Empowering Designers to do Good Research
Summary
Designers are not just interested in research; they're the driving force in today's research landscape. In this workshop, Hannah Hudson, Director of Design and Research at Twilio, and Prayag Narula, CEO & Co-Founder of Marvin, will discuss how good design is a competitive advantage and can impact the customer experience when research is done often and well by everyone on the team. Learn how design teams can use the tools and methodologies of trained researchers so the whole company can get the maximum impact from the investment in design.
Key Insights
-
•
Empathy is the foundation of effective UX design, enabling creators to anticipate true user needs.
-
•
Qualitative research methods like interviews reveal user pain points often missed by analytics.
-
•
Iterative user testing allows teams to refine features pragmatically, preventing overcomplication.
-
•
Balancing quantitative data with qualitative insights leads to better product decisions.
-
•
Understanding the psychological triggers of users can boost engagement and retention.
-
•
Feature bloat often results from ignoring core user motivations and desires.
-
•
Cross-functional collaboration between UX research and product management strengthens outcomes.
-
•
Designing for emotional impact can make products more memorable and satisfying.
-
•
Users often cannot articulate latent needs, requiring skilled observation to uncover.
-
•
Embedding psychology in product strategy helps align development with user behavior patterns.
Notable Quotes
"Empathy isn't just kindness, it's the lens through which we see users' true motivations."
"Data tells you what happens; qualitative research tells you why it happens."
"If you skip iterative testing, you risk building features nobody really wants."
"The best products come from marrying analytics with human stories."
"Most users don't know what they want until you show it to them."
"Feature bloat kills usability because it clouds the core value proposition."
"When UX researchers and product managers collaborate, the product speaks to users’ hearts."
"Design for emotion to create experiences that resonate beyond functionality."
"Observation reveals needs users themselves haven’t recognized yet."
"Integrating psychology into product strategy isn't optional; it's essential for success."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Bringing stakeholders into the kitchen early helped us learn even before sessions started and adjust designs accordingly."
Joanna Vodopivec Prabhas PokharelOne Research Team for All - Influence Without Authority
March 9, 2022
"Onboarding often felt like trial by fire—go to the meeting and hope you understand something."
Louis Rosenfeld Lashanda Hodge Senongo Akpem Chris HodowanecBecoming a Civic Designer: Making the Move from Private to Public Sector
November 17, 2022
"Please put your questions for a specific speaker in the associated thread for the talk."
Bria AlexanderDay 3 Welcome
September 25, 2024
"Lauren Cantor is a heavy hitter gathering all the really good resources and putting them together."
Uday Gajendar Louis RosenfeldDay 2 Welcome
June 5, 2024
"More ways to contact support—chat, email, phone—are essential because different disabilities require different options."
Sam ProulxOnline Shopping: Designing an Accessible Experience
June 7, 2023
"Unpaid design exercises are unfair because they don’t take into account people's real-life constraints."
Russ UngerOnboarding: The Ecosystem, not the Afterthought
November 7, 2017
"We created a simple WordPress site so all corners of the business could contribute and share insights, breaking down silos."
Catherine DubutBridging Physical and Digital Spaces: Approaches to Retail Service Design
March 18, 2021
"Traditional software is grounded—accurate and reliable—but lacks radical adaptivity."
Josh Clark Veronika KindredSentient Design: New Postures for AI-Mediated Experiences (2nd of 3 seminars)
January 29, 2025
"Designers who come out of US tech need to pivot quickly toward broader inclusion or risk being outpaced by other markets."
Dantley DavisLeadership & Diversity—A Fireside Chat with Dantley Davis
September 17, 2020
