Awkward Silences

Creating a video game requires more than just development time and coding—to make sure the experience is enjoyable, you have to test it. In this episode, User Researcher Steve Bromley joins us to discuss the nuances of conducting user research in the video game industry.He describes integrating user feedback with the developer's creative vision, recruitment for games research, and the evolution of the gaming industry since he first started.Steve talks about…How to integrate user feedback with the developer’s creative vision.What playtesting is (and isn't).The surprising challenges of recruiting video game testers.Highlights[00:01:16] So what exactly is “games user research?”[00:03:15] What do you mean by “playtesting?”[00:16:51] How do you navigate something as broad as “making a game fun?”[00:27:48] Steve talks about what it’s like to be on the bleeding edge of games research.[00:38:17] How the field has changed since Steve first started out.About our guestSteve Bromley specializes in establishing new user research teams and in user research for video games. He wrote Building User Research Teams and How to Be A Game User Researcher. He works with mobile studios, indie teams, AAA teams and VR studios to help them run playtests and integrate user research into the production process. Prior to this, he was a lead user researcher for the PlayStation VR headset.

How do you build a long lasting research practice? Aim for a healthy one. Gregg Bernstein you how. This week on the podcast, Gregg talked to us about how to contribute to a healthy research practice every day and what a healthy practice even means.Highlights[3:26] Can you have a healthy research function without dedicated researchers?[14:20] Sharing contextualized insights with relevant teams can help you build value as you work.[24:40] What's an unhealthy research culture?[33:13] Contributing to a healthy research culture every day.[36:41] UXR Hot Topics: Democratization and research culture.[40:03] UXR Hot Topics: Burnout and research culture.About our guestGregg Bernstein is the Director of User Research at Hearst Magazines (formerly UX Research lead at Condé Nast, and wrote the book "Research Practice: Perspectives from UX researchers in a changing field." He spends his days advocating for and practicing user-centered product development. Previously he managed innovative research practices at Vox Media and Mailchimp.

Doing research with users from different cultures is (very, very) important. It can also be complicated. In this episode, we are joined by Norah Abokhodair, Senior Program Manager at Microsoft, who spoke about conducting research in Arab cultures.She explained some of the nuances of Arabic and Arab cultures, how to recruit diverse participants, and how to adjust your research style depending on the context.Highlights[2:11] If you want to build products for everyone, include a more diverse audience in your research.[6:44] Diversely designed experiences are our right—overcoming a cultural hesitancy to critique “Western” products.[12:57] Context matters—adjusting your research style to different cultural expectations.[18:07] Norah's top recruiting tip for recruiting participants from Arabic cultures.[20:02] How to remain sensitive when doing research in a culture that is not your own.[31:56] Balancing confusing research logistics with recruiting a diverse population.About our guestNorah Abokhodair is a product manager and UX leader focused on global, ethical, and inclusive tech. At the time of our interview, Norah was a Senior Program Manager at Microsoft where she led UX research planning and strategy for Microsoft Learning Innovation Studio including projects focused on machine learning, personalization, and AI fairness. Prior to Microsoft, Norah received her PhD at the University of Washington, where her research focused on social media in Arabic cultures. 

What is participatory research? And how do you include it in your UXR practice? Alexis McNutt Unis, Lead UX Researcher, Homeowner Experience at Better is here to explain.Alexis shared how she involves stakeholders in engaging workshops, co-creates with participants, and takes research readouts to the next level to drive a participatory research practice that works for everyone.Highlights[1:29] What is participatory research anyway?[4:58] How Alexis does participatory research.[11:54] The five Es—Entice, Enter, Engage, Exit, Extend.[23:09] How do you decide when to involve which people in participatory research?[32:35] Participatory research strategies for beginners.[37:20] How Alexis sets expectations for participatory sessions.

We learned so much in this week’s episode of Awkward Silences. Samuel Proulx, Accessibility Evangelist at Fable, joined us to talk to us about accessibility and why it (really, really) matters.He taught us about the assistive technologies that many people with disabilities use to navigate the digital world, why accessibility is more important now than ever, and how designing for accessibility makes everyone’s user experience better.Highlights[2:09] What an Accessibility Evangelist does.[7:39] ​​How to start doing research with people with disabilities.[15:59] Start your accessibility journey by making sure accessibility feedback has somewhere to go. [17:21] How to find users with disabilities without collecting HIPPA-protected information.[19:19] People who use assistive technology are a skilled pool of participants and should be compensated accordingly.[25:52] Why online research is often more accessible for people with disabilities.[34:56] A few things researchers can do to make participants with disabilities feel more comfortable during research.[44:11] Think of accessibility as a way to improve user experience, not as a checklist you have to comply with.

Eniola Abioye—user research career coach—joined us for a special live episode of Awkward Silences. She answered audience questions and shared some of her best tips for crafting a research portfolio that stands out, transitioning from different fields, and why not everyone needs a bootcamp.Highlights[6:16] How to learn more about user research on your own. [17:17] Tailoring your resume to UX research roles.[22:38] Building a standout user research portfolio.[26:40] Eniola’s honest opinions on bootcamps.Resources mentioned in the episodeEniolaAbioye.com Thinking Fast and SlowLevels.FYIUXRC UX Research Salary ReportCourseraLinkedIn LearningAustin KleonAlso recommended: 81cents.comMore from Eniola: Getting in the Game: Driving Inclusive Innovation – UXRConf21About our guestEniola Abioye helps UX Researchers improve their research practice. From seasoned researchers looking to level up to new researchers looking to get their bearings, Eniola helps researchers focus their practice. She’s also a Senior UX Design Researcher at Silicon Valley Bank. With a background in biotech, healthcare, fintech, she enjoys holding space for users to have real conversations.

This week we’re joined by Zack Naylor, CEO and co-founder of UX research tool Aurelius. We spoke about what researchers need to know about their company, why tying research outcomes to business impact is so important, and how to navigate the waters when business goals and user research don’t align.Zack talked about…Conducting stakeholder interviews to deeply understand your business.Choosing a company that aligns with your values and personal goals.Using business knowledge to get high level stakeholder buy-in.Highlights[3:52] Get to know the business by taking the time to conduct stakeholder interviews.[7:31] Talk to people as high up the ladder as possible. [10:01] What happens when what you learn in research doesn’t line up with business goals? [20:14] Striving for business impact with your research projects. [24:38] Examining your internal drivers can help you do more meaningful work.About our guestZack Naylor is the CEO and Co-Founder of Aurelius. He’s helped organizations from startups to Fortune 500s build and establish user experience design practices to deliver valuable products and services.

As a seasoned researcher who has led teams at Unilever, Netflix, and DoorDash,  Zach Schendel has come up against every type of skeptical stakeholder you can imagine.He joined us to chat about the research myths he runs into most often, how he debunks them, and why he wants to banish “let’s do a qual” from everyone’s vocabulary forever.Zach talked about…The 4 UX research myths he’d like to debunk once and for all.Stories from his time at Unilever, Netflix, and DoorDash.How he gets stubborn stakeholders onboard, even if they’re hesitant about the merits of research.Highlights[4:22] Myth #1: You can’t just ask people what they want.[9:39] How to maintain trust in research when users don't do what they say they will.[17:14] Myth #2: Five people isn’t enough for a valid finding. [29:20] Myth #3: People can reliably articulate what's good and what's bad.[38:01] Myth #4: User research is qualitative researchAbout our guestZach Schendel is the Head of Research at Doordash. There, he leads the product and UX research teams and partners with design, engineering, product management, strategy and operations, and data science to innovate on the consumer, driver, and merchant experiences. Before Doordash, Zach led research teams at Netflix and Unilever.

Rajesh Nerlikar works with companies to help them build great products. As the CEO of Prodify, he and his team advise startups on how to build impactful, vision-led products that get customers excited. In his experience, the best way to get teams on the same page is with a compelling product vision that’s easy to understand.In this episode, Rajesh joins Erin and JH to chat about why great product visions are like comic strips, the hard work of actually putting those visions into action, and how to get stakeholders on board with it all.Highlights[6:19] Why the ideal product vision is a comic strip.[11:34] Look at the gaps between your product vision and what your product looks like today to find the right strategies for improving your product.[20:09] How Rajesh and his team create product visions for startups.[25:53] How often do you need to update your product vision?[33:16] Getting buy-in as a user researcher working with product and design teams.About our guestRajesh Nerlikar is the VP of Product at Regrow Ag and  Partner & Co-Founder at Prodify. He’s an experienced product advisor, coach, and consultant who applies best practices from 15+ years of hands-on startup and enterprise product management to help companies accelerate the creation of customer and shareholder value.

Learn how Meg Pullis Roebling of BNY Mellon navigates stakeholder buy-in for user research in large organizations. Discover strategies for building relationships, generating buy-in over time, and measuring the impact of user research. Find out how to weave research into your organization's culture by starting with tactical research and showcasing quick wins. Ultimately, it's your relationship-building skills that will help you succeed in getting buy-in for research projects.