👉 AI in UX research report: https://blog.uxtweak.com/ai-in-ux-research-revisited/

SL Rao (she/them) unpack why bias is unavoidable in research and why the idea of complete objectivity is largely a myth. Drawing on examples from education, public policy, and systems design, SL explain how bias shows up in who we recruit, how we interpret data, and how solutions often reinforce existing power structures. SL also explains how to help communities to conduct their own research through participatory approaches and power-sharing. 

👉 If you have any tips on fantastic speakers from across the globe, feedback, or any questions, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out to [email protected]

🔎 Do you want to know more? Check out this episode at:

https://www.uxtweak.com/podcast/sl-rao-bias-in-research

Episode highlights

00:01:40 - About SL 

00:04:08 - Why is all research biased?

00:07:23 - Examples of how people bring bias into research 

00:11:32 - Is some research better than none? 

00:16:49 - Recruitment and empowering communities 

00:22:59 - Giving away the power 

00:29:46 - Final advice 

About our guest 

SL Rao (She/They) is a strategist who co-creates new futures in education, health and climate through design inspired system transformation. They bring a system-oriented, equity-centered approach to their work and to how they build, nurture, and grow teams and organizations. They are curious, and driven by the need to find solutions to seemingly intractable problems.

👉 Did you know that UXtweak also offers a series of webinars packed with practical knowledge for UX professionals? Check out the episode with Stéphanie Walter, where she talks about overcoming the challenges of enterprise UX: https://www.youtube.com/live/d9p4ShC_fMA?si=eYEl_S0UErpJiT4B 

About this podcast:

Welcome to UX Research Geeks, where Tina Ličková, a researcher and strategist, talks with researchers from around the globe about topics that matter to them. 

🐝 Brought to you by UXtweak, an all-in-one UX research software. Start your research for free at: https://www.uxtweak.com/ 👈

🐝 Where to follow UXtweak:

LinkedIn / Instagram / YouTube / Facebook / Twitter

Jen, a UX researcher at BECU and creator of BlatzChatz, discusses why traditional user personas fail to serve teams. She explains how her frustration with personas drove her to create her own framework - Scenario Alignment Canvas (SAC). She also shares how this method facilitates productive discussions, surfaces assumptions, and helps prioritize research opportunities, ultimately leading to more user-centric and effective design solutions.

👉 If you have any tips on fantastic speakers from across the globe, feedback, or any questions, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out to [email protected]

🔎 Do you want to know more? Check out this episode at:

https://www.uxtweak.com/podcast/jennifer-blatz-why-user-personas-fail

Episode highlights

00:01:14 - About Jen 

00:02:27 - Jen’s journey to UX research 

00:05:26 - Why user personas fail

00:09:26 - How many teams struggle to use personas

00:13:00 - Jen’s Scenario Alignment Canvas 

00:18:18 - Running a Scenario Alignment Workshop

00:20:40 - Jen’s tips on running a UX workshop 

00:25:16 - Final advice 

About our guest 

Jen Blatz is a Principal UX Researcher at BECU (Boeing Employee Credit Union), one of the largest credit unions in the United States. Jen's path to UX started in journalism and graphic design, progressed to UX design, and finally landed in UX research and strategy. She has worked in a number of fields, including finance, mortgage, cloud storage, security, and pet health.

Jen loves being active in the UX community and is the co-founder of the UX Research and Strategy group, one of the largest UX groups in the world. Jen is a seasoned conference speaker who has spoken at several UX International conferences. She spends her free time interviewing UX pros and creating videos for her YouTube channel called BlatzChatz.

🔎 Where to follow Jen 

LinkedIn

👉 Did you know that UXtweak also offers a series of webinars packed with practical knowledge for UX professionals? Check out the episode with Stéphanie Walter, where she talks about overcoming the challenges of enterprise UX: https://www.youtube.com/live/d9p4ShC_fMA?si=eYEl_S0UErpJiT4B 

About this podcast:

Welcome to UX Research Geeks, where Tina Ličková, a researcher and strategist, talks with researchers from around the globe about topics that matter to them. 

🐝 Brought to you by UXtweak, an all-in-one UX research software. Start your research for free at: https://www.uxtweak.com/ 👈

🐝 Where to follow UXtweak:

LinkedIn / Instagram / YouTube / Facebook / Twitter

Jake Burghardt, author of "Stop Wasting Research," discusses how organizations leave valuable insights unused from past studies and explains how this happens due to poor preparation, lack of accountability, and weak integration into planning. He emphasizes that activating existing research requires active knowledge management beyond just repositories, and offers practical ways researchers can extend their impact by prioritizing insights across studies and making past research accessible during planning cycles.

👉 If you have any tips on fantastic speakers from across the globe, feedback, or any questions, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out to [email protected]

🔎 Do you want to know more? Check out this episode at:

https://www.uxtweak.com/podcast/jake-burghardt-recycling-research

Episode highlights

00:01:38 - About Jake 

00:05:13 - How we waste research 

00:07:45 - Why we forget about research findings 

00:12:30 - Research acceptance in teams 

00:17:25 - Promoting research for decision-making  

00:22:08 - Research and knowledge management 

00:27:14 - Final thoughts

About our guest Jake Burghardt

Jake Burghardt is a consultant, author, and speaker at IntegratingResearch.com. His mission is to shift expectations in the tech industry so that almost every important product roadmap, prioritization, and design decision is grounded in research about people and real-world systems.

Jake helps organizations drive product value, outcomes, and quality by:

- Extracting more impact from existing research assets

- Achieving a useful mix of new research in collaborative communities of practice

- Integrating insights into crucial product decisions

Jake has 20+ years of experience in product research, vision, planning, design, and experimentation. Previously, he owned insight activation initiatives in Amazon’s Retail and Alexa divisions. Before working within research communities, Jake consulted on products in a range of domains, including “new space” engineering, power plant operation, cockpit avionics, genetics instrumentation, creative production, and financial trading.

🔎 Where to follow Jake

LinkedIn

👉 Did you know that UXtweak also offers a series of webinars packed with practical knowledge for UX professionals? Check out the episode with Stéphanie Walter, where she talks about overcoming the challenges of enterprise UX: https://www.youtube.com/live/d9p4ShC_fMA?si=eYEl_S0UErpJiT4B 

About this podcast:

Welcome to UX Research Geeks, where Tina Ličková, a researcher and strategist, talks with researchers from around the globe about topics that matter to them. 

🐝 Brought to you by UXtweak, an all-in-one UX research software. Start your research for free at: https://www.uxtweak.com/ 👈

🐝 Where to follow UXtweak:

LinkedIn / Instagram / YouTube / Facebook / Twitter

Amanda Di Dio, VP of Partnerships and Operations at Optimistic Design, discusses the challenge of balancing user needs with technological constraints in product development.

She shares her approach of treating users as active stakeholders, involving them in co-creation and continuous decision-making to shape product visions, prioritize features, and validate solutions.

👉 If you have any tips on fantastic speakers from across the globe, feedback, or any questions, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out to [email protected]

🔎 Do you want to know more? Check out this episode at:

https://www.uxtweak.com/podcast/amanda-di-dio-user-needs-and-technological-capabilities

Episode highlights

00:03:09 - User needs and technological capabilities

00:07:45 - Example of co-creation with users

00:15:00 - Conversations with users and stakeholders

00:19:06 - Conversations with technical teams

00:22:32 - Lessons from Amanda's practice

00:27:19 - Importance of continuous learning

About our guest, Amanda Di Dio 

Amanda is an experienced delivery strategist and program lead known for her expertise in collaborating with multidisciplinary teams.

She has a proven track record in strategizing, planning, and executing research strategies, as well as designing and delivering digital experiences across multiple industries.

Amanda is currently the VP of Partnerships + Operations at Optimistic Design. Lately, Amanda's focus has been on the education sector, where she has developed key partnerships with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Khan Academy, MDRC, and USC Shoah Foundation.

Additionally, she supports edtech organizations in integrating equity-centered approaches into their product R&D processes, playing a crucial role in their growth, support, and capacity building.

🔎 Where to follow Amanda

LinkedIn

👉 Did you know that UXtweak also offers a series of webinars packed with practical knowledge for UX professionals? Check out the episode with Stéphanie Walter, where she talks about overcoming the challenges of enterprise UX: https://www.youtube.com/live/d9p4ShC_fMA?si=eYEl_S0UErpJiT4B 

About this podcast:

Welcome to UX Research Geeks, where Tina Ličková, a researcher and strategist, talks with researchers from around the globe about topics that matter to them. 

🐝 Brought to you by UXtweak, an all-in-one UX research software. Start your research for free at: https://www.uxtweak.com/ 👈

🐝 Where to follow UXtweak:

LinkedIn / Instagram / YouTube / Facebook / Twitter

Get 10% off your conference passes with our special code "uxtweakatuxcon". Tickets available at uxcon.io.

Bryce, an inclusive designer at Microsoft and co-founder of the Inclusive Tech Lab, discusses the inclusive design process and the philosophy he adopted to create accessible and inclusive products with and for people with disabilities, especially in the gaming industry. Bryce also gives practical advice on where and how to engage with different users to create more accessible and inclusive designs. 

👉 If you have any tips on fantastic speakers from across the globe, feedback, or any questions, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out to [email protected]

🔎 Do you want to know more? Check out this episode at:

https://www.uxtweak.com/podcast/bryce-johnson-accessibility-and-inclusive-design/

Episode highlights

00:02:09 - Inclusive design approach and philosophy

00:01:32 - Motivation for inclusive design 

00:05:57 - The Xbox adaptive controller  

00:08:38 - AI and accessibility

00:10:51 - Participatory design and research 

00:19:16 - Advice for researchers

About our guest Bryce Johnson 

Bryce is an inclusive designer for Microsoft Windows + Devices, where he is devoted to ensuring Microsoft products are accessible. Bryce initiated and designed the Inclusive Tech Lab at Microsoft, which has now hosted over twenty thousand visitors; it is a facility where people can explore how people with disabilities interact with Microsoft products and services. He strives to design systems of accessibility enhancement, like the Surface Adaptive Kit, across our devices. Bryce is one of the inventors of the Xbox Adaptive Controller and a proud member of the Microsoft Adaptive Accessories team.

🔎 Where to follow Bryce

LinkedIn

👉 Did you know that UXtweak also offers a series of webinars packed with practical knowledge for UX professionals? Check out the episode with Stéphanie Walter, where she talks about overcoming the challenges of enterprise UX: https://www.youtube.com/live/d9p4ShC_fMA?si=eYEl_S0UErpJiT4B 

About this podcast:

Welcome to UX Research Geeks, where Tina Ličková, a researcher and strategist, talks with researchers from around the globe about topics that matter to them. 

🐝 Brought to you by UXtweak, an all-in-one UX research software. Start your research for free at: https://www.uxtweak.com/ 👈

🐝 Where to follow UXtweak:

LinkedIn / Instagram / YouTube / Facebook / Twitter

Olivia Ponedel, a meticulous product designer, discusses her experience of working at different startups and acting as a middleman to bridge the gaps between product, sales, and engineering teams and users. She shares how research in startups requires flexibility, close collaboration, and finding ways to connect user insights to business priorities to have an impact on product decisions. 

👉 If you have any tips on fantastic speakers from across the globe, feedback, or any questions, we’d love to hear from you too. Reach out to [email protected]

🔎 Do you want to know more? Check out this episode at:

https://www.uxtweak.com/podcast/olivia-ponedel-using-user-insights-to-bring-teams-together

Episode highlights

00:01:23 Olivia’s background 

00:03:06 Olivia’s role in Finix Payments 

00:08:11 Research methods and prioritization 

00:18:44 Reflections on UX research 

00:21:32 Closing thoughts

About our guest Olivia Ponedel

Olivia is a meticulous product designer with deep experience bringing user empathy and clarity to complex systems—from consumer fintech and enterprise logistics to payment processing workflows. At the time of this recording, she led the design of no-code payment tools at Finix Payments, helping drive the company’s expansion from software platforms to direct merchants. Olivia now works at Meta, where she leads design for effective business communications in the advertiser experience. 

🔎 Where to follow Olivia

LinkedIn

👉 Did you know that UXtweak also offers a series of webinars packed with practical knowledge for UX professionals? Check out the episode with Stéphanie Walter, where she talks about overcoming the challenges of enterprise UX: https://www.youtube.com/live/d9p4ShC_fMA?si=eYEl_S0UErpJiT4B 

About this podcast:

Welcome to UX Research Geeks, where Tina Ličková,  a researcher and strategist, talks with researchers from around the globe about topics that matter to them. 

🐝 Brought to you by UXtweak, an all-in-one UX research software. Start your research for free at: https://www.uxtweak.com/ 👈

🐝 Where to follow UXtweak:

LinkedIn / Instagram / YouTube / Facebook / Twitter

Hannah Knowles, a senior UX Researcher with over 10 years of experience in the field, discusses freedom in UX research. She talks about achieving flexibility in UX research, what it means to do things your own way, and how to have fun while doing UX research. She gives great practical advice on organizing research processes, adjusting frameworks for more effective research, and building relationships with other teams. 

👉 If you have any tips on fantastic speakers from across the globe, feedback, or any questions, we’d love to hear from you too. Reach out to [email protected]

🔎 Do you want to know more? Check out this episode at:

https://www.uxtweak.com/podcast/hannah-knowles-freedom-in-ux-research

Episode highlights

00:00:34 Hannah’s journey into UX research 

00:04:23 Defining freedom in UX research 

00:11:36 Breaking the rules in UX research 

00:21:03 Dealing with boredom in research 

00:22:54 Automating and gamifying recruitment  

00:24:36 Adopting to constraints and stakeholder management 

00:31:43 Integrating research into daily activities

00:31:43 Changes in public sector research 

00:37:44 Being bold and practical in research

00:40:08 Final thoughts 

About our guest Hannah Knowles

Hannah is a UX researcher with over a decade of experience helping product teams make smarter, faster decisions. She has a thing for working on public sector services, the grittier the better, and nothing is grittier than healthcare (especially women's health).

She worked her way up the chain to be head of research, but she just couldn’t keep away from the hustle of a product team. Instead, she’s focused on how to scale down UX research methods so even the leanest teams can get some insight.

Her mantra? Good research comes in small packages. 

🔎 Where to follow Hannah

LinkedIn

👉 Did you know that UXtweak also offers a series of webinars packed with practical knowledge for UX professionals? Check out the episode with Stéphanie Walter, where she talks about overcoming the challenges of enterprise UX: https://www.youtube.com/live/d9p4ShC_fMA?si=eYEl_S0UErpJiT4B 

About this podcast:

Welcome to UX Research Geeks, where Tina Ličková,  a researcher and strategist, talks with researchers from around the globe about topics that matter to them. 

🐝 Brought to you by UXtweak, an all-in-one UX research software. Start your research for free at: https://www.uxtweak.com/ 👈

🐝 Where to follow UXtweak:

LinkedIn / Instagram / YouTube / Facebook / Twitter

Chui Chui, a cross-cultural researcher and strategist, discusses how to do cross-cultural research and why simply hiring a local research agency in the new market might not be the best approach. Chui Chui also shares practical tips and exercises on how to get buy-in from your stakeholders.

👉 If you have any tips on fantastic speakers from across the globe, feedback, or any questions, we’d love to hear from you too. Reach out to [email protected]

🔎 Do you want to know more? Check out this episode at:

https://www.uxtweak.com/podcast/chui-chui-tan-mastering-cross-cultural-research

Episode highlights

00:01:32 - Cross-cultural research and strategy 

00:03:33 - Case study: A dating app in Japan 

00:06:37 - Understanding cultural ecosystems

00:14:21 - Cultural activation toolkit 

00:21:50 - Practical tips for cultural research 

00:25:16 - Challenges in cross-cultural research

00:29:38 - Planning and recruitment considerations 

00:39:58 - Conclusion and resources

About our guest Chui Chui Tan 

Chui Chui Tan is a cross-cultural strategist, advisor and author of Research for Global Growth: Strategies and Guidance for Cross-Cultural Insights. For over two decades, she has helped companies like Spotify, Netflix, Fiverr and Bumble expand and thrive in more than 50 markets, not by simply translating content but by culturalising their product strategies, proposition and growth plans through deep cultural and market intelligence.

She works closely with product and UX teams to uncover the hidden cultural assumptions in design and decision-making, helping them build experiences that resonate globally and feel local everywhere.

Chui Chui also advises at board and C-suite level, guiding leadership teams through international growth, cross-market complexity and culturally-informed innovation so products and businesses don’t just scale, they land.

🔎 Where to follow Chui Chui

LinkedIn

👉 Did you know that UXtweak also offers a series of webinars packed with practical knowledge for UX professionals? Check out the episode with Stéphanie Walter, where she talks about overcoming the challenges of enterprise UX: https://www.youtube.com/live/d9p4ShC_fMA?si=eYEl_S0UErpJiT4B 

About this podcast:

Welcome to UX Research Geeks, where Tina Ličková, a researcher and strategist, talks with researchers from around the globe about topics that matter to them. 

🐝 Brought to you by UXtweak, an all-in-one UX research software. Start your research for free at: https://www.uxtweak.com/ 👈

🐝 Where to follow UXtweak:

LinkedIn / Instagram / YouTube / Facebook / Twitter

Tadeas Adamjak discusses the most common objections to UX research and how to overcome them using understanding, communication, and persistence. He stresses the importance of building alliances and maintaining regular conversations with stakeholders. 

👉Note: This conversation is based on our Dealing with Resistance in UX Research report. 

👉 If you have any tips on fantastic speakers from across the globe, feedback, or any questions, we’d love to hear from you too. Reach out to [email protected]

🔎 Do you want to know more? Check out this episode at:

Episode highlights

• 00:01:36 – Meet the Head of Growth at UXtweak 
• 00:01:48 – Challenges in UX research 
• 00:04:52 – Common objections and their impact 
• 00:07:55 – Top objections to UX research
• 00:10:16 – Best strategies to overcome objections 
• 00:14:43 – Tips for effective UX research 
• 00:28:51 – Leveraging AI in UX research 

About our guest Tadeas Adamjak

Tadeas Adamjak is a CX/UX consultant and Head of Growth at UXtweak, a UX research platform that supports hundreds of research, product, and design teams worldwide. He is also one of the team members behind industry initiatives, including the 'Dealing with Resistance to UX Research' report, 'AI in UX Research' report, and Research Recruities: Award for the Best Recruiting Stories.

🔎 Where to follow Tadeas

LinkedIn 

👉 Did you know that UXtweak also offers a series of webinars packed with practical knowledge for UX professionals? Check out the episode with Kevin Liang, where he talks about driving strategy in reactive environments.

About this podcast:

Welcome to UX Research Geeks, where Tina Ličková, a researcher and strategist, talks with researchers from around the globe about topics that matter to them. 

🐝 Brought to you by UXtweak, an all-in-one UX research software. Start your research for free at: https://www.uxtweak.com/ 👈

🐝 Where to follow UXtweak:

LinkedIn / Instagram / YouTube / Facebook / Twitter

Bansi discusses her journey working with legacy systems, especially in healthcare and B2B. She dives into the tricky parts of updating old software, balancing the needs of users and businesses, and how to make things better without breaking what’s already working. 

👉 If you have any tips on fantastic speakers from across the globe, feedback, or any questions, we’d love to hear from you too. Reach out to [email protected]

🔎 Do you want to know more? Check out this episode at:

https://www.uxtweak.com/guides/podcast/bansi-mehta-legacy-systems/

Episode highlights

• 00:07:32 – Key traits of legacy systems
• 00:09:56 – Balancing Big Picture and Deep Research
• 00:17:21 – Aligning business and research goals
• 00:21:50 – The importance of edge cases
• 00:24:36 – Managing power users vs. novices
• 00:28:08 – Connect with Bansi on LinkedIn

About our guest Bansi Mehta

Bansi Mehta is a seasoned UX design leader with over 15 years of experience, having worked at Aims Digital, 3D PLM, and Cybage. In 2011, she founded Koru Technologies (rebranded as Koru UX Design LLP in 2017), aiming to bring consumer-grade UX to B2B and enterprise applications. What began as a vision to improve workplace UX has since evolved into a leading design agency specializing in B2B products and healthcare software solutions for North America. Bansi has led successful projects for clients such as eClinicalWorks, Redwood Software, and EasyHealth, using user-centered design to drive business success. Her mission is to craft meaningful user experiences that address complex business needs while improving daily user interactions.

🔎 Where to follow Basi

LinkedIn 

👉 Did you know that UXtweak also offers a series of webinars packed with practical knowledge for UX professionals? Check out the episode with Kevin Liang, where he talks about driving strategy in reactive environments: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZVm112Io4k&list=PLHN9Xnxn7kezRonCw0uACirsurAYEGhNA&index=9&ab_channel=UXtweak 

About this podcast:

Welcome to UX Research Geeks, where Tina Ličková, a researcher and strategist, talks with researchers from around the globe about topics that matter to them. 

🐝 Brought to you by UXtweak, an all-in-one UX research software. Start your research for free at: https://www.uxtweak.com/ 👈

🐝 Where to follow UXtweak:

LinkedIn / Instagram / YouTube / Facebook / Twitter