Insights Unlocked

Episode web page: https://bit.ly/4baZCZ9

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

Episode web page: https://bit.ly/4sg3a3k

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

Episode web page: https://bit.ly/4tH0nSl

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 web page: https://bit.ly/4k9H4fT

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

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:

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

Resources & links

Episode web page: https://bit.ly/4knVwkM

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

Episode web page: https://bit.ly/4k9H4fT

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 web page: https://bit.ly/3LR63bd

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 web page: 

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 web page: https://bit.ly/3Ys2J9d

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 web page: https://bit.ly/4jpvb55

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