UX Research Geeks

Vitaly, the UX lead with the European Parliament and co-founder of Smashing Magazine, reflects on the messy reality of designing AI products and why UX matters more than ever in the age of artificial intelligence and AI agents. He also explores how and why many companies rush into implementing AI without addressing issues in their processes and systems and discusses the importance of trust, transparency, and guidance in designing AI products.

👉 If you have any tips on fantastic speakers from across the globe, feedback, or any questions, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out to [email protected]

🔎 Do you want to know more? Check out this episode at:
https://www.uxtweak.com/podcast/vitaly-friedman-designing-ai-products

Episode highlights
00:01:56 - The confusing reality of 2026
00:03:54 - What are we doing with AI?
00:06:28 - Prompting and user experience
00:09:56 - AI is the next Internet
00:13:52 - Current state of AI
00:17:57 - The main problem with designing AI products
00:23:44 - How AI amplifies structural and data issues
00:31:12 - Final advice from Vitaly

About our guest
Vitaly loves beautiful content and does not give up easily. Born in Minsk, Belarus, he studied computer science and mathematics in Germany. While writing algebra proofs and preparing for software engineering at nights in the kitchen, at the same time he discovered passion for typography, interface design and writing.

After working as a freelance designer and developer for 6 years, he co-founded Smashing Magazine back in 2006, a leading online magazine for designers and developers. His curiosity drove him from interface design to front-end to performance optimization to accessibility and back to user experience over all the years.

Vitaly is the author, co-author and editor of Smashing Books , and a curator of Smashing Conferences. He is the UX lead with the European Parliament and Smashing Magazine and front-end/UX consultant in Europe and abroad, working with large and small companies and organizations like Haufe-Lexware, Axel-Springer and others.

He also runs Measure UX and Smart Interface Design Patterns, friendly video courses on UX and design patterns, along with a live UX training for passionate UX and product designers.

👉 Did you know that UXtweak also offers a series of webinars packed with practical knowledge for UX professionals? Check out the episode with Stéphanie Walter, where she talks about overcoming the challenges of enterprise UX: https://www.youtube.com/live/d9p4ShC_fMA?si=eYEl_S0UErpJiT4B

About this podcast:
Welcome to UX Research Geeks, where Tina Ličková, a researcher and strategist, talks with researchers from around the globe about topics that matter to them.

🐝 Brought to you by UXtweak, an all-in-one UX research software. Start your research for free at: https://www.uxtweak.com/ 👈

🐝 Where to follow UXtweak:
LinkedIn / Instagram / YouTube / Facebook / Twitter

This special episode is based on a webinar recording with Tadeas Adamjak, Head of Growth at UXtweak, where he shared the main findings from our AI in UX Research Revisited report. He talked about how stances on AI in our field have evolved in light of everyone’s deeper experiences with AI models, what common issues and concerns professionals have with the technology, and what the best use cases for AI in 2026 are.

👉 If you have any tips on fantastic speakers from across the globe, feedback, or any questions, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out to [email protected]

🔎 Do you want to know more? Read the full report at:
https://blog.uxtweak.com/ai-in-ux-research-revisited/

Episode highlights
00:00:00 - Introducing the "AI in UX Research Revisited" report
00:04:00 - 2023 results
00:05:55 - 2023 vs 2025 answers
00:10:40 - How UX researcher experts are using AI
00:14:15 - Applying the human-AI workflow
00:16:25 - Major problems with AI
00:20:43 - The risk of UX theater
00:24:49 - How to showcase the value of human research to stakeholders
00:29:11 - Synthetic participants
00:30:46 - The future of UX research

About our guest
Tadeas Adamjak is a CX/UX consultant and Head of Growth at UXtweak, a UX research platform that supports hundreds of research, product, and design teams worldwide. He is also one of the team members behind industry initiatives, including the 'Dealing with Resistance to UX Research' report, 'AI in UX Research' report, and Research Recruities: Award for the Best Recruiting Stories.

🔎 Where to follow Tadeas
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tadeas-adamjak/

👉 Did you know that UXtweak also offers a series of webinars packed with practical knowledge for UX professionals? Check out the episode with Stéphanie Walter, where she talks about overcoming the challenges of enterprise UX: https://www.youtube.com/live/d9p4ShC_fMA?si=eYEl_S0UErpJiT4B

About this podcast:
Welcome to UX Research Geeks, where Tina Ličková, a researcher and strategist, talks with researchers from around the globe about topics that matter to them.

🐝 Brought to you by UXtweak, an all-in-one UX research software. Start your research for free at: https://www.uxtweak.com/ 👈

🐝 Where to Follow UXtweak:
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/uxtweak/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/uxtweak/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@uxtweak
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/uxtweak/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/UXtweak

Leisa, former Head of Research and Insights at Atlassian, reflects on how AI is changing the UX research industry. She discusses how vibe-coding helps shift from traditional project sequencing to faster, more iterative build-measure-learn cycles and how that impacts the role of UX research in organisations. Leisa expounds on her positive attitude towards AI, saying that the unique value of researchers will shift toward filling the "judgment gap" with deep, longitudinal human observation that machines simply cannot replicate.

👉 If you have any tips on fantastic speakers from across the globe, feedback, or any questions, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out to [email protected]

🔎 Do you want to know more? Check out this episode at:
https://www.uxtweak.com/podcast/leisa-reichelt-contextual-research-renaissance-in-ai-era

Episode highlights
00:01:47 - About Leisa
00:04:24 - Working in the UK government
00:07:39 - Research at Atlassian
00:09:56 - AI is the next Internet
00:14:18 - Sequencing in research is fading
00:20:01 - Role of UX researchers in 2026
00:24:12 - Maintaining UX research quality with AI
00:31:20 - Final thoughts 

About our guest 
Leisa Reichelt has spent two decades helping governments and organisations figure out what people actually need - and why that's so much harder than it sounds.

As Head of Research and Insights at the UK's Government Digital Service, she helped reshape how we think about user research for public services. Most recently, she led research at Atlassian. These days, she's a walking mid-2020's cliché - offering coaching for impactful research, getting hands-on vibecoding niche app ideas, and studying and making podcasts.
Leisa has particular obsessions with why well-intentioned systems so reliably make life harder for the people they're meant to serve and what the advance of AI means for UX Research.

👉 Did you know that UXtweak also offers a series of webinars packed with practical knowledge for UX professionals? Check out the episode with Stéphanie Walter, where she talks about overcoming the challenges of enterprise UX: https://www.youtube.com/live/d9p4ShC_fMA?si=eYEl_S0UErpJiT4B 

About this podcast:
Welcome to UX Research Geeks, where Tina Ličková, a researcher and strategist, talks with researchers from around the globe about topics that matter to them. 

🐝 Brought to you by UXtweak, an all-in-one UX research software. Start your research for free at: https://www.uxtweak.com/ 👈

🐝 Where to follow UXtweak:
LinkedIn / Instagram / YouTube / Facebook / Twitter

Anne, an African-based UX researcher, talks about her transition from teaching into the tech scene, reflecting on how her focus on the well-being of individuals led her to UX research. She explores the silent harms of technology and how products are often designed to be addictive. She also offers UX researchers a valuable perspective on balancing business strategy with the responsibility of protecting users’ mental health.

👉 If you have any tips on fantastic speakers from across the globe, feedback, or any questions, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out to [email protected]

🔎 Do you want to know more? Check out this episode at:
https://www.uxtweak.com/podcast/anne-njoroge-unspoken-dangers-of-technology

Episode highlights
00:01:09 - About Anne  
00:05:57 - Being an African-centered designer 
00:07:51 - Technology is never neutral 
00:13:18 - Tech and education 
00:15:43 - Silent harms of technology 
00:19:19 - Arming the users with the right information
00:22:43 - Using technology to achieve goals 
00:23:50 - Final thoughts 

About our guest 
Anne is a UX designer with a background in training, design, and business development in technology. She enjoys using research, storytelling, and thoughtful design to make complex systems easier to understand, especially in emerging and decentralized technologies where education and empathy really matter.

👉 Did you know that UXtweak also offers a series of webinars packed with practical knowledge for UX professionals? Check out the episode with Stéphanie Walter, where she talks about overcoming the challenges of enterprise UX.

About this podcast:
Welcome to UX Research Geeks, where Tina Ličková, a researcher and strategist, talks with researchers from around the globe about topics that matter to them. 

🐝 Brought to you by UXtweak, an all-in-one UX research software. Start your research for free at: https://www.uxtweak.com/ 👈

🐝 Where to follow UXtweak:
LinkedIn / Instagram / YouTube / Facebook / Twitter

Danielle, a UX researcher at MasterCard, talks about the intersection of gender and user experience. She explains how users differ on 5 dimensions and how the differences in cognitive styles and problem-solving influence user interactions with products. Danielle also shares how she applies the GenderMag framework and inclusive research practices to improve the product experience for all user groups in FinTech. 

👉 If you have any tips on fantastic speakers from across the globe, feedback, or any questions, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out to [email protected]

🔎 Do you want to know more? Check out this episode at:
https://www.uxtweak.com/podcast/danielle-jernberg-improve-user-experience-for-everyone

Episode highlights
00:01:41 - About Danielle  
00:03:19 - Danielle’s journey into FinTech as a UX researcher
00:05:15 - What is the GernderMag framework? 
00:11:51 - Applying the GenderMag framework in FinTech 
00:14:23 - GenderMag and gender biases
00:17:09 - How can applying GenderMag improve UX for everyone? 
00:19:47 - Specifics of working in FinTech in Sweden 
00:21:36 - Avoiding the wealth gap 

About our guest 
Danielle Jernberg is a Research Manager at Mastercard with nearly a decade of experience across digital product, UX, and user research. With a background in Psychology and Human–Computer Interaction, she has worked across fintech, finance, e-commerce, and consultancy, spanning leadership roles in digital product, technology commercialisation, and research.
Danielle specialises in turning complex qualitative and quantitative insights into clear strategic direction, partnering closely with product and design teams to champion evidence-based, human-centred decision-making at scale.

👉 Did you know that UXtweak also offers a series of webinars packed with practical knowledge for UX professionals? Check out the episode with Stéphanie Walter, where she talks about overcoming the challenges of enterprise UX: https://www.youtube.com/live/d9p4ShC_fMA?si=eYEl_S0UErpJiT4B 

About this podcast:
Welcome to UX Research Geeks, where Tina Ličková, a researcher and strategist, talks with researchers from around the globe about topics that matter to them. 

🐝 Brought to you by UXtweak, an all-in-one UX research software. Start your research for free at: https://www.uxtweak.com/ 👈

🐝 Where to follow UXtweak:
LinkedIn / Instagram / YouTube / Facebook / Twitter