April 2024: UXperts round-up

Can’t speak to your users? Here’s what to try + A list of awesome UX meetups in the UK + No, AI research is not “better than nothing” + more

People for Research
4 min readApr 30, 2024

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No, AI user research is not “better than nothing” — it’s much worse

The whole point of design is solving the problems that linear, mechanical thinking can’t. If we normalise turning to LLMs for our understanding of user needs, we give up our claim on being “champions for the user” and set off a race to the bottom that will see the design process, just like the publishing process, taken over by AI-generated sludge.

By Pavel Samsonov at UX Collective Editors

AI in user research: a deep dive with Kate Moran

Kate Moran, VP of Research at Nielsen Norman Group, discusses how artificial intelligence can potentially affect UX, while sharing top recommendations for researchers thinking about using AI tools.

By Patricia Reiners at Youtube

Can’t speak to your users? Here’s what you can try

User research lies at the heart of human-centered design, so limited access to customers is a common frustration among product designers. While nothing can substitute regular feedback from actual users, there are alternative ways to fill in the blanks in understanding who, how and why is using your product.

By Tiina Golub at UX Collective Editors

The art of caring: retaining the human touch in digital services to support patient empowerment

The value of human touch in healthcare is irreplaceable, despite technological advances. Service design can help us to integrate digital tools in a way that enhances human interaction and patient involvement. By designing digital and human touchpoints together we can make smarter choices about where and where not to deploy technology.

By Andrew Grimes at macementer.com

Creating research and design operations at the University of Southampton

None of what I am going to describe here was easy […]. It is a journey through an ever-changing landscape that has no end because complex organisations have complex ecosystems that require careful navigation over time, and nothing ever stays the same. This article is about some steps and lessons learned along the way if you are thinking of setting up user research and design disciplines in your organisation.

By Ayala Gordon at Team ReOps

UX research recruiting tips from 19 UX experts

Recruiting the right participant is arguably the hardest part of UX research. And, as research shows, most UX professionals have do deal with it on a monthly basis, some even weekly. We decided to collect some actionable tips and strategies for overcoming some of the biggest recruiting struggles, with a goal to share expertise and make recruiting participants easier and more efficient.

By UX Tweak at uxtweak.com

Creative ways to playback research

Closing the loop with participants, so that they know what resulted from the research, is an important part of conducting research that is trauma-informed. I hope this article inspires you to close the loop with your research participants by thanking them and sharing some of the findings with them.

By Aysha Brown at Bootcamp

Embracing neurodiversity in UX design

Embracing neurodiversity in UX design can help us unlock a world of possibilities, in which everyone can access and engage with digital products seamlessly, regardless of their neurological differences.

By Magnus Eriksen at uxmatters.com

Rethinking personas: empathy and inclusion in UX design

By using more inclusive methods like Jobs-To-Be-Done and Empathy Maps, we can ensure a better understanding of the diverse user needs to create more meaningful and accessible products.

By Letitia Rohaise at UX Collective Editors

A list of awesome UX meetups in the UK

From LadiesthatUX to UX London, here’s a list of active UX meetups happening around the UK!

By Maria Santos at People for Research

10 dates & free events to add to your 2024 user research calendar

Looking for inspiration and (free!) access to UX and user research tips and tricks? People for Research have compiled a list of dates and free events to add to your calendar.

By Maria Santos at peopleforresearch.co.uk

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People for Research

Lead recruiters of participants for user research & UX testing. Email us at info@peopleforresearch.co.uk or sign up to our newsletter – http://bit.ly/3c2IWDN