Voice and influence in an age of noise
Summary
An intimate conversation between Jared Spool and Kelly Goto exploring how to ensure the voice of the user remains heard and influential in a world of growing data, increasing noise, and expanding access to insight. Researchers today are balancing coaching, knowledge management, AI oversight, and democratization programs—leaving little time for reflection. Hosted by an early-career practitioner, this intergenerational dialogue brings together multiple perspectives, aiming to generate new insights that help researchers cut through the noise and ensure their work is noticed and acted upon.
Key Insights
-
•
UX research has faced cycles of disruption before; current AI and data noise is another phase to adapt to.
-
•
Starting research with a user-centered knowledge base is superior to beginning with a hunch or guess.
-
•
Democratizing research by enabling many roles to engage with users fosters broader fluency and better outcomes.
-
•
Continuous, iterative research integrated throughout product life cycles drives more innovation than discrete projects.
-
•
Researchers must translate insights into business language focused on impact metrics like retention and revenue to influence stakeholders.
-
•
Operations roles in research provide valuable entry points for junior practitioners amid democratization trends.
-
•
Building trust within organizations requires repeated, clear communication and demonstrating research’s strategic value.
-
•
Measuring research success by improvements in users’ lives, not just speed to insight, aligns research with ultimate goals.
-
•
Challenges of recruiting diverse users can be partially addressed by tools like Rally and maintaining active panels.
-
•
Research teams should lead innovation initiatives, proactively shaping organizational strategies rather than only solving immediate problems.
Notable Quotes
"Our field was not born five years ago; we've been through these growth pains before."
"We get very fixated on our process and sometimes forget why we are here: to make people's lives better."
"I would rather have a product manager do crappy research than have no research at all."
"Research should start with the idea that everyone in the organization becomes an expert in who our users are."
"Insights are not the end; they must lead to decisions and improved user outcomes."
"The more exposure non-researchers have to users, the better the products get."
"We need to speak the language of the stakeholders, whether tech-focused or human-centered."
"We're structured like a dry cleaner—someone only thinks about research when they have a problem to solve."
"If someone had a hunch or guess, we have failed them as researchers."
"The world will manage research quality for us through outcomes; we don't need to police it."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"People are the interface at Airbnb; it’s an oral culture rather than documentation forward."
Rebecca GimenezWork in Progress: Service Design at Airbnb
December 3, 2024
"The pandemic track was the I told you so moment for those of us designing remote tools since 2006."
Lada GorlenkoTheme 2 Intro
June 9, 2022
"We partnered with Consent Kit to create and maintain an open source consent form builder that addresses multiple legal frameworks."
Brigette Metzler Dana ChrisfieldResearch Repositories: A global project by the ResearchOps Community
August 27, 2020
"Find an unindicted co-conspirator in your company with a problem you can help solve, and the rest will follow."
Discussion
June 9, 2017
"Community and ‘the phone a friend’ are what get you through the hardest parts of working in government."
Sarah Brooks Jennifer PahlkaFireside chat with Sarah Brooks and Jen Pahlka
October 21, 2021
"Being transparent and walking stakeholders through our process creates moments for reflection and keeps the whole team aligned."
Lisa Spitz Nikki BrandBuilding Trust Through Equitable Research Practices
November 18, 2022
"Experts develop insights by isolating patterns and data; as designers, we already do this daily."
Theresa NeilDesigning for Wellness: Specializing in Healthcare
May 22, 2024
"Using tools like 11 Labs, we instantly generated voices with emotion and appropriate cadence for characters."
Maverick Chan Claire LinFrom Doodle to Demo: AI as Our Storytelling Partner
October 23, 2025
"Psychological safety means if I make a mistake on our team, the people won’t disconnect from me."
Alla WeinbergDesign Teams Need Psychological Safety: Here’s How to Create It
September 8, 2022
