🗞 Create case studies for 'old' research

✍️ Spotlight: On My Mind

Understanding Unlocks Influence
Most researchers think showing up with data wins arguments. Wrong. Influence flows to those who understand what drives their stakeholders - not those armed with the most compelling charts.

I’ve watched researchers burn credibility trying to "educate" product leaders with perfect insights that miss the mark entirely. Meanwhile, researchers who invest time learning why their PM obsesses over activation metrics or why their engineering lead pushes back on certain implementation paths consistently shape roadmaps.

The play isn’t about being right. It’s about understanding the pressures, incentives, and mental models your stakeholders operate within, then positioning your research to align with their success.

My influence moves:

• Map stakeholder motivations first. Before any research brief, I identify what each key player needs to win - promotion criteria, team dynamics, resource constraints.
• Ask diagnostic questions during stakeholder conversations. "Why does this metric matter to you right now?" reveals infinitely more than assumptions.
• Position findings within their context. Frame insights around their priorities, not research purity (data accuracy is ofc still essential).

Researchers who understand people shape decisions. Those who don’t get ignored.

What drives your hardest-to-influence stakeholder?​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Happy Researching, 
Jan 🙌

Spotlight > Articles > Video > Audio > Events

📚 Articles of the Week

How Tania uses generative AI for research in 2025
AI, especially ChatGPT Enterprise's Deep Research, revolutionizes UX research by rapidly processing and analyzing large qualitative datasets. Follow the 3-step method: feed diverse data, instruct precisely using prompt cards, then manually verify the AI-generated insights. Tania Ostanina

Create case studies for the business value of “old” customer research
Old research holds untapped business value that can boost product planning and leadership buy-in. Start small by identifying quick wins, partnering with product managers, running experiments, and showcasing impactful insights to drive metric lifts. Jake Burghardt

The Impact of Invisible Stigma on User Interviews: Lessons for UX Researchers
Invisible stigma silently shapes participant behavior and masks true user challenges in research. Prioritize empathy by listening deeply, respecting boundaries, and fostering safe disclosure to design more inclusive, accurate UX studies. Laura Wissiak

Digital Twins: Simulating Humans with Generative AI
Digital twins create AI models of individuals to predict personal and group behaviors, speeding up UX research dramatically. Build twins using demographic, behavioral, and survey data with methods like prompt augmentation or fine-tuning, but prioritize ethics and transparency. Raluca Budiu

Why Users Drop Off: From Research Insight to Product Fix
Users drop off when product expectations outpace their readiness, causing cognitive overload and unclear value. Simplify onboarding by introducing the app first, adding a skip option, and using microcopy to reduce commitment pressure. Priya Patil

Sonder in UX Research: Designing for the Richness of Human Experience
Emotional design transforms users from data points into complex human stories that drive behavior and loyalty. Embed emotional narratives, journey mapping, microinteractions, and empathetic language to create meaningful, memorable experiences. Viraj Gapchoop

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🎥 Video of the Week

Harness AI for Customer Insights and Data-Driven Business Decisions
Moodi Mahmoudi, CEO of Next, shares how their AI-powered platform helps teams validate product decisions with real customer insights. John Whalen & Moodi Mahmoudi

Spotlight > Articles > Video > Audio > Events

🔉 Audio of the Week

Freedom in UX Research
Freedom in UX research enables flexible, personalized approaches that boost creativity and job satisfaction. Prioritize defining your own methods and maintaining enjoyment to maximize impact and fulfillment. Apple / Spotify

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🗓 UserCalendar.com: Upcoming Events.

AI Do’s and Don’ts for User Research Analysis
August 20 @ 11:00 am – 12:00 pm EDT
Nick Babich explores best practices and pitfalls in human-AI workflows to enhance research speed, quality, and ethics in UX analysis. Learn more

Find more UX Research events or submit your own here.

Happy Researching, 
Jan 🙌