S3-E8: From Anthropology to UX Research. A Conversation with Mujtaba Hameed

Send us Fan MailResearching AI Products - The New Frontier for UX ResearchAs organisations increasingly integrate AI into their products and services, are UX researchers asking the right questions?In this episode of UX Research Club, Dr Emmanuelle Savarit explores how AI is changing the way we research digital products, moving beyond traditional usability to investigate human behaviour, trust, decision-making, and unintended consequences.Through practical examples, she discusses the importance of involving UX Research from discovery onwards, combining qualitative and quantitative methods, and defining human-centred KPIs to evaluate AI-enabled products.The key takeaway: UX researchers don't need to reinvent their discipline, but they do need to expand their research objectives and incorporate relevant AI-specific questions into their research plans.Because a technically successful AI system doesn't automatically translate into a successful human experience.Masterclass series: The Influential Researcher 4th,  11th and 18th NovemberFree Introductory session on the 7th October. For more information and to book your seatCode for community discount UXRC2026Click HERE 📖 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

Send us Fan MailInvisible Bias - Data Quality, Representation and AI DistortionWe can analyse thousands of interviews, survey responses and behavioural data points in minutes. But what happens when the data is incomplete, certain voices are missing, or important nuances disappear during analysis?In this episode, Emmanuelle explores how AI can inherit, amplify and conceal existing biases in research, creating convincing insights that may not reflect the full complexity of human experience.In this episode:How data quality and representation shape AI-generated insightsWhy missing voices and minority perspectives matterHow AI can distort qualitative and quantitative researchThe hidden biases in analytics, segmentation and predictive modelsWhy human judgement remains essential when interpreting AI-generated findingsBecause AI can identify patterns, but researchers must still question what those patterns leave out. Masterclass series: The Influential Researcher 4th,  11th and 18th NovemberFree Introductory session on the 7th October. For more information and to book your seatCode for community discount UXRC2026Click HERE 📖 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

Send us Fan MailWhat Happens to UX Research Craft in the AI Era?AI is starting to take over parts of the research workflow, but that doesn’t mean the craft of UX Research is going away. It’s evolving.In this episode, Emmanuelle reflects on why judgement, critical thinking, observation, and interpretation are becoming even more essential. She also looks at how junior researchers might be the most impacted, and why AI could actually push us back toward more field research.In this episode:How AI is reshaping the role of researchersWhy qualitative research is more than just transcriptsThe potential impact on junior researcher growthWhy field research might regain importanceThe skills researchers will need moving forwardBecause in the end, the future of UX Research isn’t just about what AI can generate; it’s about our ability to question it, challenge it, and make sense of it.Masterclass series: The Influential Researcher 4th,  11th and 18th NovemberFree Introductory session on the 7th October. For more information and to book your seatCode for community discount UXRC2026Click HERE 📖 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

Send us Fan MailAI is transforming the way organisations work, but successful AI adoption is about far more than technology.In this episode, Emmanuelle explores how AI is exposing the operational maturity of organisations, revealing the difference between teams built on strong systems, governance and workflows, and those relying on workarounds and individual effort.Using UX Research as a lens, she discusses why AI may amplify operational weaknesses, how mature organisations approach AI differently, and why UX Research plays an important role in helping organisations redesign workflows, manage risk, and navigate AI transformation responsibly.In this episode:• Why AI exposes operational maturity gaps• The difference between operational systems and operational heroics• How AI can amplify fragmentation and inconsistency• Why governance, workflow design and management practices matter• The hidden risks of accelerating work without improving quality• Why UX Research may become increasingly important in AI transformationBecause AI transformation is not fundamentally a technology challenge,  it is a human systems challenge.Masterclass series: The Influential Researcher 4th,  11th and 18th NovemberFree Introductory session on the 7th October. For more information and to book your seatCode for community discount UXRC2026Click HERE 📖 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

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 #ResponsibleAIMasterclass series: The Influential Researcher 4th,  11th and 18th NovemberFree Introductory session on the 7th October. For more information and to book your seatCode for community discount UXRC2026Click HERE 📖 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

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.Masterclass series: The Influential Researcher 4th,  11th and 18th NovemberFree Introductory session on the 7th October. For more information and to book your seatCode for community discount UXRC2026Click HERE 📖 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

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  Masterclass series: The Influential Researcher 4th,  11th and 18th NovemberFree Introductory session on the 7th October. For more information and to book your seatCode for community discount UXRC2026Click HERE 📖 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

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] series: The Influential Researcher 4th,  11th and 18th NovemberFree Introductory session on the 7th October. For more information and to book your seatCode for community discount UXRC2026Click HERE 📖 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

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 communityMasterclass series: The Influential Researcher 4th,  11th and 18th NovemberFree Introductory session on the 7th October. For more information and to book your seatCode for community discount UXRC2026Click HERE 📖 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

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.Masterclass series: The Influential Researcher 4th,  11th and 18th NovemberFree Introductory session on the 7th October. For more information and to book your seatCode for community discount UXRC2026Click HERE 📖 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