The Learners Podcast

Tensions still run high when it comes to discussing 'research democratization'. Should we let our teammates do research, or not?Lauren argues that the real question is: can we actually prevent our teammates from doing research? And if the answer is no, how do we support them in doing it the right way?

Christina Janzer, who leads research and analytics at Slack and previously built the research team at Facebook, shares her extensive experience in building impactful research functions. She emphasizes that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to research teams and stresses the importance of storytelling and collaboration. Christina discusses integrating research with data science, engaging customer-facing teams for better insights, and the necessity of prioritizing impactful work. She advocates for a holistic understanding of the customer journey and continuous learning from past research.

There are few people who've built a research practice from scratch, and even fewer who've done it at a company as iconic as Figma. But, that's exactly what Cristen did.She's here to share her experience and learnings from building the research practice at Figma, and what she thinks you should do, as you build yours.

Relationships are key to research impact, mostly because, as researchers, we're used to influencing decision making, not necessarily making decisions ourselves.Join Janna as she shares her view on building and maintaining relationships with our stakeholders, managers, partners, and other colleagues.

As a former ReOps leader at Slack, and having worked with dozens of tech executives, Behzod has developed a strong taste for research. How should it work? What does it feel like when it's successful? What is good research?In this talk, join Behzod as he explores these questions to help us figure out what "good research" actually looks like.

At the end of the day, it's the leader of the company, often the CEO, who holds the power in the organizations we work in. That means all of our work ultimately flows from initiatives and directives set from the top.What do leaders think about research? How has it helped, how has it hindered, and where do they see the most value? Evan, CEO of Getro, joins us to share his point of view.

Most people who start off in research know how to have a conversation and ask the important questions they've prepared, so doing a user interview can feel pretty natural. But, how do we make sense of all the words we hear in those interviews?Analyzing qualitative data is a tough task. Join Emily in this talk, as she walks us through her approach.

Over the past few years, a lot has changed in the world. COVID, lockdowns, economic turmoil, and more. How does research need to adapt?In this talk, Raz outlines her perspective on a changing world and the changing research practice.

How do you know that you're doing the right research? What are the factors that might indicate your research is successful? What are the signals that your work matters?Before starting to do the research, it's important that you understand the context you're operating in, and how to make your work matter within it. In this talk, Justin unpacks what you need to do to prepare for successful research.

Doing the research is only part of the work. Planning the research... well that's a whole other ballgame altogether, and one you deeply need to understand to be effective as a researcher.In this talk, join Raz as he outlines the key things you need to know to effectively plan and execute quality UX research projects.