#160 - Where Design Thinking Went Wrong with Brett Krajewski of Accelerant Research
Awkward Silences12 Feb 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

Episoder(191)

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

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

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#184 - Use Context For More Influence with Kristen DeLap of Econify

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#183 - The Best Ways to Use AI in UX Research with Laura Klein of NN/g

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#182 - The Future of Research (In a Moment of Change)

#182 - The Future of Research (In a Moment of Change)

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#181 - Why We Need Design Now More Than Ever with Karl Randay of 383

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#180 - What to Fix in '26 with Maria Rosala of NN/g & John Whalen of Brilliant Experience

#180 - What to Fix in '26 with Maria Rosala of NN/g & John Whalen of Brilliant Experience

Ben is joined by Maria Rosala from Nielsen Norman Group and John Whalen from Brilliant Experience to wrap up 2025 and make some predictions for 2026. Maria and John share practical insights on everyth...

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#179 - The Future of Research Operations with Kate Towsey LIVE

#179 - The Future of Research Operations with Kate Towsey LIVE

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22 Des 202555min

#178 - How to Measure What Matters with Lyndsi Lee of Turnitin

#178 - How to Measure What Matters with Lyndsi Lee of Turnitin

Ben talks with Lyndsi Lee, UX Manager at Turnitin, about moving beyond traditional metrics like NPS and CSAT to measure user experiences more effectively. The conversation centers on outcome-based ass...

9 Des 202547min

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