#193 - Can synthetic research replace real users? That's the wrong question.
Producer's Note: After eight incredible years of conversations, insights, and yes, a few awkward silences, we're bringing the Awkward Silenc...
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Awkward Silences
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 unders...
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#193 - AI won't make you a better UX researcher unless you do the hard work
Producer's Note: After eight incredible years of conversations, insights, and yes, a few awkward silences, we're bringing the Awkward Silenc...
#192 - Slowing Things Down to Speed Up Research with Jared Forney of Okta
Erin May talks with Jared Forney, Research Operations Principal at Okta, about how the role of research and research operations is shifting...
#191 - Throwback: UX Lessons from a Decade Researching AI with Jess Holbrook of Microsoft
This week we're revisiting one of Awkward Silences' most memorable episodes. Much of the conversation around AI in UX involves how it will s...
#190 - How to Navigate the Constant Change in UX Research with Learners CEO Alec Levin
Erin May sits down with Alec Levin, CEO and Co-Founder of Learners, to explore how researchers can navigate the rapid changes reshaping thei...
#189 - Throwback: Quantifying Research Impact with Ruby Pryor of Rex
This week we're revisiting one of Awkward Silences' most memorable episodes. This episode welcomed Ruby Pryor, founder of Rex, a consulting...
#188 - Why AI Can't Replace Qualitative Research with Sam Ladner of Workday
Erin May sits down with Sam Ladner, Senior Principal Researcher of Strategy at Workday, to explore the evolving role of AI in qualitative re...
#187 - Throwback: Harnessing AI For Better Insights with George Whitfield of MIT and Google
This week we're revisiting one of Awkward Silences' most memorable episodes. This episode welcomed George Whitfield, an expert in applying A...
#186 - Positioning Your Portfolio for AI Skills with Aneta Kmiecik of Be Your Own Design Team
Erin May sits down with Aneta Kmiecik, founder of Be Your Own Design Team, to tackle one of the biggest questions facing designers today: ho...
#185 - How to Use AI Without Losing Your Research Soul with Nikki Anderson of Drop in Research
Ben Wiedmaier sits down with user research consultant Nikki Anderson to explore how researchers can stay relevant when budgets are tight and...
#184 - Use Context For More Influence with Kristen DeLap of Econify
Ben talks with Kristen DeLap, fractional COO at Econify, to explore how UX'ers can build influence without formal authority. Kristen brings...
#183 - The Best Ways to Use AI in UX Research with Laura Klein of NN/g
Erin and Ben chat with Laura Klein, Principal Experience Specialist at Nielsen Norman Group, about the practical realities of AI in user res...
#182 - The Future of Research (In a Moment of Change)
Ben sits down with Basel Fakhoury, CEO and Co-founder of User Interviews, and Baran Erkel, Chief Strategy Officer at UserTesting, for a conv...
#181 - Why We Need Design Now More Than Ever with Karl Randay of 383
Ben Wiedmaier sits with Karl Randay, Experience Director at 383, to explore how designers can stay relevant in an increasingly automated wor...
#180 - What to Fix in '26 with Maria Rosala of NN/g & John Whalen of Brilliant Experience
Ben is joined by Maria Rosala from Nielsen Norman Group and John Whalen from Brilliant Experience to wrap up 2025 and make some predictions...
#179 - The Future of Research Operations with Kate Towsey LIVE
Erin May sits down with Kate Towsey, founder of Cha Cha Club and author of Research That Scales, for Research Ops Appreciation Week. Kate sh...
#178 - How to Measure What Matters with Lyndsi Lee of Turnitin
Ben talks with Lyndsi Lee, UX Manager at Turnitin, about moving beyond traditional metrics like NPS and CSAT to measure user experiences mor...
#177 - From Informing to Influencing with Shalin Pei & Natalie Golub of Coinbase
Ben is joined by Shalin Pei, Head of Design and Research and Natalie Golub, Head of UXR , both from Coinbase's Base product. Base is part of...
#176 - Building a Research Program from the Ground Up ft. Microsoft Azure Data
Erin is joined by Samira Jain, Serena Hillman, and Jackie Ianni from Microsoft Azure Data to discuss how they built the Swift Research Lab o...
#175 - The Scourge of Wasted Research with Jake Burghardt of Integrating Research
Ben sits down with Jake Burghardt from Integrating Research to discuss his new book Stop Wasting Research and how organizations can maximize...