Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career

The UX research reckoning is here | Judd Antin (Airbnb, Meta)

Jan 4, 2024

01:14:34

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Judd Antin, an expert in user research and design, discusses the transformation of the user research field. Topics include the misalignment between research and product design, the value of user research, integrating researchers into product development, common misconceptions about PMs, and the ideal ratio of researchers in a company.

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Quick takeaways

User-centered research demands diverse skills and deeper understanding of business and product metrics to drive better outcomes.

Researchers and product managers should collaborate closely to integrate research fully into the product process and leverage the expertise of researchers for informed decision-making.

Prioritizing micro and macro research types, such as usability testing and strategic product planning, respectively, can lead to more meaningful outcomes for the business.

Deep dives

The need for a new version of user-centered research

User-centered research is undergoing an evolution, and researchers need to adapt to the changing landscape. This evolution involves developing diverse research skills and deepening their understanding of the business and product metrics. Additionally, researchers should focus on building strong relationships with product managers and designers to ensure integration from the beginning to the end of the product process. By doing so, they can have a larger impact and drive better outcomes for the business.

User Centered Performance - symbolic rather than learning

02:17

UX researchers aren’t integrated enough to make impact

00:36

The Flaws of NPS as a Marketing Metric

02:45

Trade-offs between hiring researchers and engineers in a startup

03:55

Introduction

5min

The User Research Reckoning

9min

The Role of Research in Product Management

19min

The Role of a Product Manager in Research

4min

The Importance of Usability Research and Integration in the Planning Process

2min

Common Misconceptions about UX Research

28min

The Importance of External Perspectives

6min

Controlling and Influencing, UX Strategy, and Involving Researchers

2min

Judd Antin has spent 15 years leading research and design teams at companies like Yahoo, Meta, and Airbnb. His direct reports have gone on to lead user research at Figma, Notion, Slack, Robinhood, Duolingo, AllTrails, and more. In our conversation, we unpack the transformation that the user-research field is experiencing. Specifically:

• Where user research went wrong over the past decade

• The three types of research—macro, middle-range, and micro—and the purpose of each

• How to effectively integrate researchers into the product development process

• The “user-centered performance” phenomenon and why it’s a waste of time

• Common tropes about PMs, from researchers

• The ideal ratio of researchers in a company

• Why Judd says NPS is useless, and what to use instead

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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-ux-research-reckoning-is-here

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Where to find Judd Antin:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juddantin/

• Website: https://juddantin.com/

• Blog: https://medium.com/onebigthought

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Where to find Lenny:

• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com

• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/