Awkward Silences Podcast

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The State of user research 2023 report is here!

Our 5th annual report unpacks survey data from 929 UX researchers and ReOps pros to uncover trends in research teams, tools, AI, layoffs, and more.

Check out the report 

Extra, Extra!

The 2022 UX Research Yearbook is here!

The User Research Yearbook is a directory of essential voices in User Research—folks who have contributed their voices, energy, and time to educate, champion, challenge, and drive important conversations within the field. Click the link below to meet the Class of UI High, download the PDF version, and even sign the Yearbook!

Meet the Class of 2022

Awkward Silences

September 27, 2023

Practical Strategies for Customer Obsession with Prayag Narula, CEO and Co-Founder of Marvin

Prayag Narula, CEO and Co-Founder of Marvin, shares practical strategies for building a customer-centric product culture.

Erin May

Awkward Silences

September 20, 2023

Designing AI for Trust and Utility with Linus Lee of Notion

Linus Lee, Research Engineer at Notion, researches how Generative AI can make people's lives easier. He explains how his team is approaching the design process at Notion.

Erin May

Awkward Silences

August 30, 2023

How to Influence Stakeholders with Strategic Research with Andrea Amorós, Associate Principal Researcher at ADP

Andrea Amorós, Associate Principal Researcher at ADP, shares how she has pushed strategic research to the big table.

Erin May

Awkward Silences

August 23, 2023

The End of an Era: A Fond Farewell to JH

JH says goodbye to Awkward Silences as he kicks off a new chapter in his career. Today, he and Erin reflect on the years. They share a bit of the original background to the podcast, their favorite memories, and even some behind-the-scene thoughts.

Erin May

Awkward Silences

August 2, 2023

Unveiling UX Insights with Competitive Research with Rachel Miles, Research Lead at IBM

Rachel Miles of IBM discusses competitive research in UX: analyzing competitors, identifying benchmarks, and navigating legal challenges.

Erin May

Awkward Silences

July 19, 2023

Designing Beyond the Product: Systems Thinking with Sheryl Cababa, Chief Strategy Officer at Substantial

Sheryl Cababa discusses systems thinking in design, addressing the complexities and interconnectedness of products and their ecosystems.

Erin May

Awkward Silences

July 5, 2023

The Art of Great Facilitation for Better Collaboration with Marsha Acker, Founder and CEO of TeamCatapult

Marsha Acker discusses the 6 key principles of great facilitation, from maintaining neutrality to practicing agility. Tune in to learn facilitation methods, the preparation process, and how to build facilitation skills.

Erin May

Awkward Silences

June 21, 2023

How to Upskill Product Teams in UX Research with Helen Devine, UX Research Manager at The Economist

Helen Devine discusses her experience enabling product teams to help with research at the Economist and going from 0 UXRs to 50+ PWDRs.

Erin May

Awkward Silences

June 7, 2023

The Value of “Scrappy” Research with Varun Murugesan, Co-Founder of Apple and Banana

Varun Murugesan discusses the value of “scrappy” research, the effects of the AI explosion, and how to find creativity when researching.

Erin May

Awkward Silences

May 24, 2023

The Power of Failure with Kevin Kelly, Publisher and Founding Editor of Wired

The senior maverick of Wired gives expert advice on turning failure into success, battling your own biases, and prototyping your own life.

Erin May

Awkward Silences

May 10, 2023

AI Anxiety: The Dangers (and Opportunities) of AI in Research with Mike Adams of Grain

Mike Adams, CEO and Founder of Grain, discusses applications of AI in research, and a peek into the shifting research product roadmap.

Erin May

Awkward Silences

April 26, 2023

What is UX Business Coaching? With Sylvana Rochet of Elan Vital Coaching

Good career coaching helps you navigate your career path and achieve your goals. Sylvana explains how to get the most out of UX coaching.

Erin May

Awkward Silences

April 19, 2023

Defining a Research Strategy with Devin Harold of Capital One

Devin Harold, the Director of Research at Capital One, joins us to share the ins and outs of crafting, implementing, and refining an impactful UX research strategy.

Erin May

Awkward Silences

April 12, 2023

The Power of Atomic Research with Daniel Pidcock of Glean.ly

Daniel shares how Glean.ly and applying the atomic research framework helps UX researchers organize large amounts of data and efficiently extract insights.

Erin May

Awkward Silences

March 29, 2023

Exploring UX Research Career Options with Marieke McCloskey of LinkedIn

Marieke shares eye-opening insights and details about the experiences that shaped her career as a UX researcher, consultant, and trainer.

Erin May

Awkward Silences

March 22, 2023

The UX files: Top Moments from YouX 2023

Erin and John-Henry relive the wonderfully awkward, thought-provoking, and inspiring moments of YouX 2023 and muse on some of their favorite takeaways from each session.

Erin May

Awkward Silences

March 15, 2023

Building a Healthy Research Culture with Mike Oren of Klaviyo

What is a "healthy" research culture? According to Mike Oren of Klaviyo, it takes strong leadership, psychological safety, structure & more.

Erin May

Awkward Silences

March 8, 2023

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

Holly Hester-Reilly discusses how bad research processes can give research a bad reputation and how it can all go wrong.

Erin May

Awkward Silences Podcast

Practical Strategies for Customer Obsession with Prayag Narula, CEO and Co-Founder of Marvin

Designing AI for Trust and Utility with Linus Lee of Notion

How to Influence Stakeholders with Strategic Research with Andrea Amorós, Associate Principal Researcher at ADP

The End of an Era: A Fond Farewell to JH

Unveiling UX Insights with Competitive Research with Rachel Miles, Research Lead at IBM

Designing Beyond the Product: Systems Thinking with Sheryl Cababa, Chief Strategy Officer at Substantial

The Art of Great Facilitation for Better Collaboration with Marsha Acker, Founder and CEO of TeamCatapult

How to Upskill Product Teams in UX Research with Helen Devine, UX Research Manager at The Economist

The Value of “Scrappy” Research with Varun Murugesan, Co-Founder of Apple and Banana

The Power of Failure with Kevin Kelly, Publisher and Founding Editor of Wired

AI Anxiety: The Dangers (and Opportunities) of AI in Research with Mike Adams of Grain

What is UX Business Coaching? With Sylvana Rochet of Elan Vital Coaching

Defining a Research Strategy with Devin Harold of Capital One

The Power of Atomic Research with Daniel Pidcock of Glean.ly

Exploring UX Research Career Options with Marieke McCloskey of LinkedIn

The UX files: Top Moments from YouX 2023

Building a Healthy Research Culture with Mike Oren of Klaviyo

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

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