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What happens when an academic researcher trades a university lab for the fast-paced world of tech? Katie Hansen, Senior UX Research Manager at Thumbtack, shares her journey from studying unconscious bias at Princeton to leading research at companies like Etsy, Instagram, and Facebook. She breaks down the challenges of transitioning from academia—where studies take years—to industry, where research needs to drive business decisions quickly.
Katie dives into the power of survey experiments, explaining how they can uncover deep psychological insights and help teams prioritize what to A/B test. She also discusses the value of meta-analysis and literature reviews, showing how researchers can tap into existing knowledge to save time and uncover patterns.
With two talks lined up at Advancing Research 2025, Katie will explore experimental research techniques and the impact of meta-analysis in UX. She also shares her favorite research tools, the importance of repositories, and why Hidden Brain is a must-listen for anyone fascinated by human behavior.
If you’re looking to level up your research game and future-proof your career, don’t miss this conversation!
What You’ll Learn from this Episode:
- What to expect when transitioning from academic research to the business sector
- How to Use Survey Experiments for Deep Insights
- The power of existing research – both internal and external
- Katie’s favorite tools for UX researchers
- A strategy for future-proofing your research career
Quick Reference Guide:
0:00 – Katie’s journey into research
3:53 – The challenges of transitioning from an academic to a business setting, and how research is conducted in an academic setting versus a large business
8:25 – Designing with AI 2025 – June 10 & 11
9:44 – About Advancing Research 2025
11:03 – An overview of Experimental Research TEchniques for Deep Psychology-Driven Insights
13:02 – Research and experiments in business
16:46 – AB testing and Qualtrics
17:39 – An overview of Finding the Unknown in the Known: Harnessing Meta-Analysis and Literature Review
20:01 – What is meta-analysis, anyway?
22:47 – Katie’s gift for listeners
