Contextual research renaissance in AI era | Leisa Reichelt | #70

Leisa, former Head of Research and Insights at Atlassian, reflects on how AI is changing the UX research industry. She discusses how vibe-coding helps shift from traditional project sequencing to faster, more iterative build-measure-learn cycles and how that impacts the role of UX research in organisations. Leisa expounds on her positive attitude towards AI, saying that the unique value of researchers will shift toward filling the "judgment gap" with deep, longitudinal human observation that machines simply cannot replicate.

👉 If you have any tips on fantastic speakers from across the globe, feedback, or any questions, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out to geekspodcast@uxtweak.com

🔎 Do you want to know more? Check out this episode at:

https://www.uxtweak.com/podcast/leisa-reichelt-contextual-research-renaissance-in-ai-era

Episode highlights

00:01:47 - About Leisa

00:04:24 - Working in the UK government

00:07:39 - Research at Atlassian

00:09:56 - AI is the next Internet

00:14:18 - Sequencing in research is fading

00:20:01 - Role of UX researchers in 2026

00:24:12 - Maintaining UX research quality with AI

00:31:20 - Final thoughts

About our guest

Leisa Reichelt has spent two decades helping governments and organisations figure out what people actually need - and why that's so much harder than it sounds.

As Head of Research and Insights at the UK's Government Digital Service, she helped reshape how we think about user research for public services. Most recently, she led research at Atlassian. These days, she's a walking mid-2020's cliché - offering coaching for impactful research, getting hands-on vibecoding niche app ideas, and studying and making podcasts.

Leisa has particular obsessions with why well-intentioned systems so reliably make life harder for the people they're meant to serve and what the advance of AI means for UX Research.

👉 Did you know that UXtweak also offers a series of webinars packed with practical knowledge for UX professionals? Check out the episode with Stéphanie Walter, where she talks about overcoming the challenges of enterprise UX: https://www.youtube.com/live/d9p4ShC_fMA?si=eYEl_S0UErpJiT4B

About this podcast:

Welcome to UX Research Geeks, where Tina Ličková, a researcher and strategist, talks with researchers from around the globe about topics that matter to them.

🐝 Brought to you by UXtweak, an all-in-one UX research software. Start your research for free at: https://www.uxtweak.com/ 👈

🐝 Where to follow UXtweak:

LinkedIn / Instagram / YouTube / Facebook / Twitter