Angry and Passionate about what AI means to Researchers

In the latest episode of the Rosenfeld Review, Lou sits down with social scientist Tricia Wang, coiner of the term “thick data,” and formerly a partner at Sudden Compass. Tricia is passionate about research and AI. She envisions massively improved research outcomes and opportunities for researchers, but only if researchers take the lead in incorporating AI into their work. Rather than seeing themselves as “users” of AI tools, researchers must work as AI’s “shapers,” serving as its senior partner.

Tricia’s vision is to cease the fear-mongering surrounding the subject of AI and instead embrace the amazing opportunities for growth and better work by becoming active in the control of AI’s future.

What You’ll Learn from this Episode:

• The truth about the potential for AI use in research and the gift that it actually is
• The difference between a “user” and a “shaper” in the digital age
• The importance of taking an active role in the development of AI in the future
• How being an asset class dehumanizes us as people

Quick Reference Guide:
[0:16] – Lou’s introduction of Tricia Wang
[2:52] – Tricia discusses our future and how we talk about AI
[3:49] – Thoughts on the narrative of fear-mongering we have in the West about AI
[5:47] – The relationship between humans and AI
[5:59] – A new framework: users vs shapers
[9:07] – The problem with taking on a passive role with a technology unlike anything we have ever seen
[11:06] – People who use AI successfully are active shapers
[15:33] – Info on Advancing Research 2024
[17:23] – How users, shapers, and AI affect the field of research
[20:42] – The existential question of what it really means to be a researcher
[31:28] – Tricia’s advice concerning using AI in research
[35:07] – Tricia’s gift for the audience
[38:34] – Tricia wants to hear from you

Building Community and Common Trends to Look for in 2021 (Videoconference)

In this call we speak with our foremost DesignOps community experts Meredith Black and Elyse Hornbacher. Touching on their backgrounds and the creation of the DesignOps Assembly, trends we are seeing in the community and for DesignOps in general, future trends in 2021, and why we need community now more than ever.

It Takes GRIT: Lessons from the Small, but Mighty World of Civic Usability Testing

While usability testing is an often overlooked part of design in the frenzied race to get technology to market, it’s absence is especially problematic when it comes to civic-focused products and services. Even when designers want to test, options are often limited to “professional testers” or personal networks – far from the actual users they’re hoping to help. Testing with a diverse group of end users and stakeholders is the only surefire way to make sure what gets designed works for everyone, but the approach needs to be thoughtful, sensitive and impactful.

Since launching in early 2019, GRIT has delivered more than 20 such inclusive usability testing engagements with partners in the public, private and nonprofit sectors and we’re eager to share our insights with others who endeavor to engage diverse, underrepresented communities in the design of their civic products and services. Using case studies and lessons from our trove of civic design engagements, we’ll help take the guesswork out of inclusively testing your next design.

How To Get Usability Testing Right: a Chat with Steve Krug

Every company wants to make useful products that people want–but few really do. In today’s episode, Steve Krug, author of Rocket Surgery Made Easy, chats with guest host Laura Klein. Steve shares tips for setting up a successful usability test–and what two questions you should never ask during the test. Ever.

From Insights to Action: Driving Business Values through DesignOps

Business leaders now recognize the Business Value of Design, but how about the importance of Design in driving our Business Values? DesignOps plays an essential role in defining how individuals, teams, and organizations think and operate. Now comes the next chapter – operationalizing our values. As system designers who establish new processes, scale best practices, connect teams, and facilitate alignment, how might we utilize our DesignOps superpowers to unlock greater business value for our stakeholders, customers, and communities? Together, we’ll examine how Design Ops is leading the way to put business values like collaboration, equity, and innovation into practice.

Reimagining research: What does the field need to grow? [Advancing Research Community Workshop Series]

As the field of research evolves rapidly, maintaining a shared understanding of our foundational principles becomes crucial. Our panelists will explore key principles, including uncovering insights from unexpected business settings, prioritizing outcomes over rigid methodologies, and using foresight to envision our futures. They will invite us to contemplate what our future as researchers could look like if we reimagined these fundamental aspects of our practice.

Attend all of our Advancing Research community workshops

Each free virtual workshop is made up of panelists who will share short provocations on engaging ideas to discuss as a group, as well as a leader in our field to moderate. If you’re looking for discussions that challenge the status quo and can truly advance research, look no further than our workshop series. (P.S. We’ll be drawing most of our Advancing Research 2025 conference speakers from those who present at upcoming workshops—so tune in for a sneak peek of what’s to come from #AR2025!)

Complex Problem? Add Clarity by Combining Research and Systems Thinking

Enterprises are increasingly complex. Workers are faced with more information, more tools, more demands, and research needs to keep up. The field of Systems Thinking can help researchers uncover the models behind this complexity. This talk covers practical techniques for illuminating how models are interconnected, where feedback loops exist, and how we might transform these complex systems to drive innovation. It highlights how we can understand these systems without losing sight of the workers themselves… their ideas, concerns, motivations, and needs. Marrying systems clarity with this human perspective is critical, and is something researchers are uniquely positioned to do.

Design as a Team Practice, A Practical Guide to Cross-functional Collaboration

We believe cross-functional team collaboration delivers value faster for users and organizations. However, it’s not always obvious what exactly cross-functional collaboration actually looks like. What practices are necessary to the team’s success? How do you measure team performance? As a developer and a designer, we have direct experience working together and leading teams on truly cross-functional product design and delivery. In our talk, we’ll provide specific examples of what that kind of collaboration can look like, while sharing some of the values and principles that have motivated us.

Industry junctures: Paths forwards for UXR and the critical decisions that get us there [Advancing Research Community Workshop Series]

There has been considerable discussion about impending reckonings and large-scale changes in our field. Our panelists explore what we believe to be the three most important tenets of these changes:

1. The changing power dynamics between researcher and the researched
2. What it means to expand the definition of researcher to include people who do research
3. The convergence of different insight fields

Together, let’s unpack the possible futures ahead of us and the critical decisions we, as a field, need to make in order to move forward.

Attend all of our Advancing Research community workshops

Each free virtual workshop is made up of panelists who will share short provocations on engaging ideas to discuss as a group, as well as a leader in our field to moderate. If you’re looking for discussions that challenge the status quo and can truly advance research, look no further than our workshop series. (P.S. We’ll be drawing most of our Advancing Research 2025 conference speakers from those who present at upcoming workshops—so tune in for a sneak peek of what’s to come from #AR2025!)

Ahead of Competition: Learn What UX Benchmarking Can Do for Your Business Today

In our session we will deal with efficient and fast possibilities of UX measurement. Does the web presence or app look attractive and inspiring to new and established users? What are the strengths and weaknesses compared to the competition? We will present insights from our UX Online Benchmarking, which show that the implicit first impression is decisive. Get first insights about the eCommerce, insurance, and travel industries!