Awkward Silences #172 - Summer Throwback: Caitria O'Neill on the Problems of Research Reports
Aug 7, 2025
Caitria O'Neill, a seasoned UX researcher with experience at Airbnb, Meta, and soon Google, shares her insights on effectively communicating research findings. She dives into the art of crafting impactful reports and emphasizes the necessity of engaging storytelling. Caitria discusses strategies for structuring insights, enhancing presentations with visual storytelling, and the ever-evolving nature of research management. She even incorporates a light-hearted segment on her favorite emojis, showcasing their role in professional communication.
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Creative Themes Boost Engagement
- Caitria shares how she used playful themes like "wolves in space" and meme-like email titles to engage teams with her research reports.
- These creative elements sparked excitement and made reports memorable, ensuring stakeholders referred to and read them.
Use Storytelling to Engage
- Make research reports enjoyable, informative, and actionable to maximize their impact.
- Use storytelling, jokes, and memorable narratives to engage readers through the report.
Adapt Format to Audience
- Use presentation decks for incorporating memes and images, but adjust style for written reports to keep narrative clear.
- Employ simple storytelling devices like thematic bullet points and section titles to emotionally affect readers.