Aaron Sedley

Aaron Sedley, a Staff UX Researcher at Google, is changing the way products are built. If anyone can, it’s him. After almost 16 years at Google, Aaron has seen how traditional product metrics fall short when it comes to triangulating the true experience people are having with products. He wanted a new set of metrics that would get at the heart of what the team was hoping to bring into the world, happiness. Check out this episode to hear how he’s pulling it off. To read more of Aaron’s work, click here.     Listen Now  

Aaron Sedley, a Staff UX Researcher at Google, is changing the way products are built. If anyone can, it’s him. After almost 16 years at Google, Aaron has seen how traditional product metrics fall short when it comes to triangulating the true experience people are having with products. He wanted a new set of metrics that would get at the heart of what the team was hoping to bring into the world, happiness. Check out this episode to hear how he’s pulling it off. To read more of Aaron’s work, <a href="https://research.google/people/AaronSedley/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a>. <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mixed-methods/id1206765479" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Listen Now </a>

Triangulating the Truth - Aaron Sedley, Google

Marie Huber

Like many of us, Marie Huber’s path to human-centered research has been a winding one. However, unlike most of us, her path has taken her through Afghanistan, Iraq, and numerous service organizations around the world. She is now working in San Francisco at a social impact consultancy, and recently wrote an article about how she is applying all of this experience working in crisis situations to the current coronavirus situation. In this conversation, Marie expands on what she wrote about and dives deeper into how to work at this time and how to care for participants, co-workers, and ourselves.     Listen Now  

Like many of us, Marie Huber’s path to human-centered research has been a winding one. However, unlike most of us, her path has taken her through Afghanistan, Iraq, and numerous service organizations around the world. She is now working in San Francisco at a social impact consultancy, and recently wrote <a href="https://uxdesign.cc/crisis-responsive-ux-research-f60e12a8b9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">an article</a> about how she is applying all of this experience working in crisis situations to the current coronavirus situation. In this conversation, Marie expands on what she wrote about and dives deeper into how to work at this time and how to care for participants, co-workers, and ourselves. <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mixed-methods/id1206765479" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Listen Now </a>

Crisis Mode - Marie Huber, Third Plateau Social Impact Strategies

From experimenting with truly mixed methods projects to various team structures, the team at Spotify has always had a creative approach to UX research. That was confirmed again last March by a blog post about a personas project the team had taken on with the help of some amazing vendors like Julie Francis, Fred Bove, and Laure Dousset. While many researchers are a bit skeptical of personas, the investment and impact they seem to be generating at Spotify makes a case for reconsidering. So, listen in to hear from the team behind one of the coolest personas projects out there.     Listen Now  

From experimenting with truly mixed methods projects to various team structures, the team at Spotify has always had a creative approach to UX research. That was confirmed again last March by <a href="https://spotify.design/articles/2019-03-26/the-story-of-spotify-personas/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a blog post</a> about a personas project the team had taken on with the help of some amazing vendors like Julie Francis, Fred Bove, and Laure Dousset. While many researchers are a bit skeptical of personas, the investment and impact they seem to be generating at Spotify makes a case for reconsidering. So, listen in to hear from the team behind one of the coolest personas projects out there. <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mixed-methods/id1206765479" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Listen Now </a>

Personas - Spotify

Asif Baki

When it comes to the internet, who will make up the next huge wave of people to join? At Google’s Next Billion Users project, they have a few ideas. This dedicated group of technologists is asking questions like, “what are the needs of people living in rapidly growing global communities in Mexico City or Jakarta?” And this team, largely thanks to dedicated UX researchers and their partners, is coming up with distinct new ways to serve these groups. Today we’re joined by Asif Baki who leads the Research and Insights team for Next Billion Users at Google. With over 13 years of experience working at Google, Asif is well suited for the challenge. He understands not only the on-the-ground differences that exist, but also the day to day obstacles in trying to bridge them.     Listen Now  

When it comes to the internet, who will make up the next huge wave of people to join? At Google’s Next Billion Users project, they have a few ideas. This dedicated group of technologists is asking questions like, “what are the needs of people living in rapidly growing global communities in Mexico City or Jakarta?” And this team, largely thanks to dedicated UX researchers and their partners, is coming up with distinct new ways to serve these groups. Today we’re joined by Asif Baki who leads the Research and Insights team for Next Billion Users at Google. With over 13 years of experience working at Google, Asif is well suited for the challenge. He understands not only the on-the-ground differences that exist, but also the day to day obstacles in trying to bridge them. <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mixed-methods/id1206765479?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Listen Now </a>

The Next Billion Users - Asif Baki, Google

Liz Jackson

Liz Jackson founded the Disabled List in 2017 in hopes of creating more space for disabled designers. She recognized that corporate conversations so often happen about them but without them. The Disabled List is working to change this by advocating for disability as a design advantage. They strategically place disabled designers into organizations to demonstrate the unique value disabled perspectives have. Through the Disabled List, I’ve had my first meaningful forays into the world of disability studies, ableism and disability advocacy. My perspective on the role of disability in design and research has changed, listen in and yours might too!     Listen Now  

Liz Jackson founded the Disabled List in 2017 in hopes of creating more space for disabled designers. She recognized that corporate conversations so often happen about them but without them. The Disabled List is working to change this by advocating for disability as a design advantage. They strategically place disabled designers into organizations to demonstrate the unique value disabled perspectives have. Through the Disabled List, I’ve had my first meaningful forays into the world of disability studies, ableism and disability advocacy. My perspective on the role of disability in design and research has changed, listen in and yours might too! <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mixed-methods/id1206765479" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Listen Now </a>

The Power of Disability - The Disabled List ft. Liz Jackson

Abby Covert

Abby Covert, also known as Abby the IA, is a pioneer in the field of Information Architecture. Abby likes to think of herself as a “Sensemaker,” a role she believes is becoming more and more necessary in our increasingly messy world. To spread this message, Abby wrote the book How to Make Sense of Any Mess, helped found World IA Day that now has events all over the globe, and shared her thoughts on the subject here with us.      Listen Now  

Abby Covert, also known as Abby the IA, is a pioneer in the field of Information Architecture. Abby likes to think of herself as a “Sensemaker,” a role she believes is becoming more and more necessary in our increasingly messy world. To spread this message, Abby wrote the book How to Make Sense of Any Mess, helped found World IA Day that now has events all over the globe, and shared her thoughts on the subject here with us. <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mixed-methods/id1206765479?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Listen Now </a>

Sensemaking Through Information Architecture - Abby Covert, Etsy

Laura Weiss

Coaching for Creative Professionals - Laura Weiss, Design Diplomacy

Jane Fulton Suri

The Future is Life-Centered - Jane Fulton Suri, IDEO

Kate Towsey

The Future is Scalable - Kate Towsey, Atlassian

Tristan Harris

The Future is Ethical - Tristan Harris, Center for Humane Technology

A podcast interested in the how's and why's of user experience research. Through interviews with industry experts and hands-on trial and error, we indulge and celebrate curiosity. Expect to test assumptions, examine methods, and engage in some old fashion experiments.

A fantastic and wonderfully original podcast about UX design. Meaty interviews, meaty content and even more meaty-er guests.

I Started a UX Boy, and Left a UX Man

Great conversation and learnings throughout.

Great podcast

Mixed Methods

Matt Gallivan

Matt Gallivan has had an amazing career in research. From the redesign of NPR's website to Facebook ads, Matt has worked on amazing projects as an individual contributor and as a manager. For the last three years, he’s been at Airbnb and is now responsible for a team of researchers working on the Host side. This experience has given Matt a unique perspective on the role and value UX researchers bring to a product organization.Check out Matt's article on the true value of UX research here.     Listen in itunes  

Matt Gallivan has had an amazing career in research. From the redesign of NPR's website to Facebook ads, Matt has worked on amazing projects as an individual contributor and as a manager. For the last three years, he’s been at Airbnb and is now responsible for a team of researchers working on the Host side. This experience has given Matt a unique perspective on the role and value UX researchers bring to a product organization.Check out Matt's article on the true value of UX research <a href="https://www.fastcodesign.com/3055816/from-airbnb-the-real-value-of-ux-research" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>. <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mixed-methods/id1206765479?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Listen in itunes </a>

The True Value of UX Research - Matt Gallivan, Airbnb

Jeff Sauro

Jeff Sauro has had an amazing career. In addition to having a PhD in educational statistics and research methods, he’s worked at GE, Intuit, and Oracle. Jeff is probably best known though for his work at MeasuringU, the quantitative research firm he founded in 2004. As it says on their about page, they focus on “the statistical analysis of human behavior and quantifying the user experience.” When it comes to qual/quant research, Jeff is a leading voice in the community and in this episode we discuss what motivated this approach and speak a bit about how UX researchers could begin to incorporate this type of thinking into their practice, including How To Make Personas More Scientific.      Listen in iTunes   References from episode:How To Make Personas More Scientific6 Proportions To Compare When Improving the User ExperienceHow To Compute a Confidence Interval in 5 Easy Steps

Jeff Sauro has had an amazing career. In addition to having a PhD in educational statistics and research methods, he’s worked at GE, Intuit, and Oracle. Jeff is probably best known though for his work at MeasuringU, the quantitative research firm he founded in 2004. As it says on their about page, they focus on “the statistical analysis of human behavior and quantifying the user experience.” When it comes to qual/quant research, Jeff is a leading voice in the community and in this episode we discuss what motivated this approach and speak a bit about how UX researchers could begin to incorporate this type of thinking into their practice, including <a href="https://measuringu.com/scientific-personas/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How To Make Personas More Scientific</a>.  <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mixed-methods/id1206765479?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Listen in iTunes </a> References from episode:<ul><li><a href="https://measuringu.com/scientific-personas/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How To Make Personas More Scientific</a></li><li><a href="https://measuringu.com/two-proportions/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">6 Proportions To Compare When Improving the User Experience</a></li><li><a href="https://measuringu.com/ci-five-steps/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How To Compute a Confidence Interval in 5 Easy Steps</a></li></ul>

Combining Qual & Quant - Jeff Sauro, MeasuringU

Indi Young

Indi Young has been doing UX research since before it was a thing. With over 25 years of experience in various consulting roles, Indi is a wealth of knowledge and good stories. Not only about co-founding the well-known consultancy and UX think tank, Adaptive Path, but also the conception of mental model diagrams. She has now written two books about this method, Mental Models and Practical Empathy. Check out indiyoung.com for more resources about how to make your own mental model diagram. Enjoy the episode!     Listen in itunes  

Indi Young has been doing UX research since before it was a thing. With over 25 years of experience in various consulting roles, Indi is a wealth of knowledge and good stories. Not only about co-founding the well-known consultancy and UX think tank, Adaptive Path, but also the conception of mental model diagrams. She has now written two books about this method, <a href="http://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/mental-models/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mental Models</a> and <a href="http://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/practical-empathy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Practical Empathy</a>. Check out <a href="http://indiyoung.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">indiyoung.com</a> for more resources about how to make your own mental model diagram. Enjoy the episode! <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mixed-methods/id1206765479?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Listen in itunes </a>

Mental Models - Indi Young, Co-Founder of Adaptive Path & Independent Researcher

Sarah Garcia

In any field there are some topics that are more widely agreed upon and some that are more widely debated. For UX research ethnography falls in the later. It’s defined as, “the scientific description of the customs of individual peoples and cultures.” Historically, the term has been widely used in anthropology to describe studies that can last for years and explore other cultures in an immersive way almost unheard of today. This type of ethnography, even in the academic world, is undergoing a transition as it becomes more and more difficult for men and women to dedicate themselves for such long periods of time to this type of study.This year CHI hosted a workshop on ethnography. For UX researchers, this type of observation based study can be invaluable when trying to understand the way different groups think, feel, and behave. Sarah Garcia, who hosted this year’s workshop, sat down to tell us a bit more about it. She’s spent over 10 years at UE Group doing UX research for some of the world’s largest companies.     Listen in itunes  

In any field there are some topics that are more widely agreed upon and some that are more widely debated. For UX research ethnography falls in the later. It’s defined as, “the scientific description of the customs of individual peoples and cultures.” Historically, the term has been widely used in anthropology to describe studies that can last for years and explore other cultures in an immersive way almost unheard of today. This type of ethnography, even in the academic world, is undergoing a transition as it becomes more and more difficult for men and women to dedicate themselves for such long periods of time to this type of study.This year CHI hosted a workshop on ethnography. For UX researchers, this type of observation based study can be invaluable when trying to understand the way different groups think, feel, and behave. Sarah Garcia, who hosted this year’s workshop, sat down to tell us a bit more about it. She’s spent over 10 years at UE Group doing UX research for some of the world’s largest companies. <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mixed-methods/id1206765479?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Listen in itunes </a>

Ethnography: A 21st Century Interpretation (@CHI) - Sarah Garcia, UE Group

Ever wondered how you could get more insights out of your interviews? This week we have a few researchers who did. Marianne Berkovich, Elizabeth Baylor, and Beverly Freeman come from a variety of backgrounds, including a stint as an professor of anthropology. Together they have over 30 years of experience doing user research at companies like Microsoft, Adobe, eBay, PayPal, intuit, and Google. Our conversation was about a workshop originated by Marianne and Elizabeth, and now facilitated by Beverly as well. The workshop helps researchers continuously improve their interviewing skills. I found the takeaways helpful both personally and for a group. If you want a bit of extra reading, here is an article Marianne wrote about the workshop as well.      listen in itunes  

Ever wondered how you could get more insights out of your interviews? This week we have a few researchers who did. Marianne Berkovich, Elizabeth Baylor, and Beverly Freeman come from a variety of backgrounds, including a stint as an professor of anthropology. Together they have over 30 years of experience doing user research at companies like Microsoft, Adobe, eBay, PayPal, intuit, and Google. Our conversation was about a workshop originated by Marianne and Elizabeth, and now facilitated by Beverly as well. The workshop helps researchers continuously improve their interviewing skills. I found the takeaways helpful both personally and for a group. If you want a bit of extra reading, <a href="https://medium.com/@mberkovich/honing-your-user-research-craft-doing-a-critique-through-a-dont-leave-data-on-the-table-class-23871b7bbde2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here is an article</a> Marianne wrote about the workshop as well.  <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mixed-methods/id1206765479?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> listen in itunes </a>

Interviewing Workshop: Don't Leave Data on the Table

Jan Chipchase

Jan Chipchase has done it all. Before leading the global research practice at frog, the well-known design &amp; innovation consultancy, Jan was a Principal Scientist at Nokia. He specialized in entry level products and his work caught the attention of a writer for the NY Times magazine. He became the center piece for an article titled, Can the Cellphone Help End Global Poverty? Jan was working on a product at the time that collectively sold over a billion units. He now runs a consultancy, Studio D Radiodurans, a luggage brand, SDR traveller, events all over the world and is the author of the popular, Field Study Handbook.Click here for more details about upcoming masterclasses and retreats Jan is putting on in 2018 or to learn more about the Field Study Template Kit.     Listen Now  

Jan Chipchase has done it all. Before leading the global research practice at frog, the well-known design &amp; innovation consultancy, Jan was a Principal Scientist at <a href="http://www.nokia.com/en_int" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nokia</a>. He specialized in entry level products and his work caught the attention of a writer for the NY Times magazine. He became the center piece for an article titled, Can the Cellphone Help End Global Poverty? Jan was working on a product at the time that collectively sold over a billion units. He now runs a consultancy, Studio D Radiodurans, a luggage brand, <a href="https://sdrtraveller.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SDR traveller</a>, events all over the world and is the author of the popular, <a href="https://www.thefieldstudyhandbook.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Field Study Handbook</a>.Click here for more details about upcoming <a href="https://studiodradiodurans.com/pages/masterclasses" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">masterclasses</a> and <a href="https://studiodradiodurans.com/pages/retreats" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">retreats</a> Jan is putting on in 2018 or to learn more about the <a href="https://studiodradiodurans.com/pages/template-kit" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Field Study Template Kit</a>. <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mixed-methods/id1206765479?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Listen Now </a>

How to Work Internationally - Jan Chipchase, Studio D

Dan Perkel

Impact That Matters - Dan Perkel, IDEO

Michael Margolis

Michael Margolis is a pioneer in the field of UX research. After studying anthropology at Stanford University, Michael began applying his social science degree in an unusual way for the early 90s, redesigning products with a customer centric view. He's worked at The Learning Company, EA, Walmart.com, and Google. In 2010, he was asked to join GV's design studio as the first, and only, UX researcher working for a VC firm. Michael is known in the industry for his exceptional interviewing skills.     Listen in Itunes  

Michael Margolis is a pioneer in the field of UX research. After studying anthropology at Stanford University, Michael began applying his social science degree in an unusual way for the early 90s, redesigning products with a customer centric view. He's worked at The Learning Company, EA, <a href="http://Walmart.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Walmart.com</a>, and Google. In 2010, he was asked to join GV's design studio as the first, and only, UX researcher working for a VC firm. Michael is known in the industry for his exceptional interviewing skills. <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mixed-methods/id1206765479?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Listen in Itunes </a>

Building Rapport - Michael Margolis, GV

Sara Cambridge

Sara Cambridge has had a long and interesting career. After working as a graphic designer for about 14 years, Sara decided she was ready for a change. Not to give too much away, but Sara is now working as a UX researcher at Google. This episode is about how she made the transition from designer to UX researcher and the crucial role grad school played.     Listen in itunes  

Sara Cambridge has had a long and interesting career. After working as a graphic designer for about 14 years, Sara decided she was ready for a change. Not to give too much away, but Sara is now working as a UX researcher at Google. This episode is about how she made the transition from designer to UX researcher and the crucial role grad school played. <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mixed-methods/id1206765479?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Listen in itunes </a>

Career Transitions (Grad School Pt. 2) - Sara Cambridge, Google

Thomas McConkie

Generative Listening - Thomas McConkie, Mindfulness+

Emily Goligoski

After studying journalism in college, Emily Goligoski began exploring less traditional paths that would allow her to merge her love of journalism with her love of human factors. A few years and a master's degree later, Emily found herself working as a design researcher at the NYTimes. In 2015, she became the first researcher to go into the newsrooms, helping reporters better understand topics ranging from archiving to readers’ need during breaking news events. Last year she moved on to The Membership Puzzle Project, a NYU and De Correspondent collaboration exploring sustainable paths forward for public service news organizations. In this episode, we discuss Emily's work, the new methods she's experimenting with, presentation formats, and so much more. Here are a few examples of what Emily has been up to:https://membershippuzzle.org/articles-overview/2017/4/4/hack-our-user-research-materialhttps://membershippuzzle.org/articles-overview/brainstorm-in-a-boxhttps://membershippuzzle.org/articles-overview/why-supporters-pay-for-journalism     Listen in iTunes  

After studying journalism in college, Emily Goligoski began exploring less traditional paths that would allow her to merge her love of journalism with her love of human factors. A few years and a master's degree later, Emily found herself working as a design researcher at the NYTimes. In 2015, she became the first researcher to go into the newsrooms, helping reporters better understand topics ranging from archiving to readers’ need during breaking news events. Last year she moved on to <a href="https://membershippuzzle.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Membership Puzzle Project</a>, a NYU and De Correspondent collaboration exploring sustainable paths forward for public service news organizations. In this episode, we discuss Emily's work, the new methods she's experimenting with, presentation formats, and so much more. Here are a few examples of what Emily has been up to:<ul><li><a href="https://membershippuzzle.org/articles-overview/2017/4/4/hack-our-user-research-material" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://membershippuzzle.org/articles-overview/2017/4/4/hack-our-user-research-material</a></li><li><a href="https://membershippuzzle.org/articles-overview/brainstorm-in-a-box" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://membershippuzzle.org/articles-overview/brainstorm-in-a-box</a></li><li><a href="https://membershippuzzle.org/articles-overview/why-supporters-pay-for-journalism" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://membershippuzzle.org/articles-overview/why-supporters-pay-for-journalism</a></li></ul> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mixed-methods/id1206765479?mt=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Listen in iTunes </a>

Outside the Lab - Emily Goligoski, The Membership Puzzle Project

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