🗞 UX research in 2025. Why old-school skills matter again

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😌 Humans of User Research with Sana Sangli

Hi Sana, tell us a little bit about yourself!
Hi! I’m Sana, a UX Researcher at Tinder, based in Los Angeles. I’m passionate about the intersection of social psychology and technology and have extensively studied Gen Z populations during my time at Tinder. I’m a qualitative researcher with a background in Research & Experimental Psychology and love the art of storytelling with data. I’m told I’ve spent most of my pre-teen whisked away in my room scribbling into my diary, making up stories about fictional characters- giving them personalities, quirks and little doodles. Cut to now, I’m presenting personas about our users, understanding their motivations, needs and pain points (this time, with a little more data) so you can say I love what I do for a living! Currently, I'm expanding my toolkit by pursuing an MBA in Data Analytics, diving deeper into mixed methods research to bridge the gap between the stories I love telling and the numbers that back them up.

What's a valuable lesson you've learned during your journey in research?
As I advance in my career, I’m learning that a senior level researcher isn’t just someone who takes on more projects, but is able to go from simply executing to initiating. Early in my career, I was focused on running the research that was handed to me, but now I'm learning to spot gaps in our product roadmap and initiate the research we actually need. This means moving from constant high urgency, low impact requests to more foundational, strategic work that happens earlier in the process and has real business impact. I've also had to redefine what success looks like for me, it's no longer about how many studies I completed or methodologies I used, but about how well I've been able to empower stakeholders and drive actual measurable changes in the product.

How would you explain your work to a 6-year-old?
I love this question. When I first chose Psychology in college, my then 8 year old brother said, “So, can you read minds now?” and I chuckled saying, “Not yet!” To be honest, a lot of people, including my parents, didn’t exactly understand what user research entails, since we don’t wear lab coats or juggle test tubes. The way I would describe us is we’re professional people researchers. We talk to lots of people to understand how they use apps and websites, what makes them happy or frustrated, and what they wish worked better. Then we take all those observations and feelings and turn them into insights that help make products easier to use, while making sure what’s best for the business (and read minds).

What can people reach out to you about and how can they find you?
Ask me about my journey into UX research, my passion for accessible design and any career/mentorship I can offer. Reach out on LinkedIn, or Medium!

Thank you, Sana!

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📚 Articles of the Week

Mastering UX research in 2025. Why old-school skills matter again
Explores the role of traditional UX research skills alongside AI tools in 2025. Prioritize speaking with real users, observing behavior, and asking thoughtful questions despite AI’s speed and convenience. Ankit Gajera

AI is Here. And It Needs Us
Explores AI's current role in UX and content design and how professionals can engage with it ethically. Use AI to reduce admin, test tools critically, interrogate bias, promote inclusivity, and lead conversations shaping AI's future. Jas Deogan

Unmasking The Magic: The Wizard Of Oz Method For UX Research
The Wizard of Oz method simulates user interactions with a human-operated system to gather authentic insights early in development. Use it to validate concepts, identify usability flaws, iterate designs, and explore novel technologies like agentic AI before building prototypes. Victor Yocco

Turning User Research Into Real Organizational Change
How to ensure user research drives real organizational change and delivers measurable impact. Align research with business KPIs, communicate insights clearly and regularly, assign ownership, phase implementations, and foster supportive policies and culture. Paul Boag

The MIT study that could change how UX researchers use AI
Explores cognitive effects of using LLMs in research and reveals efficiency gains come with learning tradeoffs. Use AI tools after initial personal effort to enhance understanding, recall, and effective collaboration. Lawton Pybus

8 UX Maturity Is a Living System, Not a Ladder
Explores UX maturity as a dynamic, living system requiring continuous care rather than a linear progression. To sustain growth, regularly reflect on strategy, culture, process, and outcomes; embrace non-linear progress; nurture adaptive practices; and build organizational resilience. Kate Kaplan

When Research Participants Aren't Who They Say They Are
Examines the rise of fraudulent participants in qualitative UX research, especially in remote studies, and how this threatens data quality. Detect fraud by spotting inconsistencies, vague answers, video refusal, suspicious emails, and design smarter screeners with verification steps. Maria Panagiotidi

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🎥 Video of the Week

Research Methods That Reduce Your UX Values
Jared Spool critiques popular but ineffective UX research methods that undermine product quality and organizational trust, offering instead practical, skill-building approaches to deliver meaningful, high-impact user insights. Jared Spool

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🔉 Audio of the Week

Bridging the Gap between Product and Research w/ Giulia Tumminelli and Marcos Monteiro
Explores aligning product and research teams for better collaboration. Implement clear communication, set shared goals, and foster mutual understanding to close the gap effectively. Apple / Spotify

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🗓 UserCalendar.com: Upcoming Events.

People + Environment: How ResearchOps is Evolving in the Age of AI
July 21 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm EDT
Experts discuss the evolving roles, environments, and challenges in ResearchOps amid AI integration and changing team dynamics to foster sustainable research practices. Learn more

AI Club: Getting Started with AI-moderated Interviews
July 25 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm EDT
Experts demonstrate AI tools for research, showcasing applications in interviews and fostering community learning to accelerate AI adoption in UX research. Learn more

Find more events on usercalendar.com (or submit your own!)