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Awkward Silences

Technology

Awkward Silences

User Interviews

#192 - Slowing Things Down to Speed Up Research with Jared Forney of Okta

July 01, 2026 7:00am 56 min

Erin May talks with Jared Forney, Research Operations Principal at Okta, about how the role of research and research operations is shifting as AI accelerates product development. Jared explains why scale and rigor do not...

#191 - Throwback: UX Lessons from a Decade Researching AI with Jess Holbrook of Microsoft

June 09, 2026 7:00am 49 min

This week we're revisiting one of Awkward Silences' most memorable episodes.Much of the conversation around AI in UX involves how it will shape and change researchers' work. This episodes's guest, Jess Holbrook, who lead...

#190 - How to Navigate the Constant Change in UX Research with Learners CEO Alec Levin

May 26, 2026 7:00am 39 min

Erin May sits down with Alec Levin, CEO and Co-Founder of Learners, to explore how researchers can navigate the rapid changes reshaping their field. Alec shares his vision for how AI and automation are creating unprecede...

#189 - Throwback: Quantifying Research Impact with Ruby Pryor of Rex

May 12, 2026 7:00am 47 min

This week we're revisiting one of Awkward Silences' most memorable episodes.This episode welcomed Ruby Pryor, founder of Rex, a consulting firm specializing in UX research and strategic design.This episode gets into what...

#188 - Why AI Can't Replace Qualitative Research with Sam Ladner of Workday

April 28, 2026 7:00am 49 min

Erin May sits down with Sam Ladner, Senior Principal Researcher of Strategy at Workday, to explore the evolving role of AI in qualitative research. Sam brings a refreshingly balanced perspective on where AI can genuinely...

#187 - Throwback: Harnessing AI For Better Insights with George Whitfield of MIT and Google

April 14, 2026 7:00am 40 min

This week we're revisiting one of Awkward Silences' most memorable episodes. This episode welcomed George Whitfield, an expert in applying AI to the analysis of qualitative data. George discussed the intricate challenges...

#186 - Positioning Your Portfolio for AI Skills with Aneta Kmiecik of Be Your Own Design Team

March 31, 2026 7:00am 42 min

Erin May sits down with Aneta Kmiecik, founder of Be Your Own Design Team, to tackle one of the biggest questions facing designers today: how to position AI skills in portfolios and resumes. With 15 years in creative ind...

#185 - How to Use AI Without Losing Your Research Soul with Nikki Anderson of Drop in Research

March 17, 2026 7:00am 52 min

Ben Wiedmaier sits down with user research consultant Nikki Anderson to explore how researchers can stay relevant when budgets are tight and stakeholders are stressed. Nikki runs Drop in Research where she helps teams co...

#184 - Use Context For More Influence with Kristen DeLap of Econify

March 03, 2026 9:12am 39 min

Ben talks with Kristen DeLap, fractional COO at Econify, to explore how UX'ers can build influence without formal authority. Kristen brings a unique perspective, having evolved from interior design to leading product tea...

#183 - The Best Ways to Use AI in UX Research with Laura Klein of NN/g

February 17, 2026 8:07am 48 min

Erin and Ben chat with Laura Klein, Principal Experience Specialist at Nielsen Norman Group, about the practical realities of AI in user research. Laura teaches a class on AI for researchers and brings a refreshingly bal...

#182 - The Future of Research (In a Moment of Change)

February 03, 2026 7:46am 40 min

Ben sits down with Basel Fakhoury, CEO and Co-founder of User Interviews, and Baran Erkel, Chief Strategy Officer at UserTesting, for a conversation about the research industry's evolution. With AI reshaping customer beh...

#181 - Why We Need Design Now More Than Ever with Karl Randay of 383

January 20, 2026 8:20am 51 min

Ben Wiedmaier sits with Karl Randay, Experience Director at 383, to explore how designers can stay relevant in an increasingly automated world. Karl shares insights from working with major brands like Hilton and Jaguar o...

#180 - What to Fix in '26 with Maria Rosala of NN/g & John Whalen of Brilliant Experience

January 06, 2026 9:42am 55 min

Ben is joined by Maria Rosala from Nielsen Norman Group and John Whalen from Brilliant Experience to wrap up 2025 and make some predictions for 2026. Maria and John share practical insights on everything from AI moderati...

#179 - The Future of Research Operations with Kate Towsey LIVE

December 22, 2025 11:16am 55 min

Erin May sits down with Kate Towsey, founder of Cha Cha Club and author of Research That Scales, for Research Ops Appreciation Week. Kate shares insights from producing an audio documentary series on the future of resear...

#178 - How to Measure What Matters with Lyndsi Lee of Turnitin

December 09, 2025 8:15am 47 min

Ben talks with Lyndsi Lee, UX Manager at Turnitin, about moving beyond traditional metrics like NPS and CSAT to measure user experiences more effectively. The conversation centers on outcome-based assessment, a framework...

#177 - From Informing to Influencing with Shalin Pei & Natalie Golub of Coinbase

November 25, 2025 8:13am 52 min

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 the crypto space, functioning as a network that offers secure and low cost ways...

#176 - Building a Research Program from the Ground Up ft. Microsoft Azure Data

November 11, 2025 8:14am 36 min

Erin is joined by Samira Jain, Serena Hillman, and Jackie Ianni from Microsoft Azure Data to discuss how they built the Swift Research Lab over the past two years. The team shares their systematic five-step approach for ...

#175 - The Scourge of Wasted Research with Jake Burghardt of Integrating Research

October 28, 2025 8:52am 50 min

Ben sits down with Jake Burghardt from Integrating Research to discuss his new book Stop Wasting Research and how organizations can maximize the product impact of their customer insights. Jake breaks down the critical pr...

# 174 - Qualitative Research's Enduring Impact with Nancy Baum of C+R Research LIVE

October 23, 2025 9:01am 50 min

The popularity of AI moderation tools, increased attention on "big" data sets (and streams), and the ongoing uncertainty in the research job market have (understandably) led some to wonder about the future of qualitative...

Research Ops 2.0, Episode 5: The People of ResearchOps

October 14, 2025 8:00am 54 min

In just ten years, ResearchOps has transformed from an obscure Silicon Valley speciality into a vibrant global profession. Despite economic headwinds, ResearchOps roles are emerging across industries far beyond tech, and...

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