Awkward Silences

Erin is joined by Samira Jain, Serena Hillman, and Jackie Ianni from Microsoft Azure Data to discuss how they built the Swift Research Lab over the past two years. The team shares their systematic five-step approach for creating research programs that result in stakeholder satisfaction while delivering insights every 1.5 weeks.The Azure Data team also break down their method for fostering relationships, building infrastructure and templates, measuring success, and continuously iterating. The discussion reveals how clear branding, stakeholder collaboration, and systematic infrastructure helped them action on high priority research requests while spotting cross cutting insights across Microsoft's product ecosystem.About Our GuestsDr. Serena Hillman is a Principal UX Research Manager in Azure Data at Microsoft. Her work focuses on Human-Data and Human-AI-Data Interaction, leading a team that explores how people engage with data and intelligent systems. She has studied user behavior across domains like video games, e-commerce, edTech, and enterprise cloud tools, and has published 40+ peer-reviewed papers presented at leading conferences and organizations including CHI, CSCW, Grace Hopper, Yahoo!, and Google.Samira Jain is a Senior UX Researcher on the Azure Data UX Team, where she has been for over five years. She leads SWIFT, a cross-team research program, which encompasses several key initiatives. With a foundation in product design, she brings dual fluency to her research practice—understanding why things matter from a user perspective and how they can be shaped from a design perspective. With extensive experience in both non-profit and enterprise research, Samira is dedicated to enhancing experiences for data professionals.Jackie Ianni is a UX Researcher on the Azure Data team at Microsoft, specializing in rapid evaluative and programmatic research. Before joining Microsoft, she worked as a researcher at both an agency and in-house, conducting global financial services research. Jackie is passionate about advancing UX research practice, exploring AI tools, and sparking conversations about the evolving role of research.Highlights05:47 Five Step Program Development Method09:02 Building Stakeholder Relationships15:39 Continuously Improving Research Programs18:37 Cross Product Insights and Breaking Silos23:24 Collaborative Team Success Formula33:58 AI Tools in Heuristic ReviewsResourcesBuilding a UX Research Team from ScratchCreate Long Term Impact with Strong RelationshipsThe Ultimate Guide to UX Research Strategy

The popularity of AI moderation tools, increased attention on "big" data sets (and streams), and the ongoing uncertainty in the research job market have (understandably) led some to wonder about the future of qualitative research. Our guest today, however, is bullish, and explains why.Nancy Baum leads the qualitative research practice at C+R Research. She has nearly 20 years' experience in the field, exposing her to many ebbs and flows. Nancy believes that qualitative practitioners are vital to sifting through the mounds of data, information, and competing interests flooding many companies' attention. Focusing on and uncovering the "Why?" and "How?" still matters today.Listen to learn ways to advocate for qual research, what Nancy thinks of AI-moderation, and how she's developing new researchers.Highlights09:19 How stakeholders misunderstand qualitative research22:46 AI moderation complements quantitative surveys32:32 Customizing deliverables for stakeholder impact41:09 Flexibility navigates unpredictable human conversations47:49 Deep listening trumps active listening50:26 Early stakeholder conversations secure research valueResourcesTry our qualitative sample size calculatorThe best qualitative research tools in 2025Qual vs. quant vs. mixed method approaches

In just ten years, ResearchOps has transformed from an obscure Silicon Valley speciality into a vibrant global profession. Despite economic headwinds, ResearchOps roles are emerging across industries far beyond tech, and the field is evolving at breathtaking speed. But where have we come from, and where are we going?In this five-part audio documentary, we’re exploring the past, present, and future of ResearchOps—and it’s exciting, fascinating, and, at times, pretty mindblowing stuff! Each episode features the voices of Cha Cha Club members, senior research leaders, and the smart minds behind User Interviews.In this fourth and penultimate episode of ResearchOps 2.0, we’re exploring a timely topic: how to build enduring research systems even when change seems to be the order of the day—every day. You’ll hear top tips from experts who’ve managed to ride the winds of change to deliver successful, responsive research operations.

Erin May sits down with Larry Becker and Gavin Lew of Bold Insight to explore how researchers can prototype AI experiences that don't exist yet. They're joined by Katie Johnson, Global Head of Research for Panasonic Well. All share their methods for testing everything from voice interfaces for blind users to family wellness bots using low fidelity simulation techniques.⭐️ Larry, Katie, and Gavin are presenting their work at EPIC 2025 in Helsinki ⭐️The conversation reveals how AI research requires new approaches beyond traditional usability testing. Katie explains her work simulating family interactions with AI assistants, where researchers act as human filters for LLM responses to study relationship building over time. The team demonstrates how even small changes in AI personality can be detected by users, highlighting the sensitivity of human-AI relationships.Gavin emphasizes the critical importance of getting AI right from the first interaction, unlike traditional MVP approaches. When AI fails to understand or respond appropriately, users often abandon it permanently, making prototype research essential for building trust before launch. The discussion provides practical frameworks for researchers working with emerging AI technologies and the evolving methods needed to understand human-AI interactions.Highlights[06:25] Prototyping AI experiences mindset[20:53] Human simulation in AI prototyping[31:15] Human vs bot detection challenges[38:52] Context interaction and trust framework[49:33] Team collaboration in groundbreaking research[51:27] Trust themes in AI developmentResourcesThe State of User Research 2025AI For User Research 101 Course20+ AI Tools for User Researchers

In just 10 years, ResearchOps has transformed from an obscure Silicon Valley speciality into a vibrant global profession. Despite economic headwinds, ResearchOps roles are emerging across industries far beyond tech, and the field is evolving at breathtaking speed. But where has it come from, and where is it going?In this five-part audio documentary series, Kate Towsey of Cha Cha Club explores the past, present, and, most important of all, the future of ResearchOps. Each episode features the voices of Cha Cha Club members, senior research leaders, and the smart minds behind User Interviews. This episode features insights from User Interviews Co-Founders Basel Fakhoury and Dennis Meng, as well as CMO Erin May.CreditsProduction, narration, and audio engineering by Kate Towsey. Co-produced with Cha Cha Club manager, Glenn Familton, and ResearchOps experts, Jenna Lombardo and Renato Venter. Aria, the robotic voice, was generated by Soundly. Music and (most) sound effects featured in this episode were sourced from Epidemic Sound. Explore music and sounds via this playlist.