark explores how to operationalize customer experience, earn executive buy-in, and create lasting customer loyalty through empathy, listening, and collaboration.

You’ll learn:

• Why every customer has an experience—whether or not you design for it

• The dangers of the “hero trap” in leadership and how to overcome it

• How to build a culture of trust within your team and organization

• Ways to get executive buy-in using stakeholder-centric storytelling

• Why empathy is the game-changer in closing the customer experience gap

• The role of AI in enhancing—but not replacing—human-centric CX strategies

Resources & Links:

• Becoming a Trusted Guide™ (On Demand Course via CXPA) - https://www.pathlms.com/cxpa/courses/105144

• The Trusted Guide Roadmap™ (Live Master Class) - https://www.empoweredcx.com/

• The Delighted Customers Podcast - https://www.empoweredcx.com/podcast

• Mark Slatin on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/markslatin) 

• Bobby Meixner on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bmeixner/)

• Nathan on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

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In this episode of Insights Unlocked, Devora Rogers, Chief Strategy Officer at Alter Agents and co-author of Influencing Shopper Decisions, joins us to challenge outdated assumptions about how people shop. Devora shares her unconventional journey from storytelling to strategy and offers a fresh lens on consumer behavior, loyalty, and the importance of continuous human insights.

Drawing on decades of experience helping top brands like Google and Snapchat, Devora explains why fewer than 5% of shoppers follow a linear path to purchase and why loyalty is no longer a given. She introduces a behavioral segmentation model—including loyalists, defectors, ambivalents, and impulse buyers—and explores how brands can tailor experiences for each type. Plus, we unpack the problem with “brand narcissism” in research and why brands must prioritize relevance over vanity metrics.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why shoppers often start from scratch with every buying decision—and what that means for loyalty programs

• The four shopper mindsets and how to design experiences for each

• How real-time insights and tools like video feedback are transforming market research

• Why most brand trackers fail to deliver meaningful insight

• The power of storytelling in research and decision-making

• Where AI fits in—and where human feedback still reigns supreme

Resources & Links:

• Alter Agents (https://alteragents.com/)

• Devora Rogers on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/devorarogers/)

• Bobby Meixner on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bmeixner/)

• Nathan on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

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What does it take to make marketing truly meaningful? In this episode of Insights Unlocked, we sit down with Steven Sakach, co-founder of AI CMO and CEO of Zero Company, to explore how businesses can create deeper emotional connections by putting empathy and purpose at the heart of their marketing. With decades of experience spanning journalism, digital media, and consciousness studies, Steven shares insights on the evolution of conscious capitalism, the role of AI in marketing with intention, and how brands can avoid the pitfalls of performative messaging.

Discover how companies like Patagonia and Dove have created enduring emotional impact, and learn how to articulate your own organization’s higher purpose to guide authentic, customer-first campaigns. Whether you're part of a lean marketing team or leading a larger brand, this episode offers actionable strategies to align your marketing with what truly matters.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why empathy and purpose are becoming essential pillars of effective marketing

• How AI can help small teams scale emotionally intelligent campaigns

• The concept of “building love into scalable systems” and why it matters

• Lessons from brands that got it right—and those that got it wrong

• How to discover and articulate your business’s authentic higher purpose

Resources & Links:

• Steven on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-sakach-3181aa28b/)

• Zero Company (https://www.zerocompany.com/)

• aiCMO (https://aicmo.io/home_

• Bliss Business podcast (https://www.theblisspodcast.com/)

• Nathan on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

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In this episode of Insights Unlocked, Rand Fishkin, co-founder of SparkToro and marketing industry icon, joins hosts Mike McDowell and Nathan Isaacs to unpack one of the most disruptive shifts in digital marketing today: the death of attribution.

Rand explains how platforms like Google, Facebook, and Reddit are cutting off referral data and turning into "walled gardens," effectively ending marketers' ability to track where traffic and conversions truly originate. This change calls for a radical new playbook—one that trades attribution modeling for brand lift, and prioritizes native content that meets audiences where they are.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why attribution modeling no longer works—and what to focus on instead

• The rise of zero-click marketing and how to succeed with it

• How brands can build influence in a closed-platform world

• The role of audience intelligence tools like SparkToro in top-of-funnel strategy

• Why empathy and behavior observation are more powerful than ever for product and marketing decisions

• How customer insights led to SparkToro’s recent product relaunch—and a major growth rebound

Resources & Links:

• SparkToro: https://sparktoro.com/

• Rand on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/randfishkin/

• Snackbar Studio: https://snackbarstudio.com/

• Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmcdowell1/

• Mike’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@mikedropvideos

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

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In this episode of Insights Unlocked, we sit down with Dheerja Kaur, Vice President of Product Management at Robinhood, for a deep dive into how thoughtful design, strategic innovation, and customer obsession can transform industries—especially one as complex and regulated as finance.

Dheerja brings insights from her journey across major brands like ESPN and The Skimm, sharing how those experiences shaped her unique approach to building products that are not only functional and beautiful but also deeply human.

• Designing for obsessive user bases: How Dheerja’s work with passionate communities—from sports fans to finance enthusiasts—has underscored the value of user loyalty and brand ethos.

• Democratizing finance through design: A look at how Robinhood lowered economic barriers and emphasized intuitive user experiences to make investing more accessible to everyone.

• Embracing complexity without sacrificing clarity: Dheerja discusses how her team balances regulatory requirements with elegant product design that promotes user education and confidence.

• Coaching with ‘Spidey sense’: Learn how she develops product intuition in her teams without micromanaging, and how recognizing subtle signals can lead to better outcomes.

• A culture of experimentation: Why Robinhood encourages teams to pursue bold ideas—even at the risk of failure—and how this fuels long-term growth and innovation.

• Harnessing real-time insights: Discover how customer feedback from support, surveys, and experimentation informs Robinhood’s product strategy and user experience.

• AI and the future of product design: Dheerja shares Robinhood’s early experiments with AI, including the new Cortex product, and how first-principles thinking guides their approach.

• Championing inclusive leadership: Dheerja reflects on her own experience navigating imposter syndrome and why she prioritizes supporting women and underrepresented groups in tech.

• Dheerja on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dheerja/

• Robinhood website: https://robinhood.com/

• Dheerja’s website: https://www.dheerja.com/

• Bobby on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bmeixner

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

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In this episode of Insights Unlocked, hosts Nathan Isaacs and Bobby Meixner welcome customer experience (CX) leader Tabitha Dunn to discuss the intersection of empathy, artificial intelligence, and change management in building truly customer-centric organizations. Drawing on her executive experience leading CX and digital transformation at global brands, Tabitha shares actionable insights for business leaders navigating innovation and AI implementation—without losing sight of the human element.

Listeners will learn why beginning with an "empathy tour" is essential, how to avoid common pitfalls in transformation initiatives, and why governance and usability must be balanced in any AI strategy. Plus, she shares how CX leaders can broaden their influence by becoming fluent in cross-functional collaboration, change management, and business impact storytelling.

Topics Covered:

• The Empathy Tour: Why leaders must deeply understand employee and customer perspectives before initiating change.

• AI with Purpose: How to evaluate AI technologies through the lens of real human needs—not hype.

• Governance Meets Usability: Balancing privacy, personalization, and user experience in AI-driven systems.

• Cross-Functional Buy-In: Tips for engaging finance, IT, and product teams in CX-driven transformation efforts.

• Skills for Modern CX Leaders: Why CX professionals should add sales training, change management, and project management to their toolkit.

• Avoiding Common Missteps: The three most frequent reasons transformation initiatives fail—and how to prevent them.

• Tabitha to the Rescue: How Tabitha steps in to course-correct projects that are stalling or misaligned.

Resources & Links:

• Tabitha on Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tabithadunn

• Stage 2 Capital (https://www.stage2.capital

• Bobby on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bmeixner

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

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In this episode of Insights Unlocked, we dive into the rapidly evolving intersection of UX design and artificial intelligence with Greg Nudelman, UX architect at Sumo Logic and author of UX for AI. Hosted by Sean Treiser, this conversation explores why conventional UX tools and mindsets are no longer sufficient in an AI-driven world—and what design leaders can do to keep pace.

Greg challenges the status quo, likening traditional UI workflows to rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic, especially as AI becomes the centerpiece of digital experiences. He introduces the concept of “iceberg UX,” where visual design is only the surface, and the real value lies in content, data, and AI interactions beneath. He advocates for retiring “lorem ipsum” and instead prioritizing real, meaningful output that aligns with user context and workflows.

Key topics include:

• Why UI alone won’t cut it in the era of AI, and what “iceberg UX” really means
• The death of lorem ipsum and the rise of content as core design output
• How to use the “value matrix” to assess risk and ROI in AI predictions
• Practical frameworks for incorporating AI, data, and empathy into design processes
• The skills UX and product teams need to thrive in a world of intelligent agents
• Why Greg believes UX professionals must move fast or risk becoming obsolete

Greg also previews his AI UX bootcamp and shares insights from his viral content experiments, underscoring how AI is reshaping not just products but also how we market and communicate.

Whether you’re a product designer, UX strategist, or CX leader, this episode will challenge you to rethink your role in a world where machines are increasingly not just tools—but collaborators.

Episode links:

• Greg on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregnudelman/
• UX for AI book https://www.uxforai.com/c/ux-for-ai-book
• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

Lisa shares insights from her 20+ years in scenario planning and design, reflecting on the transformative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and how it highlighted the critical need for imagination, empathy, and long-term thinking in leadership. She discusses the value of futures thinking in education and business, emphasizing how anticipatory leadership, scenario planning, and rapid prototyping can help organizations build resilience and stay ahead of disruption.

Whether you're leading a team, crafting customer experiences, or shaping strategic decisions, this episode will inspire you to stretch your thinking, foster creativity, and embrace your role as a designer of the future.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why the pandemic marked a turning point in how leaders perceive uncertainty

• How imagination is an underdeveloped but essential leadership skill

• Practical tools like futures wheels and scenario planning to anticipate change

• The role of design and prototyping in shaping strategic foresight

• How to nurture a culture that values long-term thinking and experimentation

• Why attention is the new currency in the battle for meaningful innovation

Resources & Links:

• Lisa Kay Solomon on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakaysolomon/

• Jason Giles on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaygiles/

• Leading like a Futurist course on LinkedIn Learning https://www.linkedin.com/learning/leading-like-a-futurist/you-are-a-futurist

• Harvard Business Review: 5 Pandemic-Era Lessons on Leading Through Change https://hbr.org/2025/03/5-pandemic-era-lessons-on-leading-through-drastic-change?ab=HP-hero-latest-1

• Stanford d.school profile: https://dschool.stanford.edu/directory/lisa-kay-solomon

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

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In this episode of Insights Unlocked, we’re joined by Alita Kendrick, a UX researcher at Google leading accessibility research for the Google Cloud Platform and exploring new market opportunities. Alita discusses how generative AI is revolutionizing UX workflows—from streamlining planning docs to accelerating qualitative data analysis.

Host Michael Domanic and Alita dive into how tools like Gemini, ChatGPT, and UserTesting’s AI features are cutting research time in half and giving researchers back the space to focus on strategy, storytelling, and democratizing insights across organizations. Alita also shares real-world use cases, common pitfalls to avoid when starting with AI, and how AI can even help uncover your own unconscious biases.

Whether you’re a seasoned UX researcher or just starting to integrate AI into your work, this episode is packed with practical advice, inspiration, and a look at what the future holds for AI-powered research.

Key topics discussed:

• How Alita uses AI throughout the research lifecycle—from planning to analysis

• Time savings and operational efficiencies achieved through AI tools

• Creative tools like NotebookLM, Claude, and Midjourney in UX workflows

• How to prompt AI effectively and avoid common early mistakes

• Balancing AI outputs with critical thinking and business context

• The role of AI in democratizing research and surfacing legacy insights

• Personal reflections on AI adoption, experimentation, and optimism for its future

Resources & Links:

• Alita on Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/alita-kendrick/)

• Michael on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldomanic/)

• Alita’s author site on NNG (https://www.nngroup.com/people/alita-kendrick/)

• Alita’s Efficient UX course on NNG (https://www.nngroup.com/courses/efficient-ux/)

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

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In this episode of Insights Unlocked, we sit down with Jessica Schultz, senior manager of experience research at BECU, to explore how one of the largest credit unions in the U.S. built a member research panel that delivers powerful insights—quickly and securely.

Jessica shares her unique career journey from front-line teller to UX research leader and walks us through the end-to-end process of launching BECU’s custom member panel. She breaks down the strategic decisions behind the panel’s creation, including navigating legal and security requirements, coordinating with marketing teams, and aligning with product and design stakeholders.

We also dive into:

• The pivotal moment that led Jessica to pursue UX research

• Why BECU chose to create its own panel over traditional recruiting methods

• Lessons learned in onboarding and coaching panel participants

• How the panel supports a culture of member obsession at BECU

• Tips for keeping participants engaged—and studies filled fast

• Key metrics used to evaluate panel success

Jessica also offers advice for other organizations thinking about building their own custom panels, from setting realistic expectations to creating inclusive and positive participant experiences.

Resources & Links:

• Connect with Jessica Schultz on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-schultz-05187a48/)

• BECU (https://www.becu.org/)

• Connect with Becky Wright on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/becky-w-795b29124/)

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

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Got a question? Want to recommend a guest? Or do you want to tell me how the show can be better? 

Send me a voice message via email at podcast@usertesting.com

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In this episode, UserTesting’s Lija Hogan sits down with Jim Kalbach, Chief Evangelist at Mural and author of The Jobs to Be Done Playbook, to discuss how the “Jobs to Be Done” framework can transform UX and business strategy in today’s growth-focused world. Jim unpacks how this mindset helps teams align around real customer needs and bridge the gap between design and business outcomes. He also shares insights on leveraging AI as a tool to enhance—not replace—human-centered research.

Jim reflects on his career journey, his passion for experience mapping, and how reframing UX from a cost-saving function to a growth driver can earn teams greater influence in their organizations. Plus, he explains why empathy shouldn't stop at the customer—UX teams need to understand their business stakeholders just as deeply.

Key takeaways:

• The evolution of jobs to be done from boardroom strategy to everyday design practice
• Why UX teams need to speak the language of business—and how the word “growth” can open doors
• How to gain executive buy-in by aligning with business goals and showing proof of impact
• Tips for using AI to support jobs-to-be-done research and scale customer insights
• The future of UX: creating more human-centric organizations by democratizing research mindsets

Resources & Links:

• Connect with Jim Kalback on LinkedIn
• Jim’s JTBD Playbook and Mapping Experiences books
• Mural
• Connect with Lija Hogan on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: usertesting.com/podcast

Episode web page: https://bit.ly/3YTrCuW

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Got a question? Want to recommend a guest? Or do you want to tell me how the show can be better? 

Send me a voice message via email at podcast@usertesting.com

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In this episode of Insights Unlocked, UserTesting CMO Johann Wrede chats with Udi Ledergor, former CMO and current Chief Evangelist at Gong, and author of Courageous Marketing. Udi shares why bold, differentiated marketing beats "best practices" every time—and how marketers can unlock extraordinary results by giving themselves permission to stand out.

Drawing from his own nontraditional career path from magician and musician to marketing leader, Udi explains why simply following industry norms creates a "sea of sameness." He unpacks strategies for building trust with sales, the critical importance of aligning marketing metrics to real business outcomes, and how to thoughtfully invest in brand marketing—even when budgets are tight.

Whether you're just starting out or leading a large marketing team, this episode offers candid, actionable advice for becoming a more courageous marketer, building iconic brands, and driving measurable impact.

• Why following marketing "best practices" leads to ordinary results

• How courageous marketing stands out and drives growth

• Practical tips for building trust and alignment between marketing and sales

• How to measure brand investments creatively when ROI isn’t immediate

• Smart ways to manage marketing experiments with limited budgets

• Career advice for marketers at every stage—from entry-level to CMO

Resources & Links:

• Connect with Udi on LinkedIn

• Udi’s new book: Courageous Marketing

• Udi’s website

• Gong

• Connect with Johann Wrede on LinkedIn

• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: usertesting.com/podcast

What you'll learn:

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Got a question? Want to recommend a guest? Or do you want to tell me how the show can be better? 

Send me a voice message via email at podcast@usertesting.com

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In this episode of Insights Unlocked, Jason Giles, VP of Design at UserTesting, chats with Andrew Hogan, Head of Insights at Figma, about the evolving role of design in the AI era. Fresh off the release of Figma’s 2025 AI Report, Andrew shares key takeaways from a survey of 2,500 designers and developers using AI in product development.

The conversation covers how teams are shifting from experimentation to evaluating AI’s real-world impact, why design is more crucial than ever for AI-powered products, and how successful teams are navigating the contradictions of rapid innovation. They also dive into the rise of agentic AI, the ongoing productivity vs. quality debate, and why tight design-dev collaboration is becoming non-negotiable.

Whether you're building the next-gen user experience or exploring how AI fits into your workflow, this episode is packed with insights on making AI work for your team and your users.

What you’ll learn:

• Why 52% of builders say design is more important for AI products than traditional ones​
• How agentic AI is emerging as the fastest-growing category—and what that means for UX
• The growing gap between AI’s ability to speed up work and its impact on work quality
• Why “measured momentum” might best describe AI’s trajectory in 2025
• What high-performing teams do differently: iterate, collaborate, and stay flexible​

Resources & Links:

• Connect with Andrew Hogan on LinkedIn
• Andrew’s Double Click blog post
• Connect with Jason Giles on LinkedIn
• Figma’s 2025 AI Report: The year of AI at work
• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: usertesting.com/podcast

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Got a question? Want to recommend a guest? Or do you want to tell me how the show can be better? 

Send me a voice message via email at podcast@usertesting.com

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PROMO CODE for this episode with Section's Greg Shove: USERTESTING30

The code is good for Section courses and memberships.

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In this episode of Insights Unlocked, Michael Domanic, Head of AI at UserTesting, sits down with Greg Shove, CEO of Section, to unpack what it truly means for businesses to embrace AI transformation. Greg shares his personal “aha” moment with generative AI, how it led him to pivot Section into an AI-centric business school, and why every executive should view AI as a strategic thought partner—not just a tool for marketers and engineers.

From experimenting with AI as a boardroom simulator to identifying organizational resistance, Greg gets real about what’s holding companies back from adopting AI effectively. He also offers practical advice for leaders navigating internal fears, outlines how businesses can build impactful AI pilots, and explains why creativity and experimentation are critical to unlocking AI’s full potential.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why Greg believes AI is the new cognitive edge for leaders
• The story behind Section’s pivot to AI education
• Barriers to AI adoption, including fear, poor training, and restrictive data policies
• The difference between deploying AI tools and truly transforming workflows
• Why language-intensive roles are leading the charge in AI adoption
• The power of autonomous agents and what they mean for the future of customer experiences
• How to structure internal AI pilots that actually move the needle
• Who should lead AI transformation inside your organization—and the creative mindset they need

Resources & Links:

• Connect with Greg Shove on LinkedIn
• Connect with Michael Domanic on LinkedIn
• Section School
• Greg’s website
• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: usertesting.com/podcast

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Got a question? Want to recommend a guest? Or do you want to tell me how the show can be better? 

Send me a voice message via email at podcast@usertesting.com

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In this Insights Unlocked episode, UserTesting’s Jason Giles sits down with Dane Howard, Vice President of Product Design at G2, for a powerful conversation on the intersection of storytelling, design leadership, and purposeful innovation. With a career that spans design leadership at Amazon, eBay, and Microsoft, Dane brings a wealth of experience—and a passion for creating human-centered experiences.

Dane discusses how G2’s visual customer journey map became a transformative internal tool, using storytelling metaphors like cities and theme parks to create clarity, alignment, and excitement across the organization. He also opens up about his personal “three-legged stool” approach to balancing full-time work, advocacy, and creative passion projects.

Whether you're a product leader, UX professional, or design enthusiast, this episode offers actionable insights into how to keep your work rooted in purpose and aligned with customer needs—while also making space for your own growth and creativity.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why storytelling is an essential leadership skill in design and CX
• How G2’s customer journey map turned into a city-wide metaphor that boosted internal alignment
• Tips on keeping internal artifacts like journey maps alive and evolving
• The power of framing design work through the lens of customer experience
• How to balance career, passion projects, and mentorship with intentionality

Resources & Links:

• Connect with Dane Howard on LinkedIn
• Connect with Jason Giles on LinkedIn
• G2.com
• danehoward.com
• Dane’s LinkedIn article on G2’s Customer Journey Mapping project
• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: usertesting.com/podcast

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Rate Insights Unlocked and write a review

If you appreciate Insights Unlocked, please give it a rating and a review.

Visit Apple Podcasts, pull up the Insights Unlocked show page and scroll to the bottom of the screen. Below the trailers, you'll find Ratings and Reviews. Click on a star rating. Scroll down past the highlighted review and click on "Write a Review." You'll make my day.

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In this episode of Insights Unlocked, we’re joined by Regina DeMars, Director of Content Marketing and Social Media Strategy at First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO). With over 167 years of history, FNBO is one of the largest privately held banks in the U.S.—but that doesn’t stop them from thinking innovatively about customer engagement in the digital age.

Regina shares how her team is transforming traditional banking touchpoints into rich, multi-channel experiences that prioritize customer trust, education, and community. From using employee storytelling to humanize financial topics, to tailoring content for platform-specific audiences, FNBO’s approach is as strategic as it is personal.

You’ll hear how Regina and her team:

• Leverage real-time customer insights to guide content creation
• Build trust by consistently showing up with relevant, value-driven messaging
• Use content personalization to meet customers where they are—both in life and in channel
• Connect with younger generations through social-first campaigns like the “Be Kind” mural initiative
• Balance brand consistency with creative freedom across platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and blogs

Whether you’re in financial services or not, this episode is packed with practical ideas on how to scale content without losing your brand’s human touch.

Guest: Regina DeMars, Director of Content Marketing & Social Media Strategy, FNBO

Host: Cornelia Klimek, Group Product Manager, UserTesting

Producer: Nathan Isaacs, Senior Manager, Content Production, UserTesting

Resources & Links:

• Connect with Regina on LinkedIn
• Connect with Cornelia on LinkedIn
• Explore FNBO’s content and campaigns on Instagram and YouTube
• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: usertesting.com/podcast

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Rate Insights Unlocked and write a review

If you appreciate Insights Unlocked, please give it a rating and a review.

Visit Apple Podcasts, pull up the Insights Unlocked show page and scroll to the bottom of the screen. Below the trailers, you'll find Ratings and Reviews. Click on a star rating. Scroll down past the highlighted review and click on "Write a Review." You'll make my day.

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In this episode of Insights Unlocked, we explore the evolving landscape of omnichannel strategies with Kate MacCabe, founder of Flywheel Strategy. With nearly two decades of experience in digital strategy and product management, Kate shares her insights on bridging internal silos, leveraging customer insights, and designing omnichannel experiences that truly resonate.

From the early days of DTC growth to today’s complex, multi-touchpoint customer journeys, Kate explains why omnichannel is no longer optional—it’s essential. She highlights a standout example from Anthropologie, demonstrating how brands can create a unified customer experience across digital and physical spaces. Whether you’re a marketing leader, UX strategist, or product manager, this episode is packed with actionable advice on aligning teams, integrating user feedback, and building a future-proof omnichannel strategy.

Key Takeaways:

✅ Omnichannel vs. Multichannel: Many brands think they’re omnichannel, but they’re really just multichannel. Kate breaks down the difference and how to shift toward true integration.

✅ Anthropologie’s Success Story: Learn how this brand seamlessly blended physical and digital experiences to create a memorable, data-driven customer journey.

✅ User Feedback is the Secret Weapon: Discover how continuous user testing—before, during, and after a launch—helps brands fine-tune their strategies and avoid costly mistakes.

✅ Aligning Teams for Success: Cross-functional collaboration is critical. Kate shares tips on breaking down silos between marketing, product, and development teams.

✅ Emerging Tech & Omnichannel: Instead of chasing the latest tech trends, Kate advises businesses to define their strategic goals first—then leverage AI, AR, and other innovations to enhance the customer experience.

Quotes from the Episode:

💬 "Omnichannel isn’t just about being everywhere; it’s about creating seamless bridges between every touchpoint a customer interacts with." – Kate MacCabe

💬 "Companies that truly listen to their users—through qualitative and quantitative insights—are the ones that thrive in today’s competitive landscape." – Kate MacCabe

Resources & Links:

🔗 Learn more about Flywheel Strategy

🔗 Connect with Kate MacCabe on LinkedIn

🔗 Explore UserTesting for customer insights for marketers

How can businesses move beyond traditional SEO rankings to create a truly engaging and high-converting user experience?

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, host Nathan Isaacs sits down with Georgia Tan, co-founder of Switch Key Digital, to discuss the future of search and the rise of Search Experience Optimization (SXO).

Georgia shares how SXO integrates SEO, user experience (UX), and conversion rate optimization (CRO) to create a holistic search strategy that not only ranks well but also delivers meaningful engagement and conversions. As AI-driven search and multi-platform visibility become critical, Georgia explains why focusing on the user journey is the key to future-proofing your search strategy.

She also walks us through real-world case studies, practical steps for businesses looking to shift toward SXO, and how to measure success beyond traditional keyword rankings.

Tune in to learn:

• What Search Experience Optimization (SXO) is and how it differs from traditional SEO
• Why integrating UX and CRO is essential for long-term search success
• How AI-driven search and evolving user behaviors are shaping SEO in 2025
• Actionable strategies to improve organic traffic and engagement
• Key metrics and a balanced scorecard approach to measure SXO success
• Real-world examples of businesses that boosted conversions with SXO

💡 "It's not just about ranking #1; it's about creating a seamless experience that keeps users engaged and converts them into loyal customers." – Georgia Tan

Georgia Tan is the co-founder of Switch Key Digital and a seasoned expert in SEO, content strategy, and UX design. She developed the SXO framework to help businesses bridge the gap between search visibility and meaningful user engagement.

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In this episode of Insights Unlocked, we explore how marketing, UX, and customer experience teams can collaborate to craft impactful, data-driven strategies. Our guests—Emily Carrion, CMO at Entrepreneurs'​ Organization; Katie Karr, a Senior User Experience Designer at Workiva; and Kristy Morrison, Director of Digital Marketing at F5,—share insights on cutting through digital noise, optimizing messaging, and leveraging user testing to create seamless experiences that drive business success.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

1. The marketing challenge – Why understanding customer needs remains the foundation of great marketing, even as digital channels become increasingly noisy​.
2. UX as a marketing advantage – How UX research and design play a critical role in communicating value to potential customers, especially since 80% of SaaS buyers research before speaking with sales​.
3. The role of testing – How teams can use customer insights, A/B testing, and analytics (quant + qual) to optimize messaging, improve conversions, and enhance brand clarity​.
4. Cross-team collaboration – Why breaking down silos between marketing, UX, product, and content teams leads to better customer experiences and stronger business impact​.

Key Quotes from Our Guests:

💡 “There are some things in marketing that never change. Our job is to deeply understand our customer and connect their needs with our product’s value.” – Emily Carrion​

💡 “Every good experience you create is part of your brand—so is every bad experience.” – Kristy Morrison​

💡 “UX isn’t just a product function anymore. It’s critical in marketing to ensure we’re communicating the right message upfront.” – Katie Karr​

Episode links: 

• Emily Carrion on Linkedin
• Kristy Morrison on Linkedin
• Katie Karr on Linkedin
• Blog post: 31 Expert Opinions on the Importance of UX in Marketing

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In this Insights Unlocked episode, host Michael Domanic sits down with Jack Mitchell, Head of Product and Operations at Zigzag, the #1 puppy training app. Jack shares how his team built Ziggy, an AI-powered virtual puppy trainer designed to provide personalized, science-backed training advice at scale.

Jack explains that scalability was a major challenge for the certified B-Corp startup. Originally, Zigzag provided WhatsApp chat support with real dog trainers, but as the company grew, this wasn’t sustainable. They needed a way to offer science-backed, consistent training advice while still maintaining the personal touch that users valued​.

Additionally, user behavior played a key role in the decision to develop an AI-powered chat. Zigzag found many customers hesitated to ask simple questions because they didn’t want to bother a human trainer—even though they were paying for the service. AI eliminated this friction by making users feel more comfortable asking quick, everyday training questions​.

Zigzag is continuously refining Ziggy’s AI model based on user feedback, with a 96% positive rating of the feature. "Trust is key," Jack said. "Users need to know they’re getting the right advice—every time."

Looking ahead, Jack said they aim to expand Ziggy’s capabilities and explore how AI can further improve the pet training experience.

"The goal is to keep making the AI better, smarter, and more useful for puppy parents everywhere," he said.

Key Takeaways:

🐶 AI as a training tool – How Zigzag built Ziggy to provide AI-driven, real-time puppy training advice.

📈 From concept to execution – The strategic and technical hurdles in implementing AI, from user feedback to content validation.

🔄 Engagement & retention – How and why AI chat features have increased user interactions and overall app retention rates.

🎯 Measuring AI’s business impact – The importance of A/B testing, user feedback, and ROI tracking to validate AI investments.

🚀 AI Beyond the product – How small teams like Zigzag use AI to streamline internal workflows and accelerate product development.

Episode links: 

🐾 Try ZigZag: Download the app (if applicable)

💬 Connect with Jack Mitchell on LinkedIn: Find him on LinkedIn

🏁 A comprehensive guide to A/B testing: A comprehensive guide on conducting effective A/B tests to enhance user experience and conversion rates.

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Visit Apple Podcasts, pull up the Insights Unlocked show page and scroll to the bottom of the screen. Below the trailers, you'll find Ratings and Reviews. Click on a star rating. Scroll down past the highlighted review and click on "Write a Review." You'll make my day.

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In this week’s Insights Unlocked, we look back at three past episodes discussing the importance of smart content—that strategically crafted, user-focused content that adapts to audience needs, enhances customer experience, and drives engagement through clarity and relevance. Industry experts Bobbie Wood, Natalie Dunbar, and Kelly Erickson share insights on the impact of well-crafted content, the power of user testing, and the evolving role of AI in UX writing. Whether you’re in marketing, CX, or UX, you’ll gain valuable takeaways on how content strategy can elevate your brand and improve the way customers interact with your products and services.

Key Topics & Takeaways:

• Successful companies prioritize clear, user-friendly content to drive engagement and loyalty.
• Content strategy isn’t just about writing—it’s about delivering the right message at the right time in the right format.
• Microcopy, such as button text and CTAs, can make or break user engagement.

• A/B testing and usability studies are essential to understand how users interact with content.
• Testing must go beyond isolated elements—content should be evaluated across the entire user journey to ensure consistency.
• Observing user reactions, especially when they stop interacting, can reveal pain points that need to be addressed.

• A strong brand voice ensures content remains consistent across channels while still adapting to different user needs.
• Marketers and UX teams should define voice and tone guidelines that allow flexibility for various contexts.
• The right balance between structured brand messaging and personalized user interactions enhances engagement.

• AI tools can assist with content creation, but they lack the human empathy, nuance, and contextual understanding needed for great UX writing.
• The future of AI in UX writing is still evolving, and ethical concerns around AI-generated content must be considered.
• While AI can optimize workflows, human oversight remains crucial in crafting meaningful and relatable content.

• Content strategists should be involved from the very beginning of product and experience design.
• Early collaboration ensures content aligns with user expectations, business goals, and overall design strategy.
• Mapping out content needs before development reduces the risk of last-minute changes and improves efficiency.

Featured Guests:

🔹 Bobbie Wood on LinkedIn

🔹 Natalie Dunbar on LinkedIn

🔹 Kelly Erickson on LinkedIn

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Rate Insights Unlocked and write a review

If you appreciate Insights Unlocked, please give it a rating and a review.

Visit Apple Podcasts, pull up the Insights Unlocked show page and scroll to the bottom of the screen. Below the trailers, you'll find Ratings and Reviews. Click on a star rating. Scroll down past the highlighted review and click on "Write a Review." You'll make my day.

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In today’s crowded digital world, standing out on LinkedIn is more challenging than ever. With users scrolling through 300 feet of content daily and 1.5 million pieces of content being engaged with every minute, how can marketers cut through the noise?

In this episode, Nathan Isaacs sits down with Purna Virji, a LinkedIn marketing expert and author of High Impact Content Marketing, to discuss proven strategies for LinkedIn success. From blending organic and paid content to leveraging thought leadership and short-form video, Purna shares valuable insights on building engagement, trust, and brand loyalty on one of the world’s most powerful professional platforms.

Key Takeaways:

🔥 Why Consistency Matters: A common mistake brands make is only showing up when they have a big launch. Purna emphasizes the importance of continuous engagement—whether through organic posts, paid ads, or a mix of both.

🌱 Paid vs. Organic: Why You Need Both: LinkedIn research shows that users exposed to both organic and paid content are 61% more likely to convert than those who only see paid ads. Organic content nurtures your existing audience, while paid ads help you reach new ones.

📊 Testing and Learning: Your LinkedIn page isn’t just a broadcasting tool—it’s a dynamic testing ground. Brands should experiment with different types of content organically before investing ad dollars to boost their top-performing posts.

🎥 The Rise of Short-Form Video: Video consumption continues to surge, with LinkedIn seeing a 34% increase in video uploads year over year. Purna recommends embracing short, engaging videos to build trust and humanize your brand.

💡 Leveraging Thought Leadership: People follow people before they follow brands. Thought leader ads allow companies to boost employee and executive content, making it a powerful tool for credibility and reach.

📣 Beyond Vanity Metrics: It’s not just about likes and shares—success on LinkedIn should be measured by pipeline impact, engagement quality, and long-term brand trust.

Episode Links:

📖 Purna Virji’s book: High Impact Content Marketing 

💡 Follow Purna on LinkedIn: Purna Virji

📊 LinkedIn for Marketing: LinkedIn Business Page

🎧 More episodes of Insights Unlocked: UserTesting Podcast

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Rate Insights Unlocked and write a review

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Visit Apple Podcasts, pull up the Insights Unlocked show page and scroll to the bottom of the screen. Below the trailers, you'll find Ratings and Reviews. Click on a star rating. Scroll down past the highlighted review and click on "Write a Review." You'll make my day.

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In this episode of Insights Unlocked, host Jason Giles sits down with Alastair Simpson, VP of Design at Dropbox, to discuss his non-traditional career journey, scaling design teams, and the evolution of remote work. Alastair shares key insights on fostering a strong design culture, navigating hypergrowth environments, and leveraging AI to enhance UX research.

Tune in to learn how Dropbox’s Virtual-First model is redefining collaboration, why outcomes matter more than process adherence, and how AI is reshaping design workflows.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

🎨 Alastair’s Unconventional Path to Design Leadership

• How he transitioned from aspiring professional footballer to UX design leader.
• The role of consumer psychology in his design approach.
• How early career experiences—like working in a call center—helped him develop core design skills such as listening, communication, and problem-solving.

🏗️ Scaling Design Teams in High-Growth Companies

• Lessons from leading design at Atlassian and Dropbox during rapid expansion.
• Why effectiveness matters more than efficiency when managing creative teams.
• The importance of regular critique and how Dropbox ensures continuous feedback.

🌍 Virtual-First Work & Remote Collaboration

• How Dropbox designed and implemented its Virtual-First model (90% remote, 10% in-person).
• The concept of "core collaboration hours" and why nonlinear workdays boost productivity.
• The impact of remote work on trust, culture, and cross-functional collaboration.

🤖 AI’s Role in UX and Research

• How Dropbox is using AI-powered agents to improve access to past research.
• AI’s role in summarizing usability studies and enhancing design iteration speed.
• The balance between automation and human judgment in crafting great experiences.

Key Takeaways & Quotes

💡 “Design is about building strong foundations—color, typography, layout, and interaction design. AI can enhance our workflows, but it doesn’t replace good fundamentals.” – Alastair Simpson

💡 “We don’t focus on efficiency for efficiency’s sake. Instead, we prioritize outcomes and impact.”

💡 “Virtual work doesn’t mean no in-person connection—it means intentional gatherings that matter.”

Resources & Links

📌 Connect with Alastair Simpson on LinkedIn

📌 Learn more about Dropbox Design: Dropbox.Design

📌 Explore UserTesting: UserTesting.com

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Rate Insights Unlocked and write a review

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Visit Apple Podcasts, pull up the Insights Unlocked show page and scroll to the bottom of the screen. Below the trailers, you'll find Ratings and Reviews. Click on a star rating. Scroll down past the highlighted review and click on "Write a Review." You'll make my day.

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In this episode of Insights Unlocked, host Brent Leary sits down with Melissa Garber, Senior User Experience Researcher at Consumer Reports, to explore the evolving role of AI in UX research and how it’s shaping consumer interactions. From developing an in-house conversational AI agent to tackling data privacy concerns, Melissa shares insights on how research can proactively shape AI tools rather than just react to them. She also dives into the challenges of AI adoption, maintaining brand trust, and how understanding consumer journeys is more complex than ever.

💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ How AI is being leveraged at Consumer Reports to enhance consumer insights and decision-making

✅ The importance of human-in-the-loop AI systems to prevent misinformation

✅ Why UX research should drive AI development—not the other way around

✅ Challenges in adopting AI within research teams and overcoming skepticism

✅ The evolving consumer journey and how AI can assist in predicting user needs

🎯 Who Should Listen?

This episode is perfect for UX researchers, product leaders, marketers, and CX professionals who are interested in the intersection of AI and user experience, and how AI-powered insights can drive better customer interactions.

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Visit Apple Podcasts, pull up the Insights Unlocked show page and scroll to the bottom of the screen. Below the trailers, you'll find Ratings and Reviews. Click on a star rating. Scroll down past the highlighted review and click on "Write a Review." You'll make my day.

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In this episode of Insights Unlocked, Michelle Engle sits down with Andy O’Dower, Twilio’s VP of Product Management, to dive into the company’s game-changing approach to customer communication. From simplifying complex communication systems for developers to using AI to deliver personalized experiences, Twilio is leading the way in reshaping how businesses engage with their customers.

Andy shares how Twilio’s platform enables real-time, omnichannel communication at a massive global scale, helping brands create trusted, seamless, and smart interactions. He also sheds light on how advancements in conversational AI, sentiment analysis, and voice intelligence are revolutionizing customer engagement and support.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How Twilio empowers developers with simple APIs to integrate voice, video, email, and messaging capabilities.
• How AI tools like transcription, sentiment analysis, and virtual agents are redefining customer experiences.
• Why trust and privacy are essential in building AI-driven communication systems.
• The role of autonomous agents in creating personalized, frictionless interactions with customers.
• Twilio’s vision for the future of customer engagement, with AI and data at its core.

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Visit Apple Podcasts, pull up the Insights Unlocked show page and scroll to the bottom of the screen. Below the trailers, you'll find Ratings and Reviews. Click on a star rating. Scroll down past the highlighted review and click on "Write a Review." You'll make my day.

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In this special episode, recorded live at The Human Insights Summit in October, Amy Stillman, VP of Design at Cedar, and Logan Hartline, Senior Director of UX at HCA Healthcare, talk with host Lija Hogan from UserTesting about how healthcare leaders use storytelling and AI to improve UX, align stakeholders, and transform patient experiences.

The episode focused on innovation and user experience (UX) in healthcare, emphasizing collaboration, insights, and the integration of AI.

Key Themes:

1. Collaboration and Success Stories:

• Amy shared Cedar’s efforts in creating tools to help patients identify Medicaid eligibility, simplifying a typically cumbersome process. The project highlighted the emotional and psychological barriers users face and how digital solutions can foster a more accessible and empathetic experience.
• Logan discussed a UX project improving emergency department operations. By shadowing staff and observing real-life workflows, the team uncovered critical design insights about the conflicting color codes across different systems, leading to improved coordination.

1. AI and Innovation:

• Both leaders highlighted AI's role in their organizations. Logan described how predictive analytics are helping anticipate staffing needs in labor and delivery, balancing efficiency with human oversight.
• Amy discussed leveraging AI in call centers to improve data accuracy and reduce staff workload. By analyzing tone and call content, they enhanced both operational efficiency and patient satisfaction while maintaining sensitivity to user tolerance for AI interactions.

1. The Power of Insights and Storytelling:

• Both speakers emphasized the importance of qualitative research and storytelling in aligning stakeholders and driving change. Using patient narratives and highlight reels, they built urgency and alignment among decision-makers, demonstrating the tangible impact of UX insights.

1. Advice for UX Practitioners:

• Logan advised starting small with curiosity-driven research and democratizing UX practices within teams. Amy stressed the importance of aligning UX goals with measurable metrics that resonate with stakeholders, particularly in healthcare’s data-driven environment.

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Rate Insights Unlocked and write a review

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Visit Apple Podcasts, pull up the Insights Unlocked show page and scroll to the bottom of the screen. Below the trailers, you'll find Ratings and Reviews. Click on a star rating. Scroll down past the highlighted review and click on "Write a Review." You'll make my day.

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In this special episode, recorded live from THiS 2024, we explore the biggest challenges women face in today’s workplace and the actionable steps needed to drive change. Our panel of inspiring women leaders dives into the persistent gender pay gap, the lack of leadership representation, the importance of mentorship and sponsorship, and achieving a sustainable work-family balance.

From tips on negotiating salaries to navigating career growth with intentionality, this conversation offers practical advice and powerful insights for women looking to thrive in tech—and for organizations striving to create more equitable workplaces.

Whether you're a leader, mentor, or someone starting your career, this episode provides valuable takeaways to help you advocate for yourself, build meaningful connections, and craft the career you want.

Panelists included:

• Stacy Sherman, author and advisor, Doing CX Right
• Alita Joyce, UX Researcher at Google Cloud 
• Monique Lalonde, Director, Product Design at REI
• Lija Hogan, Principal, Experience Research Strategy at UserTesting

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• How to address the gender pay gap with practical negotiation strategies and pay equity policies.
• Why leadership representation matters and how to position yourself for growth.
• The critical role of mentorship and how to build relationships that empower your career.
• How to balance career and family with the right support systems and mindset.
• The power of asking for opportunities, setting goals, and creating your own communities for support.

Key Topics Discussed

1. Gender Pay Gap

• Women earn 84% of what men earn—how can we close this gap?
• Negotiation tips and strategies for pay equity.

1. Leadership Representation

• How to find companies that prioritize women in leadership roles.
• Practical advice for setting and communicating leadership goals.

1. Mentorship and Sponsorship

• The difference between mentors and sponsors—and why both matter.
• Proactive steps to find mentors and build supportive professional networks.

1. Work-Family Balance

• Why it’s not about choosing “either-or”—you can thrive in both work and family life.
• Insights into planning and creating a sustainable support system.

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Episode Summary:

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, host Nathan Isaacs chats with Kuldeep Kelkar, partner at UXReactor, seasoned UX researcher, and author of Strengthen Your User Research Superpowers. Kuldeep shares his journey through 25+ years in user research, his experiences shaping the industry, and how his new book is designed to empower researchers to amplify their influence within organizations.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• The evolution of user research from a niche function to a critical part of product development.
• Key challenges faced by UX researchers, including gaining influence, communicating value, and driving business impact.
• How Kuldeep’s book provides practical, actionable skills in the form of "superpowers" to help researchers navigate these challenges.
• Why addressing sample size questions can be an opportunity to educate and build credibility.

Highlights:

• Kuldeep’s Career Journey: From being one of the first researchers at PayPal in 2004 to his leadership role at UX Reactor.
• About the Book: Kuldeep’s book is structured like a deck of 52 cards, each focused on strengthening specific "superpowers" researchers need to succeed.
• Favorite Superpower: Learn why "sample size" is a topic Kuldeep now approaches with confidence and excitement.
• AI in UX Research: Insights into how AI tools like ChatGPT are being integrated into research and design processes, and the current limitations of AI-driven efficiencies.
• Industry Trends: Discover how budget constraints and resource cuts are influencing organizations’ approaches to UX and the growing demand for outsourced expertise.
• Customer Feedback in Action: A surprising story of how Kuldeep’s advice helped a client rethink usability testing timelines.

Rapid-Fire Fun:

• Kuldeep shares his favorite word ("research"), a dream career (astrophysicist), and what role he’d take in a restaurant (chef—despite not cooking!).

Memorable Quote:

"The biggest challenge for researchers isn’t conducting research—it’s gaining influence and driving outcomes within their organizations." – Kuldeep Kelkar

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In this episode, Michael Dominic, Head of AI at UserTesting, and Mike Mace, a seasoned tech industry veteran, delve into the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on the workplace. From the evolution of AI to strategies for effective implementation, they explore how organizations can harness this powerful technology to drive productivity, innovation, and competitive advantage.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Two Waves of AI Hype:

• Explore the rise and fall of conversational AI tools during the first hype cycle (2015–2019).
• Learn how OpenAI's ChatGPT launched the second wave of rapid adoption in 2022.

1. AI Adoption at a Glance:

• 66% of knowledge workers globally use generative AI tools like ChatGPT, making this the fastest adoption of a major tech product in history.
• Despite high adoption rates, only 20% of users maximize AI's potential as a daily productivity tool.

1. Challenges in AI Integration:

• A significant gap in training leaves most users underutilizing AI.
• Companies must implement deliberate training and governance to reap the full benefits.

1. Humanizing AI Interactions:

• Discover how users judge AI chatbots like they would human interactions—emphasizing tone, phrasing, and emotional resonance.
• Understand the importance of aligning AI interactions with brand voice and values.

1. Strategies for Success:

• Choose the right AI model for your business needs.
• Set clear data governance policies to ensure security and compliance.
• Establish training programs to help employees integrate AI into their workflows effectively.
• Treat AI as a partner in strategy, not just a task-oriented tool.

Actionable Insights:

• For Leaders: Empower your teams with AI training and clear guidelines to unlock its full productivity potential.
• For Product Teams: Test AI features for usability and emotional resonance to ensure they align with user expectations and your brand identity.
• For Organizations: View AI as an opportunity for competitive differentiation, not just a security challenge.

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In this episode of Insights Unlocked, host Nathan Isaacs talks with Mike McDowell, Senior Solutions Consultant at UserTesting, about his role, his new book Demotainment: The Art of Delivering Demos That Engage, Inspire, and Drive Results, and his approach to crafting compelling product demonstrations.

Key Highlights:

1. Role at UserTesting:

• Mike describes his role as a platform expert, guiding clients on effectively utilizing UserTesting’s tools. He supports sales processes and helps teams maximize value by aligning the platform with their business goals​.

1. The Concept of Demotainment:

• Mike explains how his background in theater inspired him to transform product demonstrations into performances that captivate audiences. His philosophy emphasizes bringing energy, personalizing demos, and engaging customers​.

1. Writing the Book:

• The book stemmed from a popular presentation Mike gave at Demo Fest. Encouraged by the reception, he expanded his ideas into a LinkedIn article and eventually a book. He shares the iterative writing process, from drafting chapters based on his presentation to weaving in anecdotes and pop culture references to make the book lively and relatable​.

1. Impact on Sales Teams:

• The book aims to help sales professionals make their demonstrations more personalized and engaging, ultimately boosting success rates. Mike offers strategies for tailoring demos even with limited preparation​.

1. Behind-the-Scenes of Writing:

• Mike talks about the discipline and creativity required to write a book while managing a busy schedule. He reveals how revisiting his material and getting reader feedback improved both his writing and professional approach to demos​.

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In this episode of Insights Unlocked, host Kerry Johnstone welcomes Veronica Bogdacenco, Channel and Optimization Manager at Tide, a leading UK-based fintech company. Veronica shares her expertise in blending marketing insights with UX strategies to create seamless and effective user experiences. She delves into the challenges of maintaining agility in a fast-growing company, creative approaches to user testing, and how AI is reshaping UX research.

From her innovative weekend testing methods to leveraging in-app notifications for user feedback, Veronica provides actionable tips for product teams navigating growth and tight deadlines. She also highlights the importance of quick, iterative research to de-risk decisions and ensure clarity in regulated industries like finance. Whether you're a UX researcher, product manager, or designer, this episode is packed with practical advice for building user-centric products efficiently.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Blending Marketing and UX: How to use qualitative and quantitative data for deeper customer insights.
• Maintaining Agility in a Growing Organization: Veronica’s methods for decentralizing UX research and streamlining processes.
• Innovative Testing Techniques: The power of weekend tests, external testers, and in-app notifications to gather feedback without disrupting workflows.
• AI in UX Research: How AI can enhance UX processes by automating tasks like feedback summaries and detecting emotional responses.
• Working in Regulated Industries: Key considerations for ensuring clarity and transparency in customer-facing designs.
• Scaling UX Practices: Strategies to embed UX testing into workflows as teams and product portfolios expand.

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Show Notes

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, host Blair Fraser sits down with Dr. Sam Howard, Head of UX at Curio, to explore how AI is transforming the way people consume news. From Sam’s unique career journey—from academia to consulting to leading UX at a forward-thinking company—to Curio's mission of fixing fragmented and overwhelming news experiences, this conversation dives into the heart of user-centric design and AI innovation.

Discover how Curio balances cutting-edge AI with trusted sources to deliver meaningful solutions, the challenges of creating archetypes in a rapidly evolving tech landscape, and why robust discovery research is more critical than ever. If you’re a UX researcher, designer, or product leader navigating the intersection of user experience and AI, this episode is packed with actionable insights and forward-thinking strategies.

Key Themes & Highlights:

• The Power of User-Centered Design:
• Why embedding user insights at the start of product design leads to better outcomes.
• Sam’s approach to understanding and addressing user frustrations with traditional news platforms.
• AI in UX Research:
• How Curio blends AI personalization with reliable sources to maintain trust.
• The "Many Wizards of Oz" method: A groundbreaking approach to simulating AI experiences in user research.
• Tackling Behavioral Archetypes:
• Why Curio focuses on early adopters and behavioral archetypes instead of rigid personas.
• Addressing news avoidance and user anxiety through design thinking.
• Driving Impact in Organizations:
• How to align qualitative user research with quantitative data to influence stakeholders.
• Using video storytelling as a tool for fostering empathy and buy-in from business leaders.
• Future of UX and AI:
• The need to evolve UX methodologies for non-linear, AI-driven user journeys.
• Balancing transparency and value when communicating AI’s role to end users.

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Episode show notes

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, host Lija Hogan speaks with Kate Towsey, a leading voice in research operations, author of Research That Scales, and founder of the Cha-Cha Club for research ops professionals. Kate takes us through her fascinating journey to becoming a trailblazer in research operations. Along the way, she highlights the transformative power of systems thinking and strategic scaling in the evolving field of research.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. The Evolution of Research Ops:

• How research operations has grown from an overlooked role to a critical component of organizational strategy.
• Why nuanced job descriptions and specialized roles are becoming the norm in research ops.

1. Scaling Research with Systems Thinking:

• The importance of scalable systems that create value efficiently rather than simply expanding headcount.
• How strategic thinking can prioritize impactful research aligned with organizational goals.

1. Building Trust and Embedding Culture:

• Why trust is foundational for research outcomes to be accepted and acted upon.
• The cultural impact of well-integrated research tools and practices on organizational learning.

1. Knowledge Management in Research:

• The contrast between collaborative "campfires" of learning and structured libraries for long-term access and utility.
• Practical advice for implementing effective research knowledge management strategies.

1. The Role of AI in Research:

• How AI can enhance research operations, provided organizations foster trust in these technologies.

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Show Notes

Join host Mike McDowell as he welcomes Ludwig Fichte, Staff User Researcher, and Aarjav Pandya, Senior Product Designer, both from Mozilla, to explore the fascinating world of UX research and its impact on product design. In this episode, they break down Mozilla’s approach to user research and benchmarking studies, revealing how insights drive innovation for Firefox Mobile and beyond.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• How UX Research Shapes Product Design: Discover the critical role research plays in creating intuitive, user-friendly designs and how Mozilla translates insights into action.
• Benchmarking in Action: Learn how Mozilla compares Firefox to competitors like Chrome, Safari, and Brave, and how task-based benchmarking reveals areas for improvement.
• Designing for Familiarity and Innovation: Hear how Mozilla balances maintaining familiar design patterns with pushing the boundaries of usability.
• The Iterative Nature of UX: Explore why UX research is never "finished" and how continuous testing helps adapt to evolving user needs.

Episode Links:

• Download Firefox – Experience the latest in browser innovation.
• Mozilla Blog – Stay updated on Mozilla’s projects and initiatives.
• Acorn Design System – Dive into Firefox's design approach.
• Research at Mozilla – Explore Mozilla’s research-focused initiatives.
• Ludwig Fichte on LinkedIn
• Aarjav Pandya on LinkedIn
• Mike McDowell on LinkedIn

Together, they explore the strategies and philosophies that make Givelify stand out, from leveraging user feedback to creating features that genuinely connect with the emotional and practical needs of donors. Neeraj discusses how Givelify listens to its users to develop features that foster trust and encourage consistent giving, all while balancing the needs of donors and charitable organizations.

Key Themes:

• The Birth of Givelify: Givelify’s origin story is rooted in a moment of missed opportunity and inspiration, sparking the idea of a platform that would make charitable giving easy and accessible for anyone with a mobile device.
• User-Centered Design and Trust: Givelify puts donor trust at the forefront, emphasizing data security, transparent processes, and visual cues like familiar faces to help donors feel safe and assured in their giving.
• Emotional Connection in UX: Givelify’s approach goes beyond technical ease; they aim to create an experience that captures the “warm glow” of giving, ensuring donors feel positive and connected with each gift.
• Innovation in loyalty programs: Neeraj introduces Champions of Good, the first loyalty program in the giving sector, which rewards donors for consistent giving. The feature encourages engagement based on frequency rather than amount, supporting people’s desire to give at their own pace.
• Iterative development with user feedback: Givelify uses insights from UserTesting to understand both new and familiar users, continuously refining features to serve donors better. Testing has revealed valuable insights, such as the potential pitfalls of certain features like “Giving Streaks,” which needed careful adjustment to avoid discouraging users.

Balancing stakeholder needs: Neeraj emphasizes the importance of prioritizing donors, even as Givelify works with a wide range of stakeholders, from religious organizations to nonprofits. Features are designed to empower donors while keeping the act of giving meaningful and fulfilling.

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Get your copy now >>> Generative AI chatbots: overhyped but still underestimated

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Show Notes

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, UserTesting’s Blair Fraser dives into a fascinating discussion with Emma Whitby and Aleks Gojkovic from the BBC's User Experience and Design (UX&D) team. Emma and Aleks share insights from their work on a project designed to help one of the BBC’s most valued audiences—retirees—transition from traditional broadcast services to digital platforms. They reveal how combining empathy-driven UX research with big data insights has led to a deeper understanding of this generation's unique challenges and needs, and discuss the innovative storytelling and design approaches that help build inclusive, accessible digital experiences.

Key Themes Discussed:

1. Designing with empathy for retirees in a digital world
2. Emma and Aleks share how they approached researching a user group that has long relied on broadcast services. Through community interactions and storytelling, they uncovered the daily reliance this audience places on TV and radio for structure, connection, and companionship. Emma and Aleks reveal how this research influenced their approach to human-centered design for a traditionally underserved audience.
3. The power of storytelling in UX research
4. UX research at the BBC goes beyond data points—Emma and Aleks highlight the importance of empathy and storytelling to convey user needs. They explain how using narrative alongside data helped them capture the attention of stakeholders and build emotional connections, transforming research findings into actionable insights.
5. Using big data to drive strategic decisions
6. Aleks discusses the role of big data in understanding and validating the significance of retirees as a core BBC audience. By blending quantitative data with qualitative insights, the UX&D team was able to highlight business opportunities and challenge common biases, underscoring how inclusive design can drive both user satisfaction and business success.
7. Innovative collaboration with the BBC’s Blue Room
8. Learn how the UX&D team partnered with the BBC’s Blue Room, a tech demo lab, to bring their insights to life through 3D digital recreations of retirees' living spaces. These interactive exhibits provide stakeholders with a firsthand look at the accessibility challenges retirees face, sparking innovation in designing user-friendly digital services.
9. Shaping the future of inclusive design at scale
10. Emma and Aleks discuss the ongoing impact of their project across the BBC, which has inspired collaboration and changes in product strategies. They share how, by focusing on retirees’ needs, they are challenging assumptions and advancing inclusive design practices that resonate with diverse audiences.

Episode Links:

• BBC’s Global Experience Language (GEL)
• BBC What is UX&D?
• BBC UX&D on LinkedIn
• Aleks Gojkovic on LinkedIn
• Blair Fraser on LinkedIn

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Show Notes

In this episode, we welcome Sharbani Dhar, a leading voice in customer experience design and founder of dotinfinity. She joins host Louis Granger to discuss the evolving role of design and AI in shaping meaningful customer journeys. With a career rooted in UX leadership, Sharbani brings a strategic, customer-first approach to AI, moving beyond the common “tech-first” mentality that often misses the mark on delivering real business value.

Sharbani shares how dotinfinity was founded on the idea that design and research should be central to solving complex customer challenges, not just surface-level enhancements. She highlights the Responsible AI Canvas her team developed, which guides organizations in responsibly adopting AI with a human-centered lens. The conversation covers actionable insights into aligning AI with core business goals, the importance of employee engagement, and why effective AI implementation requires a focus on problem-solving, not just technology.

Key themes and ideas:

• Sharbani explains how design and research are often undervalued, perceived as transactional rather than strategic. She advocates for the integration of design as a driver of business outcomes and deeper customer connections.
• Quote: "It’s not just about making things look good – it’s about creating meaningful experiences that shape customer journeys and drive business results."

• AI implementation is more than adopting the latest tech trends; it requires a problem-first approach to identify where AI can genuinely solve challenges and deliver ROI.
• Sharbani introduces her team's Responsible AI Canvas, a three-step framework that helps organizations assess AI readiness, align technology with KPIs, and execute responsibly.
• Tip: Align AI initiatives with real organizational goals and assess readiness across people, infrastructure, and governance.

• AI implementation requires both the right tech and the right people. Sharbani stresses training and workforce alignment, so employees not only support AI initiatives but grow with them.
• The episode highlights Australian government guidelines that Infinity follows: Responsible AI Training, Data & Governance Training, and Diversity & Fairness Training, each critical to minimizing biases and fostering ethical AI.

• Sharbani shares her skepticism of Net Promoter Score (NPS) as a metric, noting it often fails to capture real customer satisfaction or journey pain points. Instead, she advocates for metrics that reflect customer engagement, trust, and brand loyalty.
• Quote: “NPS tells us how likely customers are to recommend a product, but it doesn’t reveal the whole story.”

• A siloed approach to AI often limits its potential impact. Sharbani advises organizations to adopt ecosystem thinking, which includes partnerships and integration across customer journeys. She shares a compelling example of a Canadian health insurer collaborating with supermarkets to reward healthy customer behaviors through AI.
• Takeaway: Look for opportunities to integrate AI solutions within a broader ecosystem that aligns with customers’ lives.

Episode Links:

• dotinfinity’s Responsible AI Canvas
• Sharbani Dhar on LinkedIn
• dotinfinity website
• The Casks and Convos podcast

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Show Notes

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, we sit down with Steve Portigal, a seasoned user researcher, author, and host of the Dollars to Donuts podcast, to discuss how the field of user research has evolved over the past 20 years. Steve shares his unique perspective on the significant changes that have shaped the industry, from the rise of in-house research teams to the impact of remote work on research methodologies. He also delves into the crucial difference between analysis and synthesis in research and offers practical advice for improving research outcomes. Whether you’re a new researcher or a seasoned expert, Steve’s insights will help you navigate the dynamic and sometimes challenging world of UX research.

Key Themes and Ideas:

1. The Growth of User Research:
2. Steve reflects on how user research has grown from a niche, obscure practice to a well-established community of professionals. This growth has led to increased knowledge sharing through conferences, books, meetups, and podcasts, creating a stronger foundation for collective learning and debate.
3. The Shift from Agencies to In-House Research Teams:
4. One of the biggest shifts Steve discusses is the transition from research being outsourced to agencies and consultants to now being managed by in-house teams. While this change has brought research closer to the core of business decisions, it has also altered the dynamics of advocacy and how researchers communicate findings within organizations.
5. The Impact of Remote Work and Research:
6. With the rise of remote work, especially during the pandemic, remote research has become the default method. While this has expanded opportunities for inclusion and collaboration, Steve cautions that the loss of in-person interactions may limit researchers' ability to fully understand user behaviors and experiences.
7. The Importance of Synthesis in Research:
8. Steve emphasizes the often-overlooked distinction between analysis and synthesis in research. While analysis involves breaking down information, synthesis requires recombining that data into new insights and frameworks that can drive innovation. Steve provides tips on how researchers can improve their synthesis process by allowing time for deeper exploration and collaboration.
9. Practical Advice for New Researchers:
10. For those new to the field, Steve encourages embracing the growing community of UX researchers. He suggests seeking mentorship, engaging in networking, and experimenting with different ways of participating in the community, whether through writing, podcasts, or small peer groups.
11. Looking Ahead: The Future of Research-Led Companies:
12. Steve offers a thought-provoking idea about the possibility of research-led companies emerging in the future. He imagines a world where research isn’t just a service within organizations but a driving force behind product and service innovation.

Episode Links:

• Steve Portigal’s Books: Interviewing Users and Doorbells, Danger, and Dead Batteries
• Dollars to Donuts Podcast
• Discount Code for Interviewing Users: Use "UNLOCKED" at checkout on Rosenfeld Media for 10% off
• Steve's Website
• LinkedIn

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Visit Apple Podcasts, pull up the Insights Unlocked show page and scroll to the bottom of the screen. Below the trailers, you'll find Ratings and Reviews. Click on a star rating. Scroll down past the highlighted review and click on "Write a Review." You'll make my day.

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Show Notes

Podcast Episode: Understanding User Needs with Rhiannon White, Chief Product Officer at Clue

In this episode of the Insights Unlocked podcast, host Kerry Johnstone from UserTesting sits down with Rhiannon White, the Chief Product Officer at Clue, a women's health app with over 10 million users globally. Rhiannon shares her journey from political marketing and roles at BBC to leading product development at Clue, offering a unique perspective on how diverse experiences shape great product leadership.

Key Themes:

• Career Journey and Curiosity About People: Rhiannon discusses her eclectic career and the common thread of curiosity about human behavior that has driven her work. Whether in marketing or product management, understanding people’s needs, problems, and desires has been central to her approach to creating successful user experiences.
• Bringing Insights to Product Leadership: Rhiannon shares a key moment in her career when she realized that shipping products was not enough—she needed to bring deeper insights to the table. By reconnecting with her passion for user research, she now spends time every week directly interviewing customers, a practice she refers to as her “Friday treat,” to stay grounded in the user experience.
• Jobs to Be Done Framework: One of the focal points of the conversation is how Clue uses the “Jobs to Be Done” framework to guide product decisions. Rhiannon explains how Clue’s users have four core needs: trust, orientation (understanding what's happening to them), empowerment (knowing what actions to take), and comfort (feeling connected and not alone). These “jobs” help the team at Clue prioritize product features that address real user pain points and deliver meaningful value.
• Understanding Subjective User Needs: An interesting revelation from the framework was the subjectivity around accuracy, where users with highly regular cycles might have different perceptions of accuracy compared to users with irregular cycles. This insight has helped Clue refine its product approach, ensuring that the app remains valuable to a wide range of users.
• Combining Emotional and Functional Needs: Rhiannon discusses how Clue integrates emotional needs, like trust and comfort, with functional aspects of the product. She gives examples of product features, such as pain tracking, that help users feel validated and connected while also providing actionable insights to improve their health management.
• User Research as an Ongoing Practice: Instead of thinking of research as project-based, Rhiannon stresses the importance of continuous user research. This iterative approach, including fast unmoderated testing, allows Clue’s team to keep refining and improving their product without slowing down development.
• The Role of AI and Human Connection: While AI is seen as a useful tool for processing data, Rhiannon emphasizes the irreplaceable value of direct human connection in product development. She advocates for staying close to users and cautions against over-relying on abstracted data or tools that disconnect product teams from real user emotions and experiences.

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Visit Apple Podcasts, pull up the Insights Unlocked show page and scroll to the bottom of the screen. Below the trailers, you'll find Ratings and Reviews. Click on a star rating. Scroll down past the highlighted review and click on "Write a Review." You'll make my day.

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Show Notes

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, host Sean Treiser sits down with Kelly Erickson, a content designer at Warner Music Group, to explore the nuances of content design and the critical role it plays in shaping user experiences. Kelly shares her career journey, starting as a sports writer and transitioning into content design roles in nonprofit, sports, and tech sectors. With over a decade of experience, she offers rich insights into how content design differs from other design disciplines and the immense value of user and content testing.

From her time at Eventbrite, Kelly reveals surprising insights uncovered through content testing and how small changes in language can lead to significant improvements in user engagement. She emphasizes the importance of understanding user motivations and behaviors and how these insights can guide effective content design decisions.

Listeners will learn how to balance qualitative and quantitative data, prioritize content testing in fast-paced projects, and maintain brand consistency across various touchpoints. Kelly’s practical advice for content designers and UX professionals highlights the long-term impact of a user-centered approach and offers actionable strategies for integrating content testing into design processes.

Key Themes and Ideas Discussed:

• Content Design Journey: Kelly discusses her path from sports writing to content design, reflecting on how her love for words and human behavior led her into the field of UX writing and content design.
• The Role of Content Design in User Experiences: Kelly highlights how content design is fundamentally different from other design disciplines, emphasizing that without the right words, a design may lose its effectiveness. She underscores the importance of clarity and using language that speaks to the user intuitively and humanly.
• Power of Content Testing: One of the core ideas Kelly shares is the importance of testing content before it goes live. She provides examples of how simple wording changes during her time at Eventbrite significantly impacted user engagement, including a 30% increase in click-through rates from a headline change.
• Balancing Qualitative and Quantitative Data: Kelly discusses the balance between qualitative insights from content testing and quantitative data like click-through rates. She explains how each type of data informs content decisions and drives user-centric design.
• Designing for User Motivation: A key insight Kelly shares is understanding and addressing user motivations. She explains how focusing on what users are trying to accomplish, rather than just delivering a product, can elevate the overall experience.
• Consistency and Personalization in Content: The episode covers strategies for maintaining a consistent brand voice while tailoring content to different user scenarios. Kelly introduces the concept of a “tone dial,” where the intensity of the brand’s tone is adjusted based on the user’s interaction.
• Advice for New Content Designers: Kelly encourages content designers to start testing early, even with time constraints, and to focus on building strong relationships with cross-functional teams like engineers and product managers to drive AB testing and other content experiments.

Episode links:

• Strategic Content Design by Erica Jorgensen
• Eventbrite’s publicly available style guide
• Find Kelly on LinkedIn: Kelly Erickson LinkedIn

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The Human Insight Summit (THiS) PROMO Code

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) is headed to Austin, Texas, this October 28-30. THiS is our annual, in-person customer conference dedicated to helping organizations understand their customers by showing and sharing, first-hand, the possibilities of using human insight across the business. Get $100 off your registration with the podcast listener code: UNLOCKED. Learn more or register.

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Show Notes

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, host Cornelia Klimek sits down with Shannon Graf, Director of Design Research at Signet Jewelers, to explore her journey in UX research and how her work shapes the digital and in-store experiences for some of the world’s top jewelry brands, including Kay, Zales, and Jared. 

Shannon offers a behind-the-scenes look at how Signet integrates consumer insights to lead with data-driven decisions that enhance customer satisfaction and drive business outcomes. The conversation covers a range of themes from digital transformation, personalized customer journeys, and the impact of in-store UX research to fostering a strong employee experience within a large organization. Whether you're in UX, product management, or simply interested in digital experiences, this episode is full of actionable insights.

Key Themes:

1. The Journey of Saying “Yes” Shannon talks about how saying “yes” to unexpected opportunities, like writing her first nonfiction book during the pandemic, helped her unlock new personal and professional achievements. She shares how this mindset extends into her UX research career and offers advice on how listeners can apply this philosophy in their own lives and work.
2. Consumer Insights Driving Digital Transformation At Signet Jewelers, Shannon and her team leverage deep consumer insights to shape digital experiences for customers. This includes both e-commerce platforms and in-store technologies used by their jewelry consultants. Shannon emphasizes that leading with research and data helps businesses avoid costly mistakes, streamline decision-making, and deliver what customers really need.
3. Personalization and Confidence in Digital Experiences Personalization plays a significant role in Signet’s success, especially in the competitive jewelry market where customers want tailored experiences. Shannon explains how their research reveals consumer preferences for personalized shopping journeys and how confidence in a brand can make or break a digital experience.
4. The Importance of Employee Experience Beyond customer insights, Shannon’s team also focuses on employee experience research, working closely with internal teams to gather feedback that informs better organizational practices. This effort aligns with Signet’s broader vision of creating a positive and empowered workplace culture.
5. Leadership and Aligning UX with Business Objectives Throughout the episode, Shannon shares strategies for connecting UX research outcomes to broader business objectives, helping researchers and designers align their work with what truly matters to the company’s bottom line. She provides tips on problem framing, prioritization, and the importance of cultivating strong internal relationships.

Episode links: 

• Nothing but Pavement: Shedding the Should When the Path before You is Not Always the Path You Choose by Shannon Graf
• Signet Jewelers – Brands include Kay, Zales, Jared, and Banter.
• Instagram: @ShannonGrafCreative

-----------------------

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We're conducting a 6-question survey to learn more about our listeners, and we'd love your participation! Your feedback will help us tailor our content to better meet your needs and interests, ensuring Insights Unlocked continues to provide valuable and engaging episodes. Thank you for helping us improve the show!

-----------------------

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) PROMO Code

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) is headed to Austin, Texas, this October 28-30. THiS is our annual, in-person customer conference dedicated to helping organizations understand their customers by showing and sharing, first-hand, the possibilities of using human insight across the business. Get $100 off your registration with the podcast listener code: UNLOCKED. Learn more or register.

-----------------------

Rate Insights Unlocked and write a review

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Visit Apple Podcasts, pull up the Insights Unlocked show page and scroll to the bottom of the screen. Below the trailers, you'll find Ratings and Reviews. Click on a star rating. Scroll down past the highlighted review and click on "Write a Review." You'll make my day.

-----------------------

Show Notes

In this episode, Michelle Engle sits down with Matt Harrell, a seasoned expert in product management and customer experience, to explore the power of user research and how to turn insights into tangible product improvements. As VP of Customer Experience at Givebacks, Matt shares his experience with developing customer-first products and discusses the impact of research on business outcomes.

Key Themes:

1. Customer-Centric Product Development: Matt highlights how integrating user experience (UX) with product design is critical for creating products that meet real customer needs. He discusses his journey from software development to customer experience, emphasizing the inseparable relationship between product and customer experience.
2. Prioritizing Research for Business Impact: Matt explains how his team prioritizes research initiatives based on business goals and quarterly OKRs (Objectives and Key Results). This ensures that user research is aligned with strategic objectives, helping the team stay focused on what matters most to the business and its customers.
3. The Importance of Pre-Research Alignment: Before conducting any user testing, Matt stresses the importance of aligning on what’s being tested and the expected outcomes. By ensuring all stakeholders agree on the research objectives upfront, his team avoids confusion and maximizes the value of their findings.
4. Sharing Research Findings Effectively: Matt provides insights into how his team shares research results through detailed reports that include user insights, data visualizations, and highlight reels. This process helps stakeholders easily understand the key takeaways and encourages informed decision-making across the organization.
5. Governance in User Experience: Governance plays a crucial role in ensuring consistency in design and messaging across digital experiences. Matt discusses how Give Backs implements governance strategies to keep their tools and customer interactions cohesive, ensuring a seamless user experience.
6. Voice of Customer (VOC) Reports: A key tool in Matt’s approach is the Voice of Customer (VOC) report, which compiles feedback from various sources, including NPS scores and customer support data. These reports bridge the gap between raw user feedback and actionable business decisions, ensuring that all teams stay connected to the customer’s voice.

Resources Mentioned:

• Learn more about Givebacks and how you can support causes through everyday purchases at Givebacks.com
• Connect with Matt Harrell on LinkedIn

-----------------------

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We're conducting a survey to learn more about our listeners, and we'd love your participation! Your feedback will help us tailor our content to better meet your needs and interests, ensuring Insights Unlocked continues to provide valuable and engaging episodes. Thank you for helping us improve the show!

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The Human Insight Summit (THiS) PROMO Code

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) is headed to Austin, Texas, this October 28-30. THiS is our annual, in-person customer conference dedicated to helping organizations understand their customers by showing and sharing, first-hand, the possibilities of using human insight across the business. Get $100 off your registration with the podcast listener code: UNLOCKED. Learn more or register.

-----------------------

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Visit Apple Podcasts, pull up the Insights Unlocked show page and scroll to the bottom of the screen. Below the trailers, you'll find Ratings and Reviews. Click on a star rating. Scroll down past the highlighted review and click on "Write a Review." You'll make my day.

-----------------------

Show Notes

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, hosts Nathan Isaacs and Lija Hogan sit down with Ashley Budd, Senior Director of Advancement Marketing at Cornell University, to explore the art and science of effective email marketing. Ashley, a leading voice in higher education marketing, shares insights from her experience, including strategies for building trust with audiences through authenticity, empathy, and logic—the pillars of her "trust triangle" framework. They also discuss how to optimize email engagement by connecting these principles to measurable outcomes, such as open rates and unsubscribe rates.

Key Themes & Takeaways:

• The Trust Triangle Framework:
• Ashley introduces the concept of the "trust triangle," composed of authenticity, empathy, and logic. This framework helps marketers craft emails that build and maintain trust with their audience. By applying these principles, marketers can foster stronger relationships and drive higher engagement.
• Optimizing Email Communication:
• Emails are a powerful but cluttered communication channel. Ashley emphasizes the importance of creating clear, concise, and authentic messages that resonate with recipients. She explains how being honest about who is sending the email, avoiding exaggerated claims, and keeping content relevant can make all the difference in driving engagement.
• KPIs and Trust:
• Ashley ties her trust-building approach to measurable KPIs like open rates and unsubscribes, suggesting that audience trust directly influences these metrics. She shares how tracking these indicators can reveal whether email strategies are resonating or falling short.
• The Role of AI in Email Marketing:
• The conversation explores how AI is shaping email marketing by increasing the volume of emails sent and improving productivity. However, Ashley warns that AI-generated content often lacks the nuanced touch needed to build trust and suggests ways marketers can use AI tools without sacrificing quality.

Notable Quotes:

• "The trust triangle—authenticity, empathy, and logic—is essential for building relationships, whether you're talking to a colleague or sending a marketing email."
• "We're all in a noisy inbox, and people are making split-second decisions about whether they trust you enough to read your email."
• "With AI, we're going to see more emails, but we'll also need to be more clear and authentic to avoid getting filtered into junk folders."

Episode links:

• Mailed It – A practical guide for crafting emails that build relationships and get results.
• Visit ashleybudd.com for to sign up for Ashley’s newsletter
• Ashley on LinkedIn
• 8 usability testing tips to get the most out of your research

-----------------------

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We're conducting a survey to learn more about our listeners, and we'd love your participation! Your feedback will help us tailor our content to better meet your needs and interests, ensuring Insights Unlocked continues to provide valuable and engaging episodes. Thank you for helping us improve the show!

-----------------------

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) PROMO Code

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) is headed to Austin, Texas, this October 28-30. THiS is our annual, in-person customer conference dedicated to helping organizations understand their customers by showing and sharing, first-hand, the possibilities of using human insight across the business. Get $100 off your registration with the podcast listener code: UNLOCKED. Learn more or register.

-----------------------

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Visit Apple Podcasts, pull up the Insights Unlocked show page and scroll to the bottom of the screen. Below the trailers, you'll find Ratings and Reviews. Click on a star rating. Scroll down past the highlighted review and click on "Write a Review." You'll make my day.

-----------------------

Show Notes

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, we sit down with Connor Joyce, a mixed-methods researcher and behavioral scientist with a rich background at companies like Microsoft, Twilio, and Deloitte. Connor shares his journey through behavioral science and product strategy, highlighting key themes from his new book, Bridging Intention to Impact: Transform Product Development through Evidence-Based Decision Making. 

Key Themes Discussed:

• Behavioral Science in Product Development: Connor explains how behavioral science principles can help product teams create interventions that lead to lasting behavioral change, not just short-term engagement.
• The Output vs. Outcome Dilemma: Many companies mistakenly equate product usage with success, but true success comes from creating products that satisfy user outcomes. Connor explains how shifting from tracking outputs (e.g., clicks, retention) to outcomes (e.g., behavior changes) can transform product success.
• Ethical Product Design: Connor emphasizes the importance of ensuring interventions promote positive, long-term behaviors. He discusses how to create ethical designs that balance business needs with user well-being.
• AI and Empathy in Product Development: As AI becomes more integrated into tech, Connor explores its potential to enhance empathy and help product teams better understand user perspectives. He also touches on the ethical considerations around using AI in a responsible, human-centered way.
• Practical Frameworks and Tools: Drawing from his book, Connor introduces the User Outcome Connection and Feature Impact Analysis frameworks, which help product teams validate and measure the behavioral impact of their products.

Actionable Insights:

• Focus on outcomes over outputs. Rather than simply tracking usage, aim to understand and influence the behaviors your users are trying to achieve with your product.
• Use behavioral science to create small interventions within your product that help users reach their goals.
• Incorporate ethical considerations into your design process by ensuring that your interventions promote positive, lasting behavior change.
• Explore the potential of AI to deepen empathy in product design and user experience.

Episode Links:

• LinkedIn: Connect with Connor Joyce
• Book: Bridging Intention to Impact on Peach Pit
• Consulting: Desired Outcome Labs
• Behavioral science books like Nudge by Richard Thaler

-----------------------

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We're conducting a survey to learn more about our listeners, and we'd love your participation! Your feedback will help us tailor our content to better meet your needs and interests, ensuring Insights Unlocked continues to provide valuable and engaging episodes. Thank you for helping us improve the show!

-----------------------

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) PROMO Code

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) is headed to Austin, Texas, this October 28-30. THiS is our annual, in-person customer conference dedicated to helping organizations understand their customers by showing and sharing, first-hand, the possibilities of using human insight across the business. Get $100 off your registration with the podcast listener code: UNLOCKED. Learn more or register.

-----------------------

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Visit Apple Podcasts, pull up the Insights Unlocked show page and scroll to the bottom of the screen. Below the trailers, you'll find Ratings and Reviews. Click on a star rating. Scroll down past the highlighted review and click on "Write a Review." You'll make my day.

-----------------------

Show Notes

In this episode, Nathan Isaacs sits down with Paige Musto, Vice President of Corporate Marketing at UserTesting, to discuss the upcoming Human Insight Summit.

Key Takeaways:

• About the Human Insight Summit: The Human Insight Summit, hosted by UserTesting, is an annual conference that unites the UX, research, and product design community. This year’s event, held in Austin, Texas from October 28-30, will feature thought leaders and hands-on workshops focused on driving innovation through customer collaboration.
• Keynote Speaker: Adam Alter, NYU professor and behavioral scientist, will deliver a keynote on how hidden psychological forces shape decision-making, with actionable insights for UX design and product management.
• Workshops and Sessions: The conference will offer 15 breakout sessions across three main tracks: Elevating Experience Research, Insights-Driven Product Design, and Driving Growth and Innovation. In addition, attendees can participate in all-day workshops, learning how to get executive buy-in and evolving as a UX leader.
• Networking Opportunities: Paige emphasizes the importance of connecting with fellow attendees, noting that conference badges are a simple but effective tool for sparking conversations. Whether you’re a senior executive or early in your career, make the most of networking by focusing on both giving and receiving insights.
• How to Get the Most Out of the Summit: Paige offers practical advice for maximizing your time at the Summit:

1. Identify Sessions Aligned with Your Business Goals: Before the conference, review the agenda and select sessions that best fit your organization’s needs.
2. Be Engaged: Don’t hesitate to ask questions and engage in discussions during sessions.
3. Leverage the Community: Make connections that can be valuable as your career grows. For senior attendees, focus on strategic networking and idea exchange. Junior attendees should be ready to absorb knowledge and make lasting connections.

• Conference Justification Template: For those needing to secure company approval to attend, UserTesting has created a justification template that outlines the ROI of attending the Summit. Visit usertesting.com/this/justification-template for more details.
• Special Discount Code:
• Use the code "unlocked" when registering at usertesting.com/this to get a $100 discount on your Summit ticket.

Episode web page

-----------------------

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We're conducting a survey to learn more about our listeners, and we'd love your participation! Your feedback will help us tailor our content to better meet your needs and interests, ensuring Insights Unlocked continues to provide valuable and engaging episodes. Thank you for helping us improve the show!

-----------------------

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) PROMO Code

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) is headed to Austin, Texas, this October 28-30. THiS is our annual, in-person customer conference dedicated to helping organizations understand their customers by showing and sharing, first-hand, the possibilities of using human insight across the business. Get $100 off your registration with the podcast listener code: UNLOCKED. Learn more or register.

-----------------------

Rate Insights Unlocked and write a review

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Visit Apple Podcasts, pull up the Insights Unlocked show page and scroll to the bottom of the screen. Below the trailers, you'll find Ratings and Reviews. Click on a star rating. Scroll down past the highlighted review and click on "Write a Review." You'll make my day.

-----------------------

Show Notes

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, Jason Giles, VP of Design at UserTesting, sits down with Ryan Leffel, VP and Head of Design at Priceline. They explore what it takes to lead design teams during times of uncertainty, whether it's a global pandemic, economic shifts, or technological changes. Ryan reflects on his leadership journey, shares key lessons from managing through the COVID-19 crisis, and provides actionable insights for staying resilient, innovative, and customer-focused in turbulent times.

Ryan's career spans roles at major companies like RGA, Yahoo, and Quora before landing at Priceline, where he leads design and research across multiple platforms. His experiences have shaped his ability to adapt, solve problems creatively, and maintain focus on user-centered design, even when the external landscape is constantly shifting.

Key Takeaways:

1. Leadership in times of uncertainty: Ryan emphasizes the importance of staying calm and resilient as a leader. Leaders who remain composed encourage their teams to stay focused and avoid panic.
2. Staying true to your mission: Throughout times of change, it’s crucial to remain aligned with your company’s mission. 
3. Creative problem-solving and efficiency: In today’s fast-paced environment, especially with fewer resources, creativity in how teams approach work is more important than ever.
4. Embracing change as an opportunity: Ryan discusses the mindset of viewing change not as a disruption, but as an opportunity for innovation.
5. Fostering a safe space for failure: Experimentation is a core part of design and research. By creating a culture where it's safe to fail, teams can iterate quickly and improve faster.
6. The role of AI in design and research: Ryan touches on the growing influence of AI in design and research. While there may be some initial skepticism, he believes AI is a tool that can assist—rather than replace—designers and researchers.
7. Cross-functional collaboration: One of the keys to building successful products is getting cross-functional teams involved early. This approach ensures alignment from the beginning and empowers everyone to contribute to the solution.

-----------------------

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We're conducting a survey to learn more about our listeners, and we'd love your participation! Your feedback will help us tailor our content to better meet your needs and interests, ensuring Insights Unlocked continues to provide valuable and engaging episodes. Thank you for helping us improve the show!

-----------------------

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) PROMO Code

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) is headed to Austin, Texas, this October 28-30. THiS is our annual, in-person customer conference dedicated to helping organizations understand their customers by showing and sharing, first-hand, the possibilities of using human insight across the business. Get $100 off your registration with the podcast listener code: UNLOCKED. Learn more or register.

-----------------------

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Visit Apple Podcasts, pull up the Insights Unlocked show page and scroll to the bottom of the screen. Below the trailers, you'll find Ratings and Reviews. Click on a star rating. Scroll down past the highlighted review and click on "Write a Review." You'll make my day.

-----------------------

Show Notes:

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, host Nathan Isaacs sits down with Paul Strike, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Design Research, formerly at Goldman Sachs. With over 20 years of experience in design leadership, Paul shares his deep insights into how organizations can cultivate a progressive design and innovation culture. He discusses the critical role of leadership in fostering environments where design can thrive and highlights the importance of balancing strategic thinking with tactical execution.

Paul also delves into the challenges of integrating design into core business strategies, offering practical advice on overcoming the disconnect between design and business goals. He introduces three key leadership roles—Architect, Bridge, and Catalyst—that are essential for driving design-centric innovation and creating a culture of continuous discovery and learning.

Towards the end of the episode, Paul explores the future of design, particularly in the context of AI and the evolving employee experience, offering his thoughts on how these trends will shape the digital landscape in the years to come.

Key Takeaways:

• Mature Design Culture: A mature, progressive design culture is marked by the ability to operate at both strategic and tactical levels, leveraging diverse skill sets to drive change at scale.
• Leadership's Role in Innovation: Effective leadership in a design-driven organization involves shaping cultures and capabilities, co-creating future visions, and fostering an environment that supports innovation at every level.
• Three Essential Leadership Roles:
• Architect: Focuses on building cultures and capabilities.
• Bridge: Leverages external expertise to complement internal efforts.
• Catalyst: Acts as a change agent to accelerate innovation across the organization.
• Authentic Leadership: Transparency and integrity are crucial for building a culture of trust and engagement. The HAL framework (Honesty, Authenticity, Integrity, Loyalty) is a powerful tool for leaders looking to foster open communication.
• Continuous Discovery and Learning: Successful design teams embrace a culture of continuous discovery, iterating and learning from failures to create superior products and services.
• Future of Design: The rise of AI and the evolution of the employee experience are poised to significantly impact the digital landscape, with design playing a central role in shaping these developments.

Connect with Paul Strike:

• LinkedIn: Paul Strike on LinkedIn

Episode web page

-----------------------

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We're conducting a survey to learn more about our listeners, and we'd love your participation! Your feedback will help us tailor our content to better meet your needs and interests, ensuring Insights Unlocked continues to provide valuable and engaging episodes. Thank you for helping us improve the show!

-----------------------

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) PROMO Code

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) is headed to Austin, Texas, this October 28-30. THiS is our annual, in-person customer conference dedicated to helping organizations understand their customers by showing and sharing, first-hand, the possibilities of using human insight across the business. Get $100 off your registration with the podcast listener code: UNLOCKED. Learn more or register.

-----------------------

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If you appreciate Insights Unlocked, please give it a rating and a review.

Visit Apple Podcasts, pull up the Insights Unlocked show page and scroll to the bottom of the screen. Below the trailers, you'll find Ratings and Reviews. Click on a star rating. Scroll down past the highlighted review and click on "Write a Review." You'll make my day.

-----------------------

Show Notes:

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, we sit down with Kasey Canlas, UX Research Manager at Genesys, live from a UX conference. With over five years of experience in research operations and three years as a manager, Kasey shares her expertise on how to strengthen collaboration within organizations to amplify the impact of UX research.

Key Takeaways:

• Leveraging Internal Expertise:
• Kasey discusses the importance of looking beyond your immediate team to find and collaborate with experts in other departments. By harnessing the strengths of colleagues across the organization, UX researchers can improve their own work and drive more meaningful outcomes.
• Clear and Actionable Communication:
• One of the major themes Kasey emphasizes is the need for delivering research findings in a clear, concise, and actionable manner. Avoiding unnecessary complexity in presentations ensures that key insights are easily understood and applied by stakeholders.
• Building Genuine Relationships:
• Kasey highlights the value of forming genuine connections with stakeholders before critical needs arise. Regular, informal check-ins help in understanding their values and working styles, which can lead to more productive collaborations down the line.
• Creating and Maintaining Research Repositories:
• The episode touches on the challenges and successes of implementing research repositories in different organizations. Kasey stresses the importance of having the right processes and shared responsibility in maintaining these resources.
• Giving Stakeholders Grace:
• Kasey advises listeners to practice empathy with stakeholders, recognizing that everyone has different expertise and constraints. This approach fosters better communication and collaboration.

Quotes from the Episode:

• “It’s about making everything you have—whether it’s findings or recommendations—actionable, clear, and easy to follow.”
• “Build relationships before you actually need anything from them. That’s how you create genuine connections.”

Episode Links:

• Kasey Canlas on LinkedIn
• UXDX conference

-----------------------

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We're conducting a survey to learn more about our listeners, and we'd love your participation! Your feedback will help us tailor our content to better meet your needs and interests, ensuring Insights Unlocked continues to provide valuable and engaging episodes. Thank you for helping us improve the show!

-----------------------

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) PROMO Code

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) is headed to Austin, Texas, this October 28-30. THiS is our annual, in-person customer conference dedicated to helping organizations understand their customers by showing and sharing, first-hand, the possibilities of using human insight across the business. Get $100 off your registration with the podcast listener code: UNLOCKED. Learn more or register.

-----------------------

Rate Insights Unlocked and write a review

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Visit Apple Podcasts, pull up the Insights Unlocked show page and scroll to the bottom of the screen. Below the trailers, you'll find Ratings and Reviews. Click on a star rating. Scroll down past the highlighted review and click on "Write a Review." You'll make my day.

-----------------------

Show Notes:

1. Introduction to Rory Madden

• Rory Madden's background and his roles as co-founder of UXDX and creator of Zero Blockers.
• His journey from big consultancies to startups to co-founding UXDX.

2. Zero Blockers Framework

• Purpose & Development: A framework designed to help companies maintain the agility of small teams while scaling.
• Challenges Addressed: Tackles issues such as team empowerment, funding, governance, and dependency management.
• Implementation: Built on insights from 800 real-world case studies, emphasizing practical solutions over theoretical concepts.

3. The Challenges with Agile

• Theory vs. Practice: Agile's brilliant theoretical foundation versus its practical difficulties in large organizations.
• Bureaucracy and Dependencies: How traditional agile frameworks add layers of management and slow down processes.

4. Insights from UXDX Conference

• Conference Evolution: From niche UX discussions to a comprehensive event covering product development, design, and teamwork.
• Format and Approach: Focus on case study-driven content, interactive forums, and cross-functional team collaboration.
• Upcoming Events: Details about the next UXDX conference in Dublin, Ireland, featuring diverse sessions and networking opportunities.

5. Practical Advice for Conference Attendees

• Setting Goals: Whether to learn industry trends, enhance skills, or network.
• Effective Networking: Approaching networking with a mindset of offering value and building meaningful connections.

6. Real-World Applications and Case Studies

• Examples and Takeaways: Stories from industry leaders and how they've applied the Zero Blockers framework.
• Listener Engagement: Encouraging listeners to visit the Zero Blockers and UXDX websites for further resources and to share their own case studies.

• "Zero Blockers helps companies scale and maintain the speed of small teams by addressing challenges that other frameworks evade."
• "Agile is brilliant in theory, but when applied in practice, it often creates bureaucratic slowdowns due to dependencies."
• "At UXDX, we emphasize real case studies and practical solutions over theoretical discussions to foster better team collaboration."

Episode Links:

• Rory Madden on LinkedIn
• UXDX conference
• Zero Blockers
• UserTesting’s The Human Insight Summit (THiS)

Episode web page

-----------------------

>>> Insights Unlocked audience survey <<<

Link https://bit.ly/3y4u9IJ

We're conducting a survey to learn more about our listeners, and we'd love your participation! Your feedback will help us tailor our content to better meet your needs and interests, ensuring Insights Unlocked continues to provide valuable and engaging episodes. Thank you for helping us improve the show!

-----------------------

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) PROMO Code

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) is headed to Austin, Texas, this October 28-30. THiS is our annual, in-person customer conference dedicated to helping organizations understand their customers by showing and sharing, first-hand, the possibilities of using human insight across the business. Get $100 off your registration with the podcast listener code: UNLOCKED. Learn more or register.

-----------------------

Rate Insights Unlocked and write a review

If you appreciate Insights Unlocked, please give it a rating and a review.

Visit Apple Podcasts, pull up the Insights Unlocked show page and scroll to the bottom of the screen. Below the trailers, you'll find Ratings and Reviews. Click on a star rating. Scroll down past the highlighted review and click on "Write a Review." You'll make my day.

-----------------------

Key Topics Discussed:

• The Importance of Fundamentals:
• Brian emphasizes the need for retailers to focus on the basics, such as site speed, product discovery, and a seamless checkout process, to ensure a frictionless shopping experience during the holiday rush.
• Pull Quote: “It’s going to be important to really focus in on the fundamentals and the basics.”
• Common Digital Obstacles:
• Even large retailers face challenges like irrelevant search results and non-intuitive filtering options. Brian discusses the importance of seeing these issues through the customer's eyes and leveraging tools like UserTesting to identify and fix pain points.
• Pull Quote: “It really comes down to seeing it through the customer's eyes.”
• The Role of Retail Media:
• Brian highlights the rapid growth of retail media and the potential risks it poses to the user experience. He advises retailers to strike a balance between monetizing their platforms and maintaining a positive customer experience.
• Pull Quote: “The proliferation of retail media is going to have a pretty significant impact overall.”
• Omnichannel Challenges:
• The discussion also covers the complexities of providing a seamless omnichannel experience, where many retailers still struggle with siloed systems and inconsistent customer journeys.
• Pull Quote: “The customer doesn’t perceive it that way at all and hasn’t for a while.”
• Future Priorities for Retailers:
• Looking ahead to 2024, Brian advises retailers to invest in order management solutions, personalization strategies, and the integration of marketing with digital experiences to stay competitive.
• Pull Quote: “Personalization has been a key topic for 25 years... where marketers and merchants will start to pay closer attention is the intersection between their marketing and the digital experiences they’re delivering.”

Episode Links:

• Substack: Cocktails and Commerce

Episode web page

-----------------------

>>> Insights Unlocked audience survey <<<

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We're conducting a survey to learn more about our listeners, and we'd love your participation! Your feedback will help us tailor our content to better meet your needs and interests, ensuring Insights Unlocked continues to provide valuable and engaging episodes. Thank you for helping us improve the show!

-----------------------

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) PROMO Code

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) is headed to Austin, Texas, this October 28-30. THiS is our annual, in-person customer conference dedicated to helping organizations understand their customers by showing and sharing, first-hand, the possibilities of using human insight across the business. Get $100 off your registration with the podcast listener code: UNLOCKED. Learn more or register.

-----------------------

Rate Insights Unlocked and write a review

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Visit Apple Podcasts, pull up the Insights Unlocked show page and scroll to the bottom of the screen. Below the trailers, you'll find Ratings and Reviews. Click on a star rating. Scroll down past the highlighted review and click on "Write a Review." You'll make my day.

-----------------------

Show Notes:

Introduction:

• Host introduces Richard Dalton, Head of Design for Consumer at Verizon.
• Richard’s role at Verizon involves overseeing the design of all consumer-facing interactions, including apps, websites, and physical interactions and store experiences.
• He leads a  team of 250 designers (and growing) who create human-centric experiences for over 100 million customers.

Key Themes and Takeaways:

1. Creating Effective UX Design Structures:

• Richard emphasizes that hiring talented designers is not enough; organizations must also invest in building internal design teams and supportive structures.
• The need for internal design of the organization to enable the creation of exceptional experiences for both employees and customers.

1. Behavior-Based Metrics for UX:

• The limitations of broad metrics like Net Promoter Scores (NPS) for design purposes.
• Richard's preference for specific, behavior-based questions to measure customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction.
• Examples of actionable metrics, such as product usage patterns and customer behaviors.

1. Extending UX Beyond Digital Interfaces:

• The misconception that UX design is limited to surface-level elements like colors and navigation.
• How every department in an organization, from legal to procurement, impacts the overall customer experience.
• The importance of a holistic approach to UX, ensuring all organizational decisions consider their impact on customers.

1. Fostering a Customer-Aware Culture:

• Richard's vision of a future where all employees understand and prioritize customer impact in their decision-making.
• The dream of seeing policy discussions centered around customer impact even without a designer in the room.

1. Visualization and Communication:

• The significance of visualizing complex information on a single page for better decision-making, inspired by Edward Tufte's design principles.
• The critical role of effective storytelling in ensuring that important information influences organizational decisions.

1. Verizon's Design Team Expansion:

• Richard announces Verizon's plans to hire 180 designers.
• The goal is to increase the representation of full-time employees in the design team, reducing reliance on contractors and agencies.

Episode Links:

• Richard Dalton on LinkedIn
• Verizon's careers page
• BLOG: A primer to design systems: Making yours in 5 steps
• GUIDE: The ultimate guide to user-centric product design

Episode web page

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Visit Apple Podcasts, pull up the Insights Unlocked show page and scroll to the bottom of the screen. Below the trailers, you'll find Ratings and Reviews. Click on a star rating. Scroll down past the highlighted review and click on "Write a Review." You'll make my day.

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Episode Description: In this insightful episode of Insights Unlocked, we sit down with Rebecca Goodman, the Chief Digital Officer at the FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation). Rebecca shares her journey and the monumental tasks she has undertaken to overhaul the FDIC’s digital presence. From building a digital team from the ground up to implementing a new content management system, Rebecca’s work is revolutionizing how the FDIC interacts with its stakeholders. Tune in to learn about the challenges and triumphs of driving digital transformation in a federal agency.

Episode Highlights:

• Introduction to Rebecca Goodman (00:00 - 00:12)
• Rebecca’s role as the Chief Digital Officer at FDIC.
• Overview of FDIC’s mission to insure bank deposits.
• Rebecca’s Journey and Role at the FDIC (00:12 - 01:18)
• Her 13-year career in the federal government.
• Initial tasks at FDIC: overhauling digital properties and establishing a UX practice.
• Challenges of Digital Transformation in a Federal Agency (01:18 - 02:54)
• Managing extensive projects and avoiding overwhelm.
• Implementing a content management system and overhauling the intranet.
• Building and Leading a Digital Team (02:54 - 04:34)
• Hiring the first UX designer at FDIC.
• Recruiting for various roles including developers, UX researchers, and social media experts.
• Navigating the Federal Hiring Process (04:34 - 05:58)
• Challenges of federal hiring regulations.
• Importance of specialized experience and the direct hire process for certain roles.
• Creating a Seamless Digital Experience (05:58 - 07:24)
• Conducting stakeholder interviews across the organization.
• Designing an intranet that integrates multiple internal tools for ease of use.
• Advice for Digital Transformation Leaders (07:24 - 09:09)
• Importance of cultural fit and soft skills in building a team.
• Coaching existing teams to adapt to new digital processes.
• Motivation for Working in the Federal Government (09:09 - 12:34)
• Rebecca’s mission-driven approach and dedication to public service.
• The critical role of FDIC in maintaining financial security and public trust.
• Closing Thoughts and How to Connect with Rebecca (12:34 - 13:17)
• Rebecca invites listeners to reach out via FDIC’s social media channels or her LinkedIn profile.

Resources Mentioned:

• FDIC Website: FDIC.gov

Connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn: Rebecca Goodman

Episode web page

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>>> Insights Unlocked audience survey <<<

We're conducting a survey to learn more about our listeners, and we'd love your participation! Your feedback will help us tailor our content to better meet your needs and interests, ensuring Insights Unlocked continues to provide valuable and engaging episodes. Thank you for helping us improve the show!

Survey link https://bit.ly/3y4u9IJ

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The Human Insight Summit (THiS) PROMO Code

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) is headed to Austin, Texas, this October 28-30. THiS is our annual, in-person customer conference dedicated to helping organizations understand their customers by showing and sharing, first-hand, the possibilities of using human insight across the business. Get $100 off your registration with the podcast listener code: UNLOCKED. Learn more or register.

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Visit Apple Podcasts, pull up the Insights Unlocked show page and scroll to the bottom of the screen. Below the trailers, you'll find Ratings and Reviews. Click on a star rating. Scroll down past the highlighted review and click on "Write a Review." You'll make my day.

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Episode Links:

• Anthony on LinkedIn
• UXDX
• Airtable
• 
  

Join the Conversation: We’d love to hear your thoughts on today’s episode. Join the discussion on our social media channels or leave a review on your favorite podcast platform.

Episode web page

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The Human Insight Summit (THiS) PROMO Code

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) is headed to Austin, Texas, this October 28-30. THiS is our annual, in-person customer conference dedicated to helping organizations understand their customers by showing and sharing, first-hand, the possibilities of using human insight across the business. Get $100 off your registration with the podcast listener code: UNLOCKED. Learn more or register.

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Visit Apple Podcasts, pull up the Insights Unlocked show page and scroll to the bottom of the screen. Below the trailers, you'll find Ratings and Reviews. Click on a star rating. Scroll down past the highlighted review and click on "Write a Review." You'll make my day.

-----------------------

Episode Description: In this insightful episode of Insights Unlocked, we sit down with Mamuna Oladipo, the VP of Product at Shopify. Mamuna shares her wealth of experience from her journey through various tech roles and companies. She delves into the crucial topic of building trust within cross-functional teams and offers practical advice on networking within a company. Whether you’re a product manager, UX designer, or an executive, Mamuna’s insights on leadership and team dynamics are sure to resonate and provide valuable takeaways.

Key Themes and Ideas:

1. Introduction to Mamuna Oladipo:

• Mamuna introduces herself and shares her background in tech, highlighting her roles in design, product management, engineering, data, and research.

1. Building trust in teams:

• The importance of building trust slowly and steadily.
• Tips on how to genuinely understand team dynamics and create personal connections.
• Emphasizing one-on-one meetings and being fully present to build strong relationships.

1. Networking within a company:

• Mamuna’s strategy for building a robust internal network by meeting different people and seeking further introductions.
• The significance of maintaining these relationships and periodically checking in.

1. Leadership concerns and strategies:

• Key concerns for leaders, including team impact and alignment with company goals.
• The necessity of continuous communication and staying deeply involved in team activities to prevent misalignment.
• Proactive steps to ensure teams stay on track and avoid long-term issues.

1. Advice for leaders:

• The importance of knowing your team members and understanding their challenges and workflows.
• How this understanding drives both individual and team impact, aligning efforts with broader organizational goals.

Notable Quotes:

• "Take the time to learn and understand your team, understand the dynamics. Understand how you can differentiate, just how the team has been operating."
• "Building a network within the company is vital. You need to have connections to understand the company culture and gather insights."
• "Ensuring continuous communication and staying ahead of potential issues by being deeply involved in team activities is crucial."

Episode Links:

• Mamuna on LinkedIn
• Shopify
• UXDX
• The First 90 Days

Join the Conversation: We’d love to hear your thoughts on today’s episode. Join the discussion on our social media channels or leave a review on your favorite podcast platform.

Episode web page

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The Human Insight Summit (THiS) PROMO Code

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) is headed to Austin, Texas, this October 28-30. THiS is our annual, in-person customer conference dedicated to helping organizations understand their customers by showing and sharing, first-hand, the possibilities of using human insight across the business. Get $100 off your registration with the podcast listener code: UNLOCKED. Learn more or register.

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In this episode of Insights Unlocked, we sit down with Parisa Bazl, Head of UX at Commvault Systems, at a UX conference in New York City. Parisa shares her expert insights on creating scalable design systems that work seamlessly for both designers and developers. She delves into the importance of clear frameworks, the challenges of scaling in large enterprises, and the role of AI in design. Additionally, Parisa discusses the significance of diversity in tech and her efforts to create opportunities for underprivileged youths in the industry. Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion on bridging the gap between design and development, and the human-centric approach to technology.

Key Themes:

Scalable Design Systems:

• Importance of frameworks in scaling design systems.
• Utilizing object-oriented development to organize patterns and components.
• Reducing the need for constant guidance between designers and developers.

Challenges in Scaling:

• Addressing the resource disparity in design teams.
• Strategies to meet demands without extensive handholding.
• Importance of clear standards and empowering teams.

Starting with Key User Flows:

• Focusing on specific use cases before abstracting patterns.
• Creating a reference system for future use cases.

Overcoming Resistance:

• Speaking developers’ language to ease workload concerns.
• Ensuring designers understand their ongoing role amidst standardized systems.

Role of AI in Design:

• Potential for automation in design decisions.
• Emphasizing the human aspect of technology.
• Using AI as a tool to deliver better user experiences.

Diversity in Tech:

• Importance of diverse viewpoints in technology design.
• Creating pathways for non-traditional candidates.
• Parisa’s involvement with a program training underprivileged youths in technical skills.

Human-Centric Approach:

• Keeping the focus on human experiences in technology.
• Adapting to the ever-evolving tech landscape.

Guest Bio: Parisa Bazl is the Head of UX at Commvault Systems, specializing in enterprise software applications for data protection, cybersecurity, and cyber resiliency. With a strong background in UX design and a passion for bridging the gap between designers and developers, Parisa brings valuable insights into creating scalable and effective design systems.

Episode links:

Commvault Systems: Commvault

Parisa’s LinkedIn: Parisa Bazl

Follow Us:

LinkedIn: Insights Unlocked

Twitter: @InsightsUnlocked

YouTube: Insights Unlocked

Subscribe & Leave a Review: Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe to Insights Unlocked on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review!

Episode web page

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The Human Insight Summit (THiS) PROMO Code

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) is headed to Austin, Texas, this October 28-30. THiS is our annual, in-person customer conference dedicated to helping organizations understand their customers by showing and sharing, first-hand, the possibilities of using human insight across the business. Get $100 off your registration with the podcast listener code: UNLOCKED. Learn more or register.

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Episode web page

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The Human Insight Summit (THiS) PROMO Code

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) is headed to Austin, Texas, this October 28-30. THiS is our annual, in-person customer conference dedicated to helping organizations understand their customers by showing and sharing, first-hand, the possibilities of using human insight across the business. Get $100 off your registration with the podcast listener code: UNLOCKED. Learn more or register.

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Episode Description:

In this insightful episode recorded at the UXDX conference in New York City, host Nathan Isaacs talks with Jehad Affoneh, the Chief Design Officer at Toast, to delve into an innovative methodology his team employed to enhance the customer experience for Toast's 100,000+ restaurant customers.

Toast is a restaurant point of sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience.

Key Themes:

• Pulling the Thread Methodology:
• Addressing complex problems by finding the right thread in a tangled ball of yarn and pulling it to untangle the complexity.
• Steps to Implement:
• Identify pain points from both customer and internal perspectives.
• Find themes within these pain points to locate scalable solutions.
• Test these solutions with a cohort of customers to validate effectiveness.
• Challenges in the Restaurant Industry:
• Restaurants operate in fast-paced, high-stress environments with frequent technical issues.
• Reflections on the Journey:
• The rewarding nature of working at Toast, making daily impacts on real people and communities.
• The satisfaction of seeing long-term projects come to fruition and positively affect customers.

Additional Resources:

• Toast website
• UXDX Conference
• UserTesting

Subscribe and Follow:

Don't forget to subscribe to the Insights Unlocked podcast for more expert insights and tips on designing digital products that people love. Follow us on LinkedIn for updates and more content.

Link to this episode's web page

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The Human Insight Summit (THiS) PROMO Code

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) is headed to Austin, Texas, this October 28-30. THiS is our annual, in-person customer conference dedicated to helping organizations understand their customers by showing and sharing, first-hand, the possibilities of using human insight across the business. Get $100 off your registration with the podcast listener code: UNLOCKED. Learn more or register.

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Episode Description:

In this enlightening episode of Insights Unlocked, host Nathan Isaacs sits down with Karen Hawkins, Principal of Accessible Design at Level Access, during the UXDX conference in New York City. Together, they dive deep into the world of digital accessibility, exploring why it remains a critical yet often overlooked aspect of design. Karen shares valuable insights on how companies can create inclusive digital experiences and the importance of accessibility in today's digital landscape.

Key Themes & Takeaways:

1. Introduction to Digital Accessibility:

• Karen introduces herself and her role at Level Access.
• The discussion opens with an overview of digital accessibility and its importance in ensuring everyone can execute tasks efficiently, regardless of their abilities or characteristics.

1. Current State of Accessibility:

• Despite existing laws and guidelines, accessibility issues persist, particularly simple ones like contrast problems.
• Karen references Web Aim’s annual survey, which highlights recurring accessibility issues on top websites.

1. Challenges and Solutions:

• The need for both grassroots efforts and top-down support to drive meaningful change in accessibility.
• Importance of conducting audits focusing on people, processes, and tools to benchmark and improve accessibility.
• Setting realistic, incremental goals for continuous improvement in accessibility practices.

1. Beyond Digital Products:

• Accessibility extends to organizational culture and practices, including hiring and travel policies.
• The discussion emphasizes that accessibility is a global issue, supported by laws like the European Accessibility Act and guidelines from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.

1. Resources and Personal Responsibility:

• Karen recommends resources like the W3C’s introductory courses and Web Aim for those looking to learn more about accessibility.
• The importance of individuals taking personal responsibility for creating accessible digital content within their organizations.

1. Call to Action:

• Karen encourages listeners to connect with her on LinkedIn for further resources and insights on accessibility.
• Final thoughts on fostering a culture of inclusivity and accessibility in every aspect of digital and organizational practices.

Connect with Karen Hawkins:

• LinkedIn: Karen Hawkins (Note: Ensure you find the right Karen Hawkins, not the romance novelist!)

Additional Resources:

• W3C Introductory Course on Accessibility
• Web Aim

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The Human Insight Summit (THiS) PROMO Code

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) is headed to Austin, Texas, this October 28-30. THiS is our annual, in-person customer conference dedicated to helping organizations understand their customers by showing and sharing, first-hand, the possibilities of using human insight across the business. Get $100 off your registration with the podcast listener code: UNLOCKED. Learn more or register.

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Special Offer

To celebrate her participation in the podcast, Caroline offers a 15% discount on her book "Surveys That Work" from Rosenfeld Media. Use the code CJFORMS24 at checkout, valid through July 2024.

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Episode Summary: In this episode of the Insights Unlocked podcast, hosts Nathan Isaacs and Mike McDowell are joined by Caroline Jarrett, a leading expert in forms and surveys. Caroline, the author of "Surveys That Work" and "Forms That Work," shares her extensive knowledge on designing effective surveys and forms that yield meaningful insights. Celebrating the 30th anniversary of her consultancy Effortmark, Caroline delves into best practices, common pitfalls, and the evolving role of AI in survey methodologies.

Key Themes:

1. Importance of interviews before surveys:

• Caroline emphasizes starting with interviews to understand the vocabulary and concerns of potential respondents.
• Interviews help refine survey questions and ensure they resonate with the target audience.

1. Focus on the Most Crucial Question(s):

• The discussion highlights the need to identify and prioritize the most crucial questions in a survey.
• Avoiding lengthy and overwhelming surveys helps maintain respondent engagement and yields more reliable data.

1. Iterative testing and design:

• Caroline and Mike stress the importance of iterative testing in survey design.
• Continuous refinement based on feedback ensures that surveys are effective and user-friendly.

1. Impact of AI on surveys:

• The role of AI in surveys is explored, noting that while AI can enhance data processing, human oversight is crucial for interpreting complex responses.
• Caroline shares her early experiences with AI in forms, providing a historical perspective on its development.

1. Practical tips for form design:

• The episode includes practical tips for optimizing form design, such as placing confirmatory fields below the initial input fields to reduce errors.
• Caroline advocates for avoiding placeholder text inside input boxes, as it can lead to confusion and mistakes.

Guest Information:

• Caroline Jarrett on LinkedIn
• Website: Effortmark
• Social Media: Caroline is active on LinkedIn and Blue Sky, and occasionally checks Twitter as @CJForms.

Special Offer:

• Caroline offers a 15% discount on her book "Surveys That Work" from Rosenfeld Media. Use the code CJFORMS24 at checkout, valid through July 2024.

Additional Resources:

• Caroline's website provides access to various resources, including a free poster titled "Listen First, Ask Second."
• For more insights, listeners can explore Caroline's articles and presentations on form and survey design.
• Blog: 4 methods for designing truly engaging customer surveys

Connect with Us:

• Nathan Isaacs: Senior Manager for Content Production at UserTesting
• Mike McDowell: Senior Solutions Consultant at UserTesting, known for his UX research videos on LinkedIn and YouTube.

Subscribe & Follow: Stay updated with the latest episodes and insights by subscribing to Insights Unlocked on your favorite podcast platform. Follow us on social media for more updates and behind-the-scenes content.

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The Human Insight Summit (THiS) PROMO Code

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) is headed to Austin, Texas, this October 28-30. THiS is our annual, in-person customer conference dedicated to helping organizations understand their customers by showing and sharing, first-hand, the possibilities of using human insight across the business. Get $100 off your registration with the podcast listener code: UNLOCKED. Learn more or register.

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SHOW NOTES: 

Host: Andy MacMillan, CEO of UserTesting

Guest: Jakob Nielsen, UX pioneer and founder of UX Tigers

Summary: In this enlightening episode of Insights Unlocked, host Andy MacMillan converses with Jakob Nielsen, a renowned figure in the UX world. Known as the “King of Usability,” Nielsen shares his thoughts on the commoditization of UX, the role of AI in transforming digital experiences, and offers crucial career advice for UX professionals.

Key Themes & Topics:

1. AI as the Integration Glue:

• Nielsen explains how AI can unify fragmented digital experiences—improving the user’s experience—by integrating various applications and platforms, particularly through natural language processing and image recognition.
• “The hope is that AI can actually become the integration glue that will put this fragmentation together again, like a jigsaw puzzle”

1. The Commoditization of UX:

• Nielsen discusses how AI-created efficiencies is dropping the costs for UX research, making it more accessible, reducing skill gaps and allowing a broader range of professionals to contribute to UX tasks.

1. Career Advice for UX Professionals:

• Embrace the evolving nature of the industry and focus on becoming highly specialized in a specific domain.
• Join small, agile teams that are empowered and can move quickly, akin to superhero teams.
• “Try to get on some of those fast-moving, very high efficient, very empowered, augmented, accelerated product teams”​​.

1. Democratization vs. Amateurization of UX:

• Nielsen prefers the term "amateurization" over "democratization," emphasizing that more people can now engage in UX without necessarily being experts.
• “I don't care what people's job title is. I care that they use these methods of user research and iterative design” .

1. AI in UX Research and Design:

• AI significantly enhances ideation by generating numerous ideas rapidly, aiding in analysis by converting qualitative data into quantitative insights.
• “Ideation is free with AI, so just ask for as many ideas as you feel like having time to read” .

1. Future of UX Teams:

• Nielsen predicts a shift towards more efficient, smaller teams with enhanced capabilities due to AI, reducing the need for extensive management hierarchies.
• “We will start having very, very efficient product teams, quite likely very small product teams that can accelerate immensely how fast they ship”​​.

Quotes:

• "Accept how the world is evolving and find your best place in that rather than resist it" - Jakob Nielsen
• "AI can vastly increase usability by integrating fragmented user experiences" - Jakob Nielsen
• "The synergy of collaboration between human and AI is where the future lies" - Jakob Nielsen

Where to Learn More:

• Follow Jakob Nielsen's latest insights on his new website, UX Tiger, and subscribe to his newsletter for weekly updates.

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) PROMO Code

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) is headed to Austin, Texas, this October 28-30. THiS is our annual, in-person customer conference dedicated to helping organizations understand their customers by showing and sharing, first-hand, the possibilities of using human insight across the business. Get $100 off your registration with the podcast listener code: UNLOCKED. Learn more or register.

Episode Show Notes

Hosts: Andy MacMillan, CEO of UserTesting, and Nathan Isaacs, Senior Manager for Content Production

Guest: Judd Antin, Executive Coach, Consultant, ex-Airbnb, Meta, Yahoo

Episode Summary:

Join hosts Andy MacMillan and Nathan Isaacs as they engage in a compelling conversation with Judd Antin about the evolution of UX research. Judd, known for his influential article "The UX Research Reckoning Is Here," shares his insights on the necessary transformation within the UX research discipline. This episode delves into the balance between micro and macro research, the impact of AI, and the critical role of leadership in driving innovation and business value.

Key Themes and Ideas:

1. Introduction to Judd Antin:

• Overview of Judd’s extensive experience leading design research teams at major tech companies.
• Introduction to his article "The UX Research Reckoning Is Here" and its impact on the UX community.

1. Reflection on the UX Research Reckoning:

• Judd’s reflections on the changes in the UX landscape since the publication of his article.
• Discussion on the evolution from middle-range research to a more balanced approach that includes both tactical (micro) and strategic (macro) research.

1. Micro vs. Macro Research:

• Importance of micro-level research for direct business impact, such as usability studies and user sessions.
• The role of macro-level research in aligning with long-term strategic business decisions and engaging with executives.

1. Challenges in the UX Industry:

• Ongoing economic uncertainties and shifts in focus affecting UX research investments.
• The necessity for UX researchers to align more closely with business needs and demonstrate clear value.

1. AI and Its Role in UX Research:

• Judd’s measured view on AI’s impact on UX research, emphasizing that AI enhances rather than replaces human researchers.
• Discussion on how AI tools can make researchers more efficient, allowing them to handle more work effectively.

1. Leadership and Influence in UX Research:

• The importance of building strong relationships and understanding social dynamics within organizations.
• Encouragement for researchers to see themselves as integral to decision-making processes and not just as providers of insights.

1. Practical Advice for UX Researchers:

• Tips on building key relationships, starting with immediate superiors and expanding to allies and adversaries within the organization.
• Applying research skills internally to foster strong, influential relationships and drive business value.

1. Looking Forward:

• Judd’s optimism about the future of UX research and the opportunities for growth and evolution.
• Encouragement for researchers to stay updated with new tools and adapt their practices to remain relevant.

Conclusion:

• The episode wraps up with Judd sharing how listeners can stay connected with his work through his Medium site and personal website. He emphasizes the importance of ongoing engagement and dialogue within the UX community.

Connect with Judd Antin:

• Medium: One Big Thought
• Website: JuddAntin.com
• LinkedIn: Judd Antin

Subscribe & Follow:

• Don't miss out on future episodes of Insights Unlocked! Subscribe and follow us on your favorite podcast platform.
• For more UX tips and insights, follow UserTesting on Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) PROMO Code

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) is headed to Austin, Texas, this October 28-30. THiS is our annual, in-person customer conference dedicated to helping organizations understand their customers by showing and sharing, first-hand, the possibilities of using human insight across the business. Get $100 off your registration with the podcast listener code: UNLOCKED. Learn more or register.

Episode Overview: In this engaging episode of the Insights Unlocked podcast, Nathan Isaacs and UserTesting CEO Andy MacMillan welcome Dave Kerry, Global Value Engineering Director at UserTesting. They dive deep into the vital topic of quantifying and communicating the return on investment (ROI) of user experience (UX) research. Dave shares insightful strategies and real-world examples illustrating how UX research can directly influence business growth and product development.

What You’ll Learn:

• The Role of Value Engineering in UX: Understand how Dave Kerry’s role as a value engineer helps bridge the communication gap between UX teams and executive leadership, ensuring that the value of UX research is recognized and properly utilized.
• Importance of Demonstrating UX ROI: Discover why it's crucial for businesses to see the tangible benefits of UX research, especially in securing continued investment and avoiding budget cuts or layoffs.
• Real-World Impact of UX Decisions: Dave shares a compelling case study from the banking sector, highlighting the consequences of neglecting user input in product development.
• Best Practices for UX Teams: Learn how to align UX research outcomes with broader business objectives and effectively communicate these benefits to stakeholders to secure buy-in and funding.
• Advice on Measuring and Reporting UX Impact: Gain insights into practical methods for measuring the impact of UX initiatives and how to present this data to resonate with an executive audience.
• Discussion on Trends in UX Research: Explore current trends in UX research and how companies can adapt to stay competitive by focusing on customer-centric product development.

Featured Guest: Dave Kerry, Global Value Engineering Director at UserTesting

Host: Nathan Isaacs, Senior Manager for Content Production at UserTesting

Co-host: Andy MacMillan, CEO of UserTesting

Episode Highlights:

1. Dave's Background and Role: Introduction to Dave’s professional journey and his current role in making UX research indispensable to business strategies.
2. ROI of UX Research: Dave shares insights from having worked with nearly 350 UserTesting customers and how they typically earn a 5x to 7x ROI on their UX investments through four primary value drivers. 
3. Case Study – Banking Sector: A detailed look at how ignoring customer preferences in the digital space can lead to significant financial losses and brand damage.
4. Strategies for UX ROI: Dave outlines strategies for UX teams to demonstrate their research's value, ensuring it aligns with and supports key business objectives.
5. Future of UX Research: Discussion on the evolving landscape of UX research and the importance of staying ahead of the curve in a rapidly changing digital environment.

Thank You for Tuning In! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your colleagues and friends interested in enhancing their UX strategies. Don't forget to subscribe to Insights Unlocked for more insightful discussions on UX research and digital product design.

Links and Resources:

• UserTesting Website
• Connect with Dave Kerry on LinkedIn
• Follow Andy MacMillan on LinkedIn
• Follow Insights Unlocked on social media

This episode is brought to you by UserTesting: Experience what your customer experiences with real-time feedback and insights from actual users.

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) PROMO Code

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) is headed to Austin, Texas, this October 28-30. THiS is our annual, in-person customer conference dedicated to helping organizations understand their customers by showing and sharing, first-hand, the possibilities of using human insight across the business. Get $100 off your registration with the podcast listener code: UNLOCKED. Learn more or register. 

Episode summary:

Increasingly, brands are recognizing that customer feedback, traditionally important in UX design, is also crucial to shaping their marketing strategies.

“We generally think about UX as a product role, but it’s really such a critical function for marketing now, too.” said Katie Karr, Senior User Experience Designer at Workiva. “It doesn’t matter how great our product offering is, if we aren’t communicating the right message to get users to see the value upfront.”

In this week’s Insights Unlocked episode, Katie talks with UserTesting’s Nathan Isaacs about the global brand’s experiences using customer feedback to fine tune their marketing messaging.

Featured:

Guest: Katie Karr, Senior User Experience Designer at Workiva. Katie works on Workiva’s digital marketing team.

Host: Nathan Isaacs, Senior Manager for Content Production at UserTesting and producer of Insights Unlocked.

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) PROMO Code

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) is headed to Austin, Texas, this October 28-30. THiS is our annual, in-person customer conference dedicated to helping organizations understand their customers by showing and sharing, first-hand, the possibilities of using human insight across the business. Get $100 off your registration with the podcast listener code: UNLOCKED. Learn more or register.

Episode Summary:

In this enlightening episode of Insights Unlocked, UserTesting's Bailey Copithorne talks with Abby Covert, an esteemed information architect and author, to unravel the intricacies of information architecture (IA).

They explore Abby's journey from graphic design to information architecture, the challenges to understanding information architecture, effectively introducing IA to teams where the concept may be new, and how to leverage AI in the field of information architecture.

Guest bio:

Our guest is Abby Covert. Abby is an information architect who helps people make sense of information. She writes books and teaches courses on information architecture. She is also the founder of The Sensemakers Club, a digital clubhouse where you can meet sensemakers with similar interests and challenges to your own.

What You'll Learn:

1. Abby's professional evolution: from aspirations in musical theater to information architecture, Abby shares how her career transitioned through various phases of graphic and digital design.
2. Challenges in Information Architecture: understanding the common misconceptions that beginners have and how Abby's teaching approach addresses these challenges.
3. Practical applications: insight into Abby's tenure at Etsy, including her innovative approach to implementing a voice of the customer program that reshaped how user feedback influenced product development.
4. Future of Information Architecture: discussions on how information architecture is becoming increasingly crucial in the development and humanization of AI and machine learning technologies.
5. The Sensemakers Club: Abby talks about her initiative to create a community for information architecture enthusiasts to connect, learn, and grow through The Sensemakers Club.

Key Quotes:

• "Information architecture is not just about organizing data; it's about organizing it with intention."
• "Democratizing information architecture means making it a tool everyone can use to make sense of their messes, not just the trained professionals."

Resources Mentioned:

• Abby Covert's Books: How to Make Sense of Any Mess and Stuck? Diagrams Help.
• The Sensemakers Club: www.thesensemakersclub.com

Episode Timestamps:

• [00:00] Introduction to Abby Covert and the episode theme
• [05:22] Abby's journey from graphic design to information architecture
• [15:45] Common misconceptions and educational approaches in information architecture
• [25:30] Implementing customer voice at Etsy and its impact
• [35:50] The critical role of information architecture in AI and machine learning
• [45:10] Discussion on the future and democratization of information architecture
• [55:00] Conclusion and information about the Sense Makers Club

Call to Action:

• Check out The Sensemakers Club and consider joining to connect with a community of like-minded professionals and enthusiasts.
• Read Abby's influential books to gain a deeper understanding and practical insights into tackling complex information architecture challenges.

Further reading:

• For more information, read this UserTesting blog post, Information architecture: a comprehensive UX guide for beginners.

Episode website 

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The Human Insight Summit (THiS) PROMO Code

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) is headed to Austin, Texas, this October 28-30. THiS is our annual, in-person customer conference dedicated to helping organizations understand their customers by showing and sharing, first-hand, the possibilities of using human insight across the business. Get $100 off your registration with the podcast listener code: UNLOCKED. Learn more or register.

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Hosts:

• Jason Giles, Vice President of Design at UserTesting
• Lija Hogan, Principal for Experience Research Strategy at UserTesting
• Nathan Isaacs, Senior Manager for Content Production at UserTesting

Guest:

• Don Norman, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, co-founder of the Nielsen Norman Group, and former Vice President of Apple

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Lifelong Learning: Don Norman shares his personal journey and the importance of lifelong learning, detailing how he continuously adapts and acquires new skills to stay relevant and effective.

Humanity-Centered Design: Norman critiques the traditional design paradigms that often focus on corporate profits at the expense of environmental and societal well-being. He advocates for a shift towards designs that consider their impact on society and the environment.

The Role of AI in Design: Explore the dual-edged sword of AI in the design industry. Don discusses the powerful capabilities and potential risks of AI, urging a balanced approach that includes ethical considerations to harness AI for societal benefits.

Advice for Designers: Norman provides actionable advice for designers to navigate their careers, emphasizing the need for ethical practice, continuous improvement, and the integration of human values into design processes.

Featured Quote:

"Don't work on just any technology, work on new technology that is humane, that is caring, and that makes a real difference."

Episode links: 

• Don Norman Design Award - Learn more about how to participate or contribute.
• Books by Don Norman - Discover more of his works on design and human-focused practices.

Subscribe and Share:

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to our podcast for more insights from leaders in user experience and design. Don't forget to rate us and share the episode with others who might find it valuable!

Stay in touch:

• Feedback: podcast@usertesting.com
• Twitter: @UserTesting
• Website: www.usertesting.com/resources/podcast

In this enlightening episode of Insights Unlock, we sit down with Jennifer Romano, a seasoned UX leader with experience at tech giants like Google, Facebook, and Instagram. Hosted by Lija Hogan, this discussion delves into the current challenges and promising future of the UX industry, the evolving job market, and the increasing relevance of mixed methods and AI in UX research.

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The Human Insight Summit (THiS) PROMO Code

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) is headed to Austin, Texas, this October 28-30. THiS is our annual, in-person customer conference dedicated to helping organizations understand their customers by showing and sharing, first-hand, the possibilities of using human insight across the business. Get $100 off your registration with the podcast listener code: UNLOCKED. Learn more or register.

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Show Notes:

1. Introduction:
2. Introduction of Jennifer Romano, detailing her extensive background in the UX industry.
3. Overview of Romano's roles and contributions to UX at major companies and in academia.
4. Current State of the UX Job Market:
5. Discussion on recent layoffs and the scarcity of entry-level roles in UX.
6. Optimistic outlook for increased hiring and budget expansions in Q2 as companies recover from initial fiscal year planning.
7. The Evolution and Future of UX:
8. Exploration of how UX is still a burgeoning field with vast opportunities for growth.
9. Insight into public misunderstanding of UX roles and the potential for industry expansion.
10. Essential Skills for UX Professionals:
11. Importance of adapting to versatile research methodologies.
12. Emphasis on the need for UX professionals to acquire skills in both qualitative and quantitative research, including survey design and implementation.
13. The Role of AI in UX Research:
14. Discussion on the supportive role of AI in UX research, enhancing efficiency without replacing human researchers.
15. Future predictions for AI's integration into UX practices and how it can help manage and synthesize large data sets effectively.
16. Jennifer Romano's Current Projects:
17. Information on Romano’s latest initiatives focused on training and coaching in UX.
18. Highlight of a unique retreat aimed at bridging the gap between academic learning and real-world UX research experience.
19. Closing Thoughts:
20. Reflections on the importance of educating stakeholders about the value and methods of UX research.
21. Encouragement for UX professionals to continually adapt and integrate new tools and methodologies.

In this Insights Unlocked episode, UserTesting’s Andy MacMillan talks with David Rose about designing our augmented realities and what UX designers, product leaders and others should consider as they take on that challenge.

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The Human Insight Summit (THiS) PROMO Code

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) is headed to Austin, Texas, this October 28-30. THiS is our annual, in-person customer conference dedicated to helping organizations understand their customers by showing and sharing, first-hand, the possibilities of using human insight across the business. Get $100 off your registration with the podcast listener code: UNLOCKED. Learn more or register.

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SHOW NOTES

David Rose’s Journey in Tech Innovation

David discusses his wide-ranging experiences in industries from healthcare to toys and tech, highlighting his award-winning entrepreneurial journey and his role as the CEO of Lookout—an AI-powered maritime navigation system.

Seamless Integration of Technology

Explore how David has successfully embedded technology into everyday objects to enhance user experiences without intrusion. Learn about his projects like Lego Mindstorms and GlowCap, which seamlessly combine functionality with simplicity.

The Role of AR in Everyday Interactions

Dive into the transformative potential of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) in making everyday interactions more intuitive and engaging. David shares insights from his books and discusses how AR can reduce social isolation by enhancing real-world connections.

Practical Applications of AR in Safety and Navigation

Gain insights into Lookout, the AI camera system for boats, which David developed to improve maritime safety by providing navigational aids through augmented reality, showing how AR can address practical challenges in unstructured environments like open waters.

Future of UX in Spatial Computing

David discusses the future of user experience design in the context of spatial computing, offering advice for UX professionals on adapting to new tools and thinking paradigms to design more engaging and useful digital and physical products.

Ethical Considerations and Social Impact of Tech

The conversation also covers the ethical implications of technology, particularly the risks and benefits of AR and VR. David highlights the importance of designing technology that respects privacy and promotes social engagement.

In this Insights Unlocked episode, UserTesting’s LeTisha Shaw talks with REI’s Monique Lalonde about their continuous interview program with customers to support the product development life cycle.

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The Human Insight Summit (THiS) PROMO Code

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) is headed to Austin, Texas, this October 28-30. THiS is our annual, in-person customer conference dedicated to helping organizations understand their customers by showing and sharing, first-hand, the possibilities of using human insight across the business. Get $100 off your registration with the podcast listener code: UNLOCKED. Learn more or register.

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SHOW NOTES

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that REI, the nation’s largest consumer co-op with some 23 million members, loves to talk with its customers.

“As our product-led practice matured, we saw an opportunity to foster a habit of talking to customers on a regular basis in support of the product development cycle,” said Monique, REI’s Director of Product Design. “Layne Foit (REI’s senior manager of UX research & Content) developed a scalable framework for continuous customer interviewing with a goal to empower teams with just enough research skills so they feel comfortable talking to customers, are able to analyze what they hear, and use those customer insights to drive innovation and customer centricity.”

Once a week, members from REI’s UX research and product teams meet up to talk with a customer about a specific problem they are experiencing. They then evaluate that interview together, listening for all the different things that people observed.

We often talk about shifting left in the product development lifecycle when you’re talking with your customers and prospects. This helps you develop products your audience wants, needs and will pay you money. It also helps avoid or reduce the cost of rework (estimated at more than $1 trillion annually) because you built something no one wanted.

REI is a purpose-driven specialty outdoor retailer dedicated to enabling life outside for all. The co-op was founded in 1938 as some mountaineering friends in the Pacific Northwest sought access to better climbing gear. As a co-op, with about 23 million members, they measure success differently than many companies. 

“Our goal is to run a healthy business, which enables us to make a positive impact on our employees, members, and society,” Monique said. “Our product design practice plays a critical role in supporting our goals, measuring their progress and impact in all our experiences.”

So far the program has been successful in conducting continuous research that can be measured and tracked, Monique said. 

“This shared experience is helping in cross-functional alignment, promoting a user-centered culture, and understanding a holistic picture of our customer journeys,” she said. “An unexpected benefit has been team building. Our product teams are 100% remote and our pilot teams reported feeling more connected to their co-workers thanks to the program.”

In this Insights Unlocked episode, Andy MacMillan, CEO of UserTesting, talks with Dave about the rapidly transforming UX research landscape, shedding light on how technological advances are reshaping our approach to understanding user experiences.

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The Human Insight Summit (THiS) PROMO Code

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) is headed to Austin, Texas, this October 28-30. THiS is our annual, in-person customer conference dedicated to helping organizations understand their customers by showing and sharing, first-hand, the possibilities of using human insight across the business. Get $100 off your registration with the podcast listener code: UNLOCKED. Learn more or register.

----

SHOW NOTES

In this Insights Unlocked episode, Andy MacMillan, CEO of UserTesting, talks with Dave about the rapidly transforming UX research landscape, shedding light on how technological advances are reshaping our approach to understanding user experiences.

Dave has written several essays on the subject over on his website.

“What we're doing in user research compared to what we were doing 10 or 15 years ago is a much more understood set of activities,” Dave said. “And that means that the way that we undertake them, the amount of effort that it takes to undertake them is decreasing and the amount of knowledge that we as an industry have about how the craft of user research itself works is increasing. 

“User research is only one small piece of the puzzle,” he said. “And the user of user research are the product teams who are actually taking these insights and are weaving them into our ongoing processes. So as we look to the future of user research, I think we actually need to shift our view a level higher and look to the future methods of product development that will unfold along with a now more commoditized version of research.”

Dave suggests the future of UX research is to be closer aligned to the product development process.

In this Insights Unlocked episode, UserTesting’s Sean Treiser talks with UI/UX and product designer Karla Fernandes about designing, developing, testing and launching products on your own.

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The Human Insight Summit (THiS) PROMO Code

The Human Insight Summit (THiS) is headed to Austin, Texas, this October 28-30. THiS is our annual, in-person customer conference dedicated to helping organizations understand their customers by showing and sharing, first-hand, the possibilities of using human insight across the business. Get $100 off your registration with the podcast listener code: UNLOCKED. Learn more or register.

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Teresa has coached hundreds of teams at companies of all sizes, from early-stage startups to global enterprises, in a variety of industries. She has taught more than 11,000 product people discovery skills through the Product Talk Academy and her coaching practice.

Pablo is the founder or co-founder of several design brands, most recently Bueno and the Musho AI plugin for Figma. Previously he was a lead designer at InVision, as well as a staff designer at Lyft and Udemy. He teaches art and design on his YouTube channel Sketch Together, as well as supports the Latinx community through his projects Latinx Who Design and Dreamer Stories.

“I am a techno-optimist,” Pablo said. “I believe in the potential of these tools to enhance our lives in general and, specifically, that of creative individuals, assisting them in taking their creations to a different level.”

The pace of the change is happening quickly, he said, and some people may get caught in that disruption, including on the creative side, and get left behind.

“It would be naive not to see the challenges this brings,” Pablo said. “The pace of the AI evolution is making traditional systems and industries slow to adapt, sometimes causing an existential crisis. So, there's going to be a transition period where a lot of people will be affected by this shift.

In this clip, Monal shares tips for anyone looking to build a research team from the ground up at a company, as well as tips for next leveling a research team that already exists. She also explains how she created an internal Insights Council to help inform and influence business decisions.

Enjoy the episode.

In this clip, Ari explains why he thinks we need to reinvent UX researchers role within organizations to be less of a service provider and more of a consultant providing strategic advice.  

Enjoy the episode.

In this episode, we look back to our conversation in Episode 17 with Christian Idiodi, Partner at Silicon Valley Product Group. We ask him about how teams and individuals should think about innovation within their organizations. 

Enjoy the episode.

For many people, the holiday season is a time for taking a break from work as we visit friends and loved ones and otherwise recharge our batteries. 

In this short encore episode, we listen to the conversation UserTesting's CEO Andy MacMillan had with Sarah Doody from Career Strategy Lab about making ourselves recession proof. One recommendation they had was investing time at least once a year in updating your LinkedIn profile, resume or CV. 

Seems like these slow days between the holidays are a perfect opportunity to track your accomplishments over the past year, update your LinkedIn profile, and make a plan for the new year. 

Enjoy the show. 

Customer feedback allows you to identify and remedy small problems before they have the chance to become critical issues down the line.

“People hear that word feedback and they often assume that it’s inherently negative,” Siena said. “Customer feedback is the way to decide how your business moves forward, and it does take a different type of vulnerability to open up your hard work to the people that you want to like it the most.”

The Canopy Pickup Cam is a smart security camera that works for most trucks. Theft from trucks and other vehicles is a big deal. In fact, $7.4 billion was lost to auto theft and property stolen from vehicles in 2020, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The company was spun out of Ford, where the initial research that went into the product was developed.

In the episode, Anne shares her experiences over the past year getting the UX research program started, planning an internal alpha pilot and then a beta pilot with Detroit-area truck owners—a continent away from her offices in London.

She includes her lessons learned, such as the benefits of having an alpha test. And be ready to plan more than you’d originally would expect, she said. For example, they rehearsed before the beta pilot launch, where they were able to address such details such as where would participants park their trucks, who would greet them, and was wifi available?

Whether you’re a marketer, UX practitioner, or project manager, you should be working to match what you do with measurable business results.

In this week’s Insights Unlocked, UserTesting’s Chief Operating Officer Josh Maltz talks with UpTop's Craig Nishizaki about getting executive buy-in for experience research.

Panera's small UX team aims to support customers across their entire journey, from home or work to the restaurant and back; from research to visual design. 

“The sun never sets on what UX touches,” said Parquette, a senior UX designer at Panera Bread.

That investment has paid off.

According to its parent company, Panera Bread continues to expand its leading digital capabilities, which today account for 51% of total sales, while increasing its loyalty base to 53 million members and launching an innovative loyalty subscription model that has resulted in 25% of all Panera transactions now coming from Unlimited Sip Club members.

Deborah is a senior UX designer at UpTop, a Seattle-based agency where she has worked on projects that range from large online retailers and B2B technology companies to healthcare and fashion. Sean is UserTesting’s Insights Strategist and often can be found writing articles for the Center for Human Insights.

• Misconceptions about generative AI
• Generative AI and storytelling
• Generative AI's role in customer experience
• Ethical considerations for brands when using generative AI
• Role of AI in design and content creation process
• How brands can ensure using AI fits with overall brand identity and values

Behzod is founder of the Yet Another Studio consultancy, working with a range of clients including Figma and Dropbox. Behzod is a research consultant, advisor, and investor. He is also an Executive in Residence and Program Partner at Reforge, where he built and leads the User Insights for Product Decisions program. Previously, Behzod led Research Operations at Slack and was a Senior UX Researcher at Facebook, where he co-founded the Research Associates Program.

In their conversation, they discuss:

• What democratizing research means
• How to make teams aware they are already doing research every day
• Playing the Wheel of Fortune with your research and decision making
• Measuring research's ROI for the org
• How to get buy in for research diversity
• Is great research inconvenient?
• Humility in the research process
• Recognizing research is not always the answer
• Decision making frameworks
• Risk threshold conversations
• Best research advice

One key theme discussed was the fear of being identified when providing honest feedback within an organization. Howard, a prominent figure in UX research and leadership coaching, shared insights into this common concern. "The fear of being identified really speaks to a valid worry that many individuals face when conducting research outside the realm of consumer products," he explained. "Honest answers can sometimes hurt people, especially when those in positions of power are uncomfortable with the feedback they receive."

"Ari’s perspective challenges the status quo and encourages us to rethink how we approach UX research," Michelle said. "By transforming research teams into strategic insight and foresight teams, businesses can make informed decisions that align with both customer needs and business goals."

Laura emphasizes the importance of building the smallest thing needed to learn something or understand a problem better. It's not about building something small just for the sake of it; rather, it's about identifying the specific information that needs to be learned and finding the most efficient way to gain insights.

"Build the smallest possible thing that you can to learn something or to understand something better," Laura said.

They also touch on the challenges faced by UX researchers and the importance of including customer feedback in the product development process.

One of the key takeaways from the episode was the remarkable power AI holds in transforming the experience research landscape. By leveraging AI's capabilities, UX researchers and product managers can unlock deeper insights, automate mundane tasks, and streamline their workflows, allowing them to focus on more creative and innovative aspects of their work.

The episode also brought up an essential point – the critical role of humans in the research process. While AI can be a valuable co-pilot, it should never replace the human touch, Ranjitha said.

Understanding the art of decision-making can shape your future path whether you're a tech professional, a business leader, or someone navigating life's many choices.

In this week’s episode of Insights Unlocked, Janice Fraser, co-author "Farther, Faster, and Far Less Drama," discusses her four leadership motions, which she believes will help you achieve goals faster, make complex situations more manageable, and create momentum even during overwhelming circumstances.

She and UserTesting’s CEO Andy MacMillan dive into the concepts she has employed consulting Navy SEALs, startup CEOs, and Fortune 100 executives.