Awkward Silences

A user research podcast
hosted by Erin May (VP Growth & Marketing)
and John Henry Forster (VP Product)

Welcome to Awkward Silences by User Interviews, where we interview the people who interview people. Listen as we geek out on all things UX research, qualitative data, and the craft of understanding people to build better products and businesses. Hosted by Erin May and JH Forster, VPs of growth/marketing and product at User Interviews.

PLACES TO LISTEN ON:

Lastest Episode:

Awkward Silences

October 12, 2021

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

An essential lesson on how to start doing great user research with people with disabilities, and why accessibility is a non-negotiable part of good UX.

Erin May

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More Episodes:

Awkward Silences

September 29, 2021

How to Break Into User Research: Practical Career Advice for Aspiring UXRs– with Eniola Abioye of SVB

Honest and actionable advice from a seasoned UX researcher on how to start doing user research, build a portfolio, and make the career switch.

Erin May

Awkward Silences

September 21, 2021

User Researchers Need to Care About the Business, Too – with Zack Naylor of Aurelius

A research pro explains why it's so important for user researchers to have a deep understanding of the business they work for.

Erin May

Awkward Silences

September 8, 2021

Debunking UX Research Myths with Zach Schendel of DoorDash

A research pro who has led teams at Unilever, Netflix, and DoorDash debunks some of the most common UX research myths he’s come up against.

Erin May

The best stories about user research

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Profiles & Interviews

March 4, 2021

The 16 Best UX and User Research Podcasts to Listen to in 2021

Level up your UX research knowledge and get inspired by leaders and changemakers in design, research, and business with these 16 highly rated podcasts.

Katryna Balboni

Awkward Silences

February 18, 2021

Discovery Research and Interviewing Skills with Maria Rosala of Nielsen Norman Group

Maria joined us live to explain why discovery research is non-negotiable, how to conduct great interviews, and to share her top tips, methods, and tools.

Katryna Balboni

Awkward Silences

February 2, 2021

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

Discover what information security and UX have in common, how UXers can build more secure products, and what the heck ethical hackers do.

Carrie Boyd

Awkward Silences

January 19, 2021

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

Going it alone can be tough—but there are perks to solo work, too. Izzy Nichols walked us through how being a lone UX researcher can be good for leveling up your skills, taking the next step in your career, and finding out what you really want.

Carrie Boyd

Recruiting

January 12, 2021

9 Research Recruiting Tips from UXR Experts—How to Recruit Participants Like A Pro

User research recruiting is hard. Here’s some tips from our expert podcast guests to make things easier.

Carrie Boyd

Awkward Silences

January 5, 2021

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

What do you do when user needs change overnight? Amanda Rosenburg, UXR Team Lead for Google Classroom shares how she and her team kept researching through the COVID pandemic.

Carrie Boyd

Awkward Silences

December 22, 2020

Awkward Silences 2020 Year In Review

This wasn’t the year of research we planned for. Our hosts Erin May and JH Forster review the lessons, insights, and guests from 2020 that stuck with them.

Carrie Boyd

Awkward Silences

December 8, 2020

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

Research operations is still uncharted territory. Roy shares well-earned advice on what it takes to succeed in a research ops role.

Carrie Boyd

Awkward Silences

November 24, 2020

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

How bringing different disciplines together gave this research team its superpowers.

Carrie Boyd

Awkward Silences

November 10, 2020

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

Anthropology is all about studying the context and cultures in which people make decisions. Here’s what user researchers can learn from that practice—with Vanessa Whatley, a UX Researcher at Google.

Carrie Boyd

Awkward Silences

October 28, 2020

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

Storytelling can help everyone at your organization get in the practice of basing decisions in user feedback. Here’s how Harrison Wheeler makes it work at Linkedin.

Carrie Boyd

Awkward Silences

October 12, 2020

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

AI is becoming a part of everything we do, so how do we ensure it's user-friendly, ethical, and unbiased?

Carrie Boyd