Understanding Users: The UX Podcast

8. The Software Engineer - Frances Maxwell @ Skyscanner

Frances Maxwell is a Software Engineer at Skyscanner.
In this episode of Understanding Users, Frances shares her fascinating career path - including early stints at a violin dealer and even a Bollywood streaming site - and explains how and why her ‘itch to build things’ helped her make the pivot from senior UX roles into retraining as a software engineer. She talks of her love of code, the dangers of organisations treating UX as a separate silo and the importance of entire product teams normalising interaction with their users throughout the design and development process.
We also ponder on the frustrating lack of diversity in the tech world, and the risk of unconscious bias potentially creeping into product design as a result. 
Finally, she plays my 3 card challenge to share her favourite UX tool, favourite technique and a trend she hopes to see in the future. 
Thanks for listening, and I hope you enjoy the episode. 
Mike Green
This podcast is brought to you by Researchable UX.

7. The UX Recruiter - Nick Grantham @ Zebra People

Nick Grantham is Associate Director at Zebra People.
In this episode of Understanding Users, Nick talks about the incredible buoyancy of the current booming UX job market and the ever-growing demand for both product and service design roles. We discuss the importance of ‘going with your gut’ when job hunting, the dangers of being too purist in real-world UX projects, and we touch on some of the challenges posed to both contractors and recruiters by IR35 legislation.
We also reminisce about conducting experiments to blow up magnesium in chemistry classes at school, and their surprising parallels with UX portfolios…
He also plays my 3 card challenge to share his favourite UX tool, favourite technique and a trend he sees in the future. 
Thanks for listening, and I hope you enjoy the episode. 
Mike Green
This podcast is brought to you by Researchable UX.

6. The UX Director - Andy Curry @ Lion+Mason

Andy Curry is UX Director at Lion+Mason.
In this episode of Understanding Users, Andy reminds us of the power of storytelling as one of UX’s most underrated skills and how the basics of observing users to help inform design decisions in essence dates back thousands of years. We discuss the impact of global lockdowns on carrying out ethnographic research, and of the epiphany moments of real insight he and his team gained previously from shadowing users during field visits: even going as far, in one case, as hoovering the carpet in an elderly user’s home!  
He also plays my 3 card challenge to share his favourite UX tool, favourite technique and a trend he sees in the future. 
Thanks for listening, and I hope you enjoy the episode. 
Mike Green
This podcast is brought to you by Researchable UX.
If you'd like to help support the podcast, you can donate a very modest sum by buying me a virtual coffee. That would be hugely appreciated. Thank you!   

5. The Head of User Research - Katie John @ Caution Your Blast

Katie John is Head of User Research at Caution Your Blast. 
In this episode of Understanding Users, Katie shares her strong belief in technology as a force for good, and she talks about the importance of early generative research when designing digital services. 
She discusses how good user researchers should not be only fascinated by other people and their behaviour, but also self-reflective. Crucially, they also need to be great communicators and comfortable with uncertainty... 
Finally she plays my 3 card challenge to share her favourite UX tool, favourite technique and a trend he sees in the future. 
Thanks for listening, and I hope you enjoy the episode.
Mike Green
This podcast is brought to you by Researchable UX.
If you'd like to help support the podcast, you can donate a very modest sum by buying me a virtual coffee. That would be hugely appreciated. Thank you!   

4. The Product Lead - Gavin Adam @ NHS Digital

Gavin Adam is a Product Lead at NHS Digital. 
In this episode of Understanding Users, Gav shares the collaborative techniques and product leadership experience he uses when building services for organisations like NHS Digital and HMRC to solve problems for their users. 
He discusses how experiencing agile product delivery in government opened his eyes to a better way of building digital products; the importance of digital service assessment within government; and the value that ‘hyperspecialists’ like UX designers and user researchers can bring to multi-disciplinary product teams. 
He also plays my 3 card challenge to share his favourite UX tool, favoured technique and a trend he sees in the future. 
Thanks for listening, and I hope you enjoy the episode.  
Mike Green
This podcast is brought to you by Researchable UX.
If you'd like to help support the podcast, you can donate a very modest sum by buying me a virtual coffee. That would be hugely appreciated. Thank you!   

3. The Service Design Lead - Dr. Jon Sykes @ National Highways

Dr. Jon Sykes is Head of Service Standards at National Highways.
In this third episode of Understanding Users, Jon and I chat about his fascinating and diverse career in service design; the power of collaborative design workshops, and the real benefit that using evidence-based user insight can bring when you’re trying to win round sceptical project stakeholders.  
He also plays my 3 card challenge to share his favourite UX tool, favoured technique and a trend he sees in the future. 
Thanks for listening, and I hope you enjoy the episode. 
Mike Green
This podcast is brought to you by Researchable UX.

2. The Agency Founder - Tom Devlin @ UserLab

Tom Devlin is Founder and Principal UX Specialist at UserLab.
Tom and I talk about his career, the challenges and benefits of founding (and growing) your own UX agency, and why researchers should never be afraid of awkward silences. 
He also plays my 3 card challenge to share his favourite UX tool, favoured technique and a trend he sees in the future. 
Thanks for listening, and I hope you enjoy the episode.  
Mike Green
This podcast is brought to you by Researchable UX.

1. The UX Design Lead - Robin Potter @ Waitrose

Robin Potter is Lead UX Designer at Waitrose.
In this very first episode Robin talks to me about his varied digital career; his current design work with product teams at Waitrose; and how he ensures UX can have the most impact when building user-centred digital products and services.
He also discusses the trials and tribulations of user testing and offers some tips for aspiring UX designers.
Finally, he plays my ‘Three Card Challenge’ to share his favourite UX tool, favourite UX technique and a current trend he sees in user experience.  
Thanks for listening, and I hope you enjoy the episode.  
Mike Green
This podcast is brought to you by Researchable UX.
If you'd like to help support the podcast, you can donate a very modest sum by buying me a virtual coffee. That would be hugely appreciated. Thank you!   

0. Understanding Users Podcast Trailer

Hi, I’m Mike Green, a freelance user research lead and digital consultant based in the UK. 
Welcome to Understanding Users!
In this podcast series, I chat with digital experts from a variety of disciplines, including user research, UX and service design, software development and product management…. and there’s even a start-up founder or two.
I talk to them about how they came to be in their current roles, what they’ve learned along the way and the challenges they face in designing and building digital products and services with users in mind.
And while many of these conversations are recorded remotely, I’m also keen to get out into the wild and meet my guests face to face where possible, so in some episodes you’ll hear me prowling the corridors of UX conferences in different parts of the globe to get the views of speakers and attendees alike. 
So whether you’re simply an interested observer of all things UX, whether you want to make a professional move into this field, or whether you’re an experienced digital practitioner, I hope there’s something here to interest, engage and enlighten you. 
I usually publish episodes twice a month and it’s free to download from all major podcasting platforms including Apple, Google, Spotify, YouTube and Podbean. Simply search ‘Understanding User podcast’ or visit my website ‘Researchable.uk’.
These are intended to be relaxed, informal chats with professionals who are keen to share their experiences, so sit back and enjoy.
Thanks for listening.