S3-E5: Beyond Doing: The Shift to Leadership in UX Research

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Dr. Emmanuelle Savarit explores one of the most subtle risks emerging as AI becomes embedded into research workflows: the illusion that faster outputs automatically mean deeper understanding.As AI increasingly supports recruitment, synthesis, reporting, and analysis, researchers gain speed and efficiency — but may also begin trusting polished outputs too quickly.This episode explores:How AI-generated summaries can reduce critical questioningWhy repeated patterns are not always meaningful insightsThe difference between processed evidence and raw evidenceHow analytical judgement can weaken when researchers move too far from the underlying dataWhy AI should remain an assistant,  not the final authorityThis is not an argument against AI, but a call to use it consciously, critically, and responsibly.Because in the AI era, the value of the researcher will not simply be producing outputs faster, but preserving judgment, nuance, and depth.#UXResearch #AI #ResearchLeadership #AIEthics #UserResearch #ResponsibleAI🎤 Upcoming events:UX360 Research Summit Europe 2026 — Berlin, June 23–2415% discount for UX Research Club listeners with code: UXRC15Link to buy your ticket📖 The UX Research Powerhouse, Vol. 1 — The Foundation of UX Research Strategic LeadershipLaunching in  November 2025, A playbook and manifesto for research leaders, with a 365-day leadership roadmap, tools to measure impact, and a bonus chapter on AI.  📘 Get the book on Amazon: here Emmanuelle's LinkedIn     Instagram  If you want to support the UX Research club, you can write a review, share it with your network, give some stars or buy me a coffee  Thank you for listening and supporting the UX Research Club 

Send us Fan MailAI is now entering almost every stage of the UX Research workflow — from briefing and discussion guides to transcription, synthesis, and reporting.But while the productivity gains are real, speed is not the only question.In this solo episode, Emmanuelle explores where AI is genuinely helping researchers, where caution is needed, and why the future value of UX Research will depend increasingly on human judgment, accountability, and oversight.In this episode: The current hype and anxiety around AI in UX Research  Automation, machine learning, generative AI and agentic AI, what’s the difference?  Where AI is already showing up in the research workflow  Why faster outputs do not always mean deeper insights  Data privacy, vendor trust and researcher accountability  Why AI is pushing UX Research beyond productivity into strategic responsibility If AI is becoming part of your workflow, this is a conversation worth having.🎤 Upcoming events:UX360 Research Summit Europe 2026 — Berlin, June 23–2415% discount for UX Research Club listeners with code: UXRC15Link to buy your ticket📖 The UX Research Powerhouse, Vol. 1 — The Foundation of UX Research Strategic LeadershipLaunching in  November 2025, A playbook and manifesto for research leaders, with a 365-day leadership roadmap, tools to measure impact, and a bonus chapter on AI.  📘 Get the book on Amazon: here Emmanuelle's LinkedIn     Instagram  If you want to support the UX Research club, you can write a review, share it with your network, give some stars or buy me a coffee  Thank you for listening and supporting the UX Research Club 

Send us Fan MailThe UX job market has changed significantly in recent years, with layoffs, tighter budgets, and the rapid emergence of AI affecting many UX professionals.In this episode of The UX Research Club, I speak with Mathieu Ritter, founder of Undiscovered, a recruitment agency specialising in UX, design and research recruitment, as well as product and software engineering roles.With more than 13 years of experience in UX recruitment, Mathieu shares his perspective on the current hiring market and what companies are looking for today.In this conversation, we discuss: How the UX and UX research job market has evolved  What companies look for when hiring UX researchers  The current hiring market in Europe  What recruiters look for in CVs and portfolios  How candidates can better prepare for interviews  How AI is influencing UX hiring and skills expectations GuestMathieu Ritter Founder, UndiscoveredLinkedIn  🎤 Upcoming events:UX360 Research Summit Europe 2026 — Berlin, June 23–2415% discount for UX Research Club listeners with code: UXRC15Link to buy your ticket📖 The UX Research Powerhouse, Vol. 1 — The Foundation of UX Research Strategic LeadershipLaunching in  November 2025, A playbook and manifesto for research leaders, with a 365-day leadership roadmap, tools to measure impact, and a bonus chapter on AI.  📘 Get the book on Amazon: here Emmanuelle's LinkedIn     Instagram  If you want to support the UX Research club, you can write a review, share it with your network, give some stars or buy me a coffee  Thank you for listening and supporting the UX Research Club 

Send us Fan Mail🎙️ Podcast Guest: Meltem Naz Kaso (Mel) from Career with Mel In Today's episode, I am delighted to have a conversation with Mel, a globally recognised UX career coach with many years of experience supporting professionals across nine countries. She’s known for her direct and empowering style, helping people gain clarity, confidence, and momentum during career pivots, burnout, and major transitions.🧠 Topics discussedWhy strong UX professionals can still feel blockedWhy strategic roles often seem out of reach,How to make thoughtful career decisions in a market that isn’t particularly easy right now.Mel's New Podcast 🔗 LinksCareer with Mel website Mel's LinkedInMel's Email: [email protected]🎤 Upcoming events:UX360 Research Summit Europe 2026 — Berlin, June 23–2415% discount for UX Research Club listeners with code: UXRC15Link to buy your ticket📖 The UX Research Powerhouse, Vol. 1 — The Foundation of UX Research Strategic LeadershipLaunching in  November 2025, A playbook and manifesto for research leaders, with a 365-day leadership roadmap, tools to measure impact, and a bonus chapter on AI.  📘 Get the book on Amazon: here Emmanuelle's LinkedIn     Instagram  If you want to support the UX Research club, you can write a review, share it with your network, give some stars or buy me a coffee  Thank you for listening and supporting the UX Research Club 

Send us Fan Mail🎙️ Podcast Guest: Mujtaba HameedIn Today's episode, I am delighted to have a conversation with Mujtaba, an anthropologist and innovation consultant with over 10 years of experience working across culture, technology, and strategy. He is a Project Director at Stripe Partners, where he has led strategic research for companies including Apple, Meta, Google, and Spotify.A strong advocate for ethnography, Mujtaba has conducted in-person fieldwork worldwide, from Tokyo to Los Angeles. He is particularly interested in using AI to deepen human insight, rather than simply speeding up research.🧠 Topics discussedThe value of in-person research and field work Using AI in research without the hypeThe changing culture of tech and its impact on UX researchersThe future of research in an AI era 🔗 LinksMujtaba’s newsletterFrames — Stripe Partners’ newsletterAdvancing Research conferenceEPIC — the global ethnography community🎤 Upcoming events:UX360 Research Summit Europe 2026 — Berlin, June 23–2415% discount for UX Research Club listeners with code: UXRC15Link to buy your ticket📖 The UX Research Powerhouse, Vol. 1 — The Foundation of UX Research Strategic LeadershipLaunching in  November 2025, A playbook and manifesto for research leaders, with a 365-day leadership roadmap, tools to measure impact, and a bonus chapter on AI.  📘 Get the book on Amazon: here Emmanuelle's LinkedIn     Instagram  If you want to support the UX Research club, you can write a review, share it with your network, give some stars or buy me a coffee  Thank you for listening and supporting the UX Research Club 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the UX Research Club, Dr Emmanuelle Savarit introduces her new book, The UX Research Powerhouse: The Foundation of Strategic Leadership. She shares why she wrote this book, who it is designed to support, and how years of experience, patterns, and leadership lessons shaped the tools and frameworks inside it.Emmanuelle reads a selected excerpt from the author's notes, offering listeners a first look into the themes of strategic influence, business alignment, and the evolution of UX Research beyond usability testing. She also reflects on the shift from practitioner to leader and on how researchers can strengthen their impact across organisations as they navigate digital and AI transformation.If you’re a researcher, manager, or product leader seeking to elevate the role of UX Research in your organisation, this episode is a perfect starting point.🎤 Upcoming events:UX360 Research Summit Europe 2026 — Berlin, June 23–2415% discount for UX Research Club listeners with code: UXRC15Link to buy your ticket📖 The UX Research Powerhouse, Vol. 1 — The Foundation of UX Research Strategic LeadershipLaunching in  November 2025, A playbook and manifesto for research leaders, with a 365-day leadership roadmap, tools to measure impact, and a bonus chapter on AI.  📘 Get the book on Amazon: here Emmanuelle's LinkedIn     Instagram  If you want to support the UX Research club, you can write a review, share it with your network, give some stars or buy me a coffee  Thank you for listening and supporting the UX Research Club 

Send us Fan MailIn Today's episode, I am delighted to have a conversation with Linh Nguyen Slater.Linh is a seasoned research leader with over 15 years of experience designing and testing cutting-edge products across industries, including financial services, healthcare, automotive, and consumer technology.She’s passionate about leveraging customer insights to create meaningful, human-centred innovations and helping organisations design products that truly resonate with people.Currently, Linh is the Head of Research at NatWest, where she leads the research division to enhance the digital experiences of Retail Banking customers.Before that, she established the AI Research division at Jaguar Land Rover and led the Consumer Science team within Dyson’s Health and Beauty Innovation Labs.Linh is widely recognised as a thought leader in human-centred design, and today she’s here to share insights from her journey as a UXR leader.Linh LinkedIn 🎤 Upcoming events:UX360 Research Summit Europe 2026 — Berlin, June 23–2415% discount for UX Research Club listeners with code: UXRC15Link to buy your ticket📖 The UX Research Powerhouse, Vol. 1 — The Foundation of UX Research Strategic LeadershipLaunching in  November 2025, A playbook and manifesto for research leaders, with a 365-day leadership roadmap, tools to measure impact, and a bonus chapter on AI.  📘 Get the book on Amazon: here Emmanuelle's LinkedIn     Instagram  If you want to support the UX Research club, you can write a review, share it with your network, give some stars or buy me a coffee  Thank you for listening and supporting the UX Research Club 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Emmanuelle explores the shift from doing research to leading it,  what leadership in UXR really means (influence, vision, impact), how to move from reactive delivery to shaping strategy, and reflection questions to grow your influence.🎤 Upcoming events:UX360 Research Summit Europe 2026 — Berlin, June 23–2415% discount for UX Research Club listeners with code: UXRC15Link to buy your ticket📖 The UX Research Powerhouse, Vol. 1 — The Foundation of UX Research Strategic LeadershipLaunching in  November 2025, A playbook and manifesto for research leaders, with a 365-day leadership roadmap, tools to measure impact, and a bonus chapter on AI.  📘 Get the book on Amazon: here Emmanuelle's LinkedIn     Instagram  If you want to support the UX Research club, you can write a review, share it with your network, give some stars or buy me a coffee  Thank you for listening and supporting the UX Research Club 

Send us Fan MailIn Today's episode, I am delighted to have a conversation with Natasha den Dekker. Natasha is a Lead User Researcher working in the financial services industry, and today, we will be discussing data protection in user research. With extensive experience spanning the legal, healthcare, and public sectors, Natasha brings a rigorous and methodical approach to safeguarding customer data while driving meaningful insights. She also supports research democratization efforts, helping teams scale research responsibly and effectively.This is a conversation with someone who truly knows how to embed data protection into research at scale. Natasha LinkedIn🎤 Upcoming events:UX360 Research Summit Europe 2026 — Berlin, June 23–2415% discount for UX Research Club listeners with code: UXRC15Link to buy your ticket📖 The UX Research Powerhouse, Vol. 1 — The Foundation of UX Research Strategic LeadershipLaunching in  November 2025, A playbook and manifesto for research leaders, with a 365-day leadership roadmap, tools to measure impact, and a bonus chapter on AI.  📘 Get the book on Amazon: here Emmanuelle's LinkedIn     Instagram  If you want to support the UX Research club, you can write a review, share it with your network, give some stars or buy me a coffee  Thank you for listening and supporting the UX Research Club 

Send us Fan MailIn today's episode, I am delighted to have a conversation with Dr Javier Bargas-Avila.Dr. Javier Bargas-Avila is a UX Research Director with 20+ years of experience, passionate about building exceptional products and high-performing teams. He spent 14 years at Google leading UX research across Cloud, Ads, YouTube, and Play, after founding the HCI lab at the University of Basel.In 2025, he co-founded Astrolabium with Nina Weber, also a former Googler, focusing on coaching and mentoring for UX professionals. They support clients through career transitions, leadership growth, and job search coaching, working with individuals from junior to VP level.Javier is a very active member of the UX community, sharing valuable insights and his experience.Javier is a dedicated mentor, published author (30+ articles), and international speaker (150+ talks). He teaches at the University of Basel and the University of Applied Sciences.Javier's LinkedIn 🎤 Upcoming events:UX360 Research Summit Europe 2026 — Berlin, June 23–2415% discount for UX Research Club listeners with code: UXRC15Link to buy your ticket📖 The UX Research Powerhouse, Vol. 1 — The Foundation of UX Research Strategic LeadershipLaunching in  November 2025, A playbook and manifesto for research leaders, with a 365-day leadership roadmap, tools to measure impact, and a bonus chapter on AI.  📘 Get the book on Amazon: here Emmanuelle's LinkedIn     Instagram  If you want to support the UX Research club, you can write a review, share it with your network, give some stars or buy me a coffee  Thank you for listening and supporting the UX Research Club