Log in or create a free Rosenverse account to watch this video.
Log in Create free account100s of community videos are available to free members. Conference talks are generally available to Gold members.
What emerging methods are advancing UX research [Advancing Research Community Workshop Series]
Summary
Four of your research colleagues discussed and defended their respective positions on what emerging methods are advancing UX research. Participants engaged with them in a discussion and Q&A, facilitated by Victor Udoewa. “Thanks to online culture, we have all become savvy content creators, alert to meanings. But while the user can tell you what they like, semiotics unlocks the system of imagery, narratives and environments that makes them think that way, showing brands how to be distinctive and credible.” – Soma Ghosh & Rob Thomas “Using AI for the “science” of user research (data collection, analysis) leaves you with more time to devote to the “art” of it—drawing connections only you could draw, telling stories that resonate in a way only you can.” – Savina Hawkins “The value of User Research is easily missed (dismissed) if our colleagues don’t come out from behind their computers or down from their 47th-floor office, and join us in talking to the people using their products or experiencing their services. There is no such thing as second-hand empathy.” – Dave Hoffer
Key Insights
-
•
User experience is inseparable from culture and must be decoded through semiotics to understand deeper user behavior.
-
•
Semiotics analyzes communication beyond words and images, including sounds, textures, and environmental stimuli.
-
•
The democratization of user research by product managers and consultants changes the research landscape and calls for UX professionals to adapt.
-
•
Large language models function as a collective unconscious, helping researchers accelerate cognitive tasks but require human grounding.
-
•
AI models hallucinate plausible but false information, necessitating complementary systems to ensure accuracy.
-
•
Cultural research must account for inherent inequities and positional biases, often requiring diverse research teams.
-
•
Posthumanist perspectives encourage blending human, cultural, and technological understandings rather than centering solely on humans.
-
•
Combining semiotics with AI tools can enhance cultural insight and storytelling in UX research.
-
•
Effective semiotic research identifies resonance, a visceral cultural connection that transcends explicit signs.
-
•
Long-term historical context and future speculation enrich design decisions beyond short-term sprint cycles.
Notable Quotes
"Being a semiotician today is like reading everyday cultural signals to spot the bigger concepts behind user choices."
"Users don’t just consume culture anymore; they contribute to it, making cultural understanding essential to UX research."
"Large language models are where computers and language become indistinguishable, breaking down boundaries between cognition and technology."
"AI doesn’t have a body or sensory experience, so it can’t replace human contextual understanding in research."
"Semiotics isn’t just words and pictures; it includes every stimulus in your waking and even perhaps sleeping life."
"Culture always has inequities built into it, so researchers must be aware of their own positionality and blind spots."
"Giving ChatGPT custom instructions is like training your alien."
"Different UX methodologies should coexist and collaborate like an ecology of practices rather than compete."
"It’s not answers we’re after but further questions to keep the conversation and understanding alive."
"Everything is designed, much of it poorly, so it’s incumbent on us to redesign capitalism and systems more inclusively."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"We believe in global citizenship and de-westernizing research by including community members in the discourse and insight decisions."
Xenia Adjoubei Sean BruceEmpowering Communities Through the Researcher in Residence Program
March 29, 2023
"Our framework is our playbook, our single source of truth for every launch."
Tamara KartoziiaThink global, adapt local: how service design accelerated B2B market entry by 6 months
November 20, 2025
"We are the solution to preventing harmful AI outcomes like Robert's wrongful arrest."
Jay BustamanteNavigating the Ethical Frontier: DesignOps Strategies for Responsible AI Innovation
October 2, 2023
"Potential refers to not yet actualized possibilities that may or may not come to fruition."
Nicole AleongFuture Orientations to Everyday Life: Futures Anthropology as a Methodology
March 26, 2024
"The Climate Dictionary was built in a couple hours over a weekend, focused on function over form."
Nick LewisDesigning and building low-carbon websites independently
November 18, 2025
"It comes down to confidence and comfort to articulate why something has value and whether it’s working or not."
Vicky Teinaki Michele Marut Tim ParmeeShort Take #3: UX/Product Lessons from Your Industry Peers
December 6, 2022
"Conflict actually strengthens relationships if we choose to engage with it."
Laura WeissTurn Down the Heat: 3 Ways to Handle Conflict in the Moment
November 20, 2024
"The tool enables designers and product managers to generate high-quality context and user requirements without dependency on user access or research skills."
Joerg Beringer Thomas GeisScaling User Research with AI: Continuous Discovery of User Needs in Minutes
June 10, 2025
"It’s okay to be goofy and have fun—creating space for awkwardness and playfulness helps engagement."
Shelby SwitzerMaking Space for Community Knowledge-sharing in a Distributed World
December 10, 2021
Latest Books All books
Dig deeper with the Rosenbot
What is the C-FRE framework and how does it relate to play in the workplace?
How can research and operations teams collaboratively evaluate new UXR tools for usability and operational fit?
Who are natural allies for healthcare UX professionals inside complex healthcare systems, and how do you engage them?