In this episode of The Optimal Path, Reggie Murphy joins host Ash Oliver to discuss how Zendesk scaled UX research, elevating the practice from a supporting function to a strategic partner to the business.

Reggie shares how he led the development of training programs, automated processes, and ResearchOps to enable cross-functional teams to conduct research independently. Discover how democratizing research creates a more customer-centric culture and how these changes have shifted UX research from a gatekeeping role to a more collaborative, strategic position.

About Reggie:

Reggie Murphy is a seasoned strategic research and insights leader with over 20 years of experience leading teams to understand human behavior and create innovative products and solutions that meet the needs of their users. He has a proven track record of success across various industries, including technology, media, finance, and healthcare. He's currently a Senior Director and Head of UX Research at Zendesk. Prior to his current role, Reggie has built and led research teams at USA TODAY, Facebook, Vanguard, and Twitter.

Connect with Reggie:

You can connect with Reggie on LinkedIn or get mentored by him on ADPList

Resources:

• Democratize Research: Elevate UX Research Practice
• How our product design framework guides UX research by Jen Cardello
• Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Malone Scott
• The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth by Amy C. Edmondson
• How to get stakeholder buy-in: From skeptic to research advocate by Maze
• UX Leadership Playbook: Democratizing Research to Deliver Impact at Scale

Follow Maze on Social Media:

• X: @mazedesignHQ
• Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign

To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast.

See you next time!

In this episode of The Optimal Path, Ash Oliver discusses the future of user research with expert Dave Hora. From his beginnings in research back in 2011 to his key roles at companies like Plangrid and Instacart, Dave has been at the forefront of driving innovation through research. Now, he's here to share his thoughts on what’s next for user research—discussing the growing demand for user insights, how to integrate research practices throughout the product lifecycle, and the opportunities of AI tools.

Tune in to uncover how we can seize the moment and define what’s next.

About Dave:

Dave Hora is the founder of Dave's Research Co., where he helps product leaders launch new product lines with the right mix of data, insight, and common sense. He began professional research work in 2011, eventually starting the practice as the first research hire at six companies, including PlanGrid and Instacart. He now works with companies across the globe and writes extensively on the topic of research and its co-evolution with the product practice.

Connect with Dave:

You can connect with Dave on LinkedIn

Resources:

• The Future of User Research Report by Maze
• User Research and Its Inevitable Evolution by Dave Hora
• Whither UX Research? by Peter Merholz
• The UX Research Reckoning is Here by Judd Antin
• Empathy: The importance of how we speak about ourselves, Maze Disco Conf presentation by Kyle Osborne
• The next frontier for research: Building organizations that learn by Behzod Sirjani
• Just Enough Research by Erika Hall
• Bad research doesn’t stink by Carl Pearson, PhD
• The Mistake Almost Everyone Makes When Doing User Research by Behzod Sirjani
• Fostering a culture of organizational learning with Roy Opata Olende
• The Democratization of User Research is a Red Herring by Peter Merholz
• The Nature of Order by Christopher W. Alexander
• The Timeless Way of Building by Christopher W. Alexander
• A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander
• Interviewing Users: How to Uncover Compelling Insights by Steve Portigal

Follow Maze on Social Media:

• X: @mazedesignHQ
• Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign

To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast.

See you next time!

In this episode of The Optimal Path, host Ash Oliver and Senior User Research Manager Paige Bennett explore the vital role of workshops in product development. Paige shares her experience facilitating workshops in the fintech industry, plus best practices for measuring success and co-creating with cross-functional partners and customers.

Join us to learn how you can leverage this collaboration tool to drive stronger decision-making, build more impactful products, and grow your career as a product professional.

About Paige:

Paige Bennett is a Senior User Research Manager at Affirm. Prior to Affirm, Paige managed the Growth and Ecosystems research teams at Dropbox and has previous experience creating strategic research projects at Medium. She is well-versed in the world of workshop facilitation and user research, harnessing the two for big business impact.

Connect with Paige:

You can connect with Paige on X or Linkedin

Resources:

• Workshopping your way to impactful products by Paige Bennett at Disco Conf 2023
• Why Running Better Workshops Will Make You a Better Creative Leader by Alison Coward on Medium
• The Field Study Handbook by Jan Chipchase
• CEO Ideational Facilitation Leadership and Team Creativity: The Mediating Role of Knowledge Sharing by Abraham Carmeli & Paul B. Paulus
• Wolff Olins Report

Follow Maze on Social Media:

• X: @mazedesignHQ
• Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign

To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast.

See you next time!