Researchers talk a lot about the importance of empathy. But what the heck does ‘empathy’ actually mean? What does empathy really look like in practice? Babz Jewell—an ethnographic sociologist and Principal UX Researcher at Variant—is here to explain. She joined Erin and JH to share her practical approach to empathy and active listening, and how these skills have transformed her UX research practice.

Babz talked about…

• How active listening can help UX researchers improve their entire research process.
• Building better relationships with stakeholders. 
• Using notetaking to be a better active listener. 

Highlights

• [3:47] What is empathy anyway?
• [7:40] Being empathetic with your stakeholders can create more impactful research.
• [17:03] How radical listening can change your research practice.
• [24:52] How Babz uses note-taking skills she learned with Russian diplomats to improve her listening.

Resources and people mentioned in the episode

• Hmnty Cntrd’s courses
• Teresa Torres’ Continuous Discovery Habits
• Jor-El Caraballo
• Vivianne Castillo

About our guest
Babz is a sociologist and leader in leveraging ethnographic research methods for corporate UX, CX and product design. She is currently UX Research Manager at FanDuel. At the time of our interview, she was Principal User Experience Researcher at Variant, a driver-focused long-haul trucking company. There, she leads research operations and projects for driver-facing products and support with ethnographic methods.