In this episode of The Optimal Path, host Ash Oliver sits down with Roy Opata Olende to delve into the complexities of UX research across organizational altitudes. They explore the different modalities of learning that take place inside organizations, the critical need for leadership buy-in, and the challenges of communicating research impact. Roy introduces the concept of a "menu of learning" along with his best practices for fostering a culture of curiosity within your own organization.

About Roy:

Roy Opata Olende has been involved in user research and service design since 2012. He currently leads the UX Research practice at Zapier, a SaaS automation company. Prior to this role, he led Research Operations at Zapier and UX Research at Buffer.

When not working or hanging out with his wife and three young boys, he can be found obsessing over football (soccer). Roy hails from Kenya and currently resides just outside of Toronto, Canada.

Connect with Roy:

You can connect with Roy on X or LinkedIn.

Resources:

• Research Maturity Model Report by Maze

• How Zapier's Head of UX Research Organizes Projects

• How to Build a High-Impact Learning Culture by Josh Bersin

• Just Enough Research by Erika Hall

• Research Practice by Gregg Bernstein

Follow Maze on social media:

• X: @mazedesignHQ

• Instagram: @mazedesignHQ

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign

To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast.

See you next time!

UFOs - Best of Coast to Coast AM - 3/6/25