Awkward Silences12 Helmi 2025

#160 - Where Design Thinking Went Wrong with Brett Krajewski of Accelerant Research

In 2022, the UX community experienced a series of convulsions: layoffs, reorgs, and reduced budgets. A common thread throughout was accountability: user researchers faced frequent questions about their direct impact on and importance for the business. "Doing" UX research and "being" a design thinker was no longer enough.

Today's guest believes these questions present opportunities for UX researchers. Brett Krajewski, VP Research and Growth at Accelerant Research, joins Erin and Carol to share strategies for researchers to stay sharp, stay relevant, and stay valuable. These include balancing business goals with user needs, being more experimental with methods, reframing how we use time for research, and more.

Highlights

06:30 Justifying UX ROI Amid Economic Challenges
12:02 Integrating Insights for Improved UX
18:50 Balancing User Needs and Business Goals
21:07 Scalable Research in Fortune 500 Companies
29:47 Innovative Strategies in Research Planning
38:30 Storytelling's Role in Research Impact

About Brett
Brett Krajewski is the Vice President of Research & Growth at Accelerant Research, where he leads the research and client solutions teams, delivering innovative insights to empower businesses and many fortune 500 companies. With a career spanning both in-house industry roles and consulting/agency leadership, Brett has built and led high-performing, multi-method research teams for Fortune 50 companies. His past roles include Head of Design Research: Customer at Walmart and Lead of Product Research at Lowe’s, where he drove customer-focused innovation and strategy.

Resources

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Jaksot(198)

#192 - Slowing Things Down to Speed Up Research with Jared Forney of Okta

Erin May talks with Jared Forney, Research Operations Principal at Okta, about how the role of research and research operations is shifting as AI accelerates product development. Jared explains why sc...

1 Heinä 56min

#191 - Throwback: UX Lessons from a Decade Researching AI with Jess Holbrook of Microsoft

This week we're revisiting one of Awkward Silences' most memorable episodes.Much of the conversation around AI in UX involves how it will shape and change researchers' work. This episodes's guest, Jes...

9 Kesä 49min

#190 - How to Navigate the Constant Change in UX Research with Learners CEO Alec Levin

Erin May sits down with Alec Levin, CEO and Co-Founder of Learners, to explore how researchers can navigate the rapid changes reshaping their field. Alec shares his vision for how AI and automation ar...

26 Touko 39min

#189 - Throwback: Quantifying Research Impact with Ruby Pryor of Rex

This week we're revisiting one of Awkward Silences' most memorable episodes.This episode welcomed Ruby Pryor, founder of Rex, a consulting firm specializing in UX research and strategic design.This ep...

12 Touko 47min

#188 - Why AI Can't Replace Qualitative Research with Sam Ladner of Workday

Erin May sits down with Sam Ladner, Senior Principal Researcher of Strategy at Workday, to explore the evolving role of AI in qualitative research. Sam brings a refreshingly balanced perspective on wh...

28 Huhti 49min

#187 - Throwback: Harnessing AI For Better Insights with George Whitfield of MIT and Google

This week we're revisiting one of Awkward Silences' most memorable episodes. This episode welcomed George Whitfield, an expert in applying AI to the analysis of qualitative data. George discussed the ...

14 Huhti 40min

#186 - Positioning Your Portfolio for AI Skills with Aneta Kmiecik of Be Your Own Design Team

Erin May sits down with Aneta Kmiecik, founder of Be Your Own Design Team, to tackle one of the biggest questions facing designers today: how to position AI skills in portfolios and resumes. With 15 y...

31 Maalis 42min

#185 - How to Use AI Without Losing Your Research Soul with Nikki Anderson of Drop in Research

Ben Wiedmaier sits down with user research consultant Nikki Anderson to explore how researchers can stay relevant when budgets are tight and stakeholders are stressed. Nikki runs Drop in Research wher...

17 Maalis 52min