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
"Everyone can see how much everyone else makes through our transparent pay scale tied to observable criteria."
Chelsea MauldinLet's Talk About Money
November 17, 2022
"Telling your story with visuals and resident quotes builds empathy and helps government stakeholders feel connected to the work."
Stephanie WadeBuilding and Sustaining Design in Government
December 8, 2021
"We’re the voice of the employee—we’re arbiters of truth, defenders of experience, and sometimes validators against manipulation."
Kristin WisnewskiMeasuring What Matters
October 23, 2019
"Research should start with the idea that everyone in the organization becomes an expert in who our users are."
Tala Tayebi Kelly Goto Jared SpoolVoice and influence in an age of noise
March 10, 2026
"Once you have momentum, you need to enable others to broadcast your wins, or your efforts just become ‘one of the other things people have stopped caring about.’"
Eniola OluwoleLessons From the DesignOps Journey of the World's Largest Travel Site
October 24, 2019
"Side-pav proposals answer what’s going on, why it matters now, what you propose, what action to take, and what benefit comes from it."
Mark InterranteCollaboration Flows in Product Development
June 9, 2017
"You can’t have an accessible experience if it’s not usable, and you can’t have a usable experience if it’s not accessible."
Nicole Bergstrom Anna Cook Kate Kalcevich Saara Kamppari-MillerAccessibilityOps: Moving beyond “nice to have”
September 19, 2024
"Everyone who works within the world of design operations is a designer."
Spencer L. A. StultzWhy Social Justice Frameworks are Necessary for Successful DEI/JEDI Initiatives
October 4, 2023
"AI is not naturally testable in the same way as code; service design will become even more important."
Samuel ProulxInvisible barriers: Why accessible service design can’t be an afterthought
December 3, 2024
