All Episodes
#146 - Building a UX Research Team From Scratch with Julian Della Mattia of the180
Erin and special co-host Ben Wiedmaier are joined by Julian Della Mattia of the180 for a deep dive into being UX team-of-one. Julian has been the first user researcher...
#145 - Kick-Start Creativity Using Desk Research with Victoria Sakal of Wonder
In this episode, Erin chats with Victoria Sakal, Head of Growth at Wonder, all about desk (or secondary) research—think web searches, checking internal resource librar...
#144 - The Craft of Sample Sizes with Lauren Stern of WHOOP
In this episode, Carol and Erin dive into all things research sample sizes with Lauren Stern. No matter your experience with user research, you'll need to recruit folk...
#143 - Harnessing AI For Better Insights with George Whitfield of MIT and FindOurView
Carol and Erin welcome George Whitfield, an expert in applying AI to the analysis of qualitative data. George discusses the intricate challenges of leveraging language...
#142 - Quantifying Research Impact with Ruby Pryor of Rex
In this episode Carol and Erin are joined by Ruby Pryor, founder of Rex, a consulting firm specializing in UX research and strategic design. They explore the world of ...
#141 - The Chaos Theory of Event Networking with Bryan Dosono of eBay
In this episode of Awkward Silences, Carol and Erin dive into the world of conference networking and planning with Bryan Dosono, a staff UX research lead at eBay known...
#140 - Should You Leave Academia? Advice for Researchers with Joe Stubenrauch
The decision to leave academia can be difficult. Often, it involves giving up a stable career path and a lifetime commitment to a particular field of study. But as Joe...
#139 - Content Design and the Power of Simple Language with Erica Jorgensen
How often do you think about content design? The answer, most likely, is: “not enough”.The work of a Content Designer involves fitting the right words in the right pla...
#138 - Designers as Change Agents with Maria Giudice
“I realized that design is about helping people make sense of the world. And I looked at the world differently then… treating everything like a design problem that's s...
#137 - Practical Strategies to Foster Customer Obsession with Prayag Narula, CEO and Co-Founder of Marvin
What company isn’t “customer obsessed”? Well, a lot, as it turns out. That’s not for lack of caring—but building a customer-centric culture is easier said than done. A...
#136 - Designing Generative AI at Notion with Linus Lee
AI is a big part of Notion's strategy for the future of knowledge work, and they're exploring ways to use AI to make people's lives easier.Linus Lee, a Research Engine...
#135 - How to Influence Stakeholders with Strategic Research with Andrea Amorós, Associate Principal Researcher at ADP
“I think people really connect when you are just genuine and not transactional. I think it's much more easy to get to those kind of opportunities because they just fee...
#134 - The End of an Era: A Fond Farewell to JH
134 episodes. That’s how long Awkward Silences has been going with Erin and JH as hosts.But now it’s time for something new.JH says goodbye to Awkward Silences as he k...
#133 - Driving Actionable Decisions from Insights with Pejman Mirza-Babaei, UX Research Consultant
As a researcher, you know the value of using research to drive business decisions—but other stakeholders might not. In order to drive action from research, you need to...
#132 - Unveiling UX Insights with Competitive Research with Rachel Miles, Research Lead at IBM
Competition can be scary. But in UX, competitive research is insightful.You don’t want to chase your competitors, but you need to know what they are doing to know how ...
#131 - Designing Beyond the Product: Systems Thinking with Sheryl Cababa, Chief Strategy Officer at Substantial
In design and UX research, context is king. Your work doesn’t exist in a vacuum; it’s a part of a wider ecosystem of stakeholders, beneficiaries, and more.Sheryl Cabab...
#130 - The Art of Great Facilitation for Better Collaboration with Marsha Acker, Founder and CEO of TeamCatapult
There are 6 key qualities for great facilitation:Starting with your core beliefsMaintaining neutralityStanding in the stormHonoring the wisdom of the groupUpholding th...
#129 - How to Upskill Product Teams in UX Research with Helen Devine, UX Research Manager at The Economist
How can UX researchers enable other teams to do research? Show, don’t tell.According to Helen Devine, UX Research Manager at The Economist, upskilling product people t...