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Awkward Silences

User Interviews
UX Research
User Research
User Experience Research
User Interviews
Artificial Intelligence
AI Tools
Research Impact On Revenue
Qualitative Research
Product Analytics
Design Leadership
Mcdonald's
Sample Sizes
Customer Acquisition
Riley AI
Customer Retention
Experience Design
Research Operations
Product Development
UX Events
Conference Networking

Welcome to Awkward Silences by User Interviews, where we interview the people who interview people. Listen as we geek out on all things UX research, qualitative data, and the craft of understanding people to build better products and businesses. Hosted by Erin May and Carol Guest, VPs of growth/marketing and product at User Interviews. Take this survey and let us know what topics you want to hear ... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes187Founded7 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
TechnologyBusiness

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Artwork for Awkward Silences

Latest Episodes

Ben Wiedmaier sits with Karl Randay, Experience Director at 383, to explore how designers can stay relevant in an increasingly automated world. Karl shares insights from working with major brands like Hilton and Jaguar on digital innovation projects ... more

Ben is joined by Maria Rosala from Nielsen Norman Group and John Whalen from Brilliant Experience to wrap up 2025 and make some predictions for 2026. Maria and John share practical insights on everything from AI moderation tools to synthetic users, o... more

Erin May sits down with Kate Towsey, founder of Cha Cha Club and author of Research That Scales, for Research Ops Appreciation Week. Kate shares insights from producing an audio documentary series on the future of research ops, including her fascinat... more

YouTube

Ben talks with Lyndsi Lee, UX Manager at Turnitin, about moving beyond traditional metrics like NPS and CSAT to measure user experiences more effectively. 

The conversation centers on outcome-based assessment, a framework that breaks user experience... more

YouTube

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Maria Rosala
Director of Research at Nielsen Norman Group
Nielsen Norman Group
Episode: #180 - What to Fix in '26 with Maria Rosala of NN/g & John Whalen of Brilliant Experience
John Whalen
Founder and CEO of Brilliant Experience
Brilliant Experience
Episode: #180 - What to Fix in '26 with Maria Rosala of NN/g & John Whalen of Brilliant Experience
Shalin Pei
Head of Design and Research at Base for Coinbase
Coinbase
Episode: #177 - From Informing to Influencing with Shalin Pei & Natalie Golub of Coinbase
Natalie Golub
Head of UXR at Base for Coinbase
Coinbase
Episode: #177 - From Informing to Influencing with Shalin Pei & Natalie Golub of Coinbase
Jackie Ianni
Principal UX Research Manager at Microsoft Data
Microsoft Data
Episode: #176 - Building a Research Program from the Ground Up ft. Microsoft Azure Data
Samira Jain
User Researcher at Microsoft Data
Microsoft Data
Episode: #176 - Building a Research Program from the Ground Up ft. Microsoft Azure Data
Dr. Serena Hillman
User Researcher at Microsoft Data
Microsoft Data
Episode: #176 - Building a Research Program from the Ground Up ft. Microsoft Azure Data
Jake Burghardt
Author and UX Research Consultant
Integrating Research
Episode: #175 - The Scourge of Wasted Research with Jake Burghardt of Integrating Research
Nancy Baum
VP of Qualitative Research at C&R Research
C&R Research
Episode: # 174 - Qualitative Research's Enduring Impact with Nancy Baum of C+R Research LIVE

Hosts

Erin May
Host of Awkward Silences and VP of Growth and Marketing at User Interviews.
Carol Guest
Host of Awkward Silences and VP of Product at User Interviews.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 173 ratings
  • Great content but I dread listening…

    I listen to this podcast because they people the hosts talk to are fascinating and have great insights to share, but the production feels really shoddy and the hosts' interview styles feel stilted and awkward. They tend to start by asking fully formed questions that, by the middle of the podcast, have devolved into personal musings with a question mark on the end, resulting in some VERY narrow-in-scope and often leading questions. The hosts almost undoubtedly interview users as part of their nor... more

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    BrettBrettBrett1
    Germany3 years ago
  • Net Promoter Score = 11 out of 10

    Really though, I talk to people about things I’ve heard on this podcast.

    I’m new to podcasts and to UX but I’ve been listening regularly on my daily commute. This podcast is full of relevant, interesting, and useful information about UX research and has helped me feel more confident moving into the UX field. They do their research and keep it fun. Looking forward to more!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ganjayogi
    United States5 years ago
  • There is nothing awkward about this podcast

    As someone who is not a full time researcher, I love this podcast. I try to get everyone on my engineering team into the research sessions we conduct and having Erin and JH guide me through it is great. They ask all the questions I would of these great guests.

    If you're a full time researcher or just someone who does research like me, I can't recommend this podcast enough.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Bob the hype man
    United States5 years ago
  • Awesome Podcast

    Informative and fun! Cool guests and awesome hosts! Best UX podcast out there

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Scuba Steve1911
    United States5 years ago
  • best UX research podcast

    The most engaging UX research podcast out there.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    lambcaster
    United States5 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners appreciate the variety of guests and their insights, often describing the discussions as relatable and practical for real-world applications.
The production quality and interviewing style have received criticism, indicating some room for improvement in delivering content.
Listeners highlight the podcast's value in making UX research more accessible, particularly for those new to the field.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#136
India/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#222
Denmark/Technology

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

#178 - How to Measure What Matters with Lyndsi Lee of Turnitin
Q: How do you prioritize atomic outcomes?
Lyndsi suggests using user feedback and stress testing the outcomes to prioritize what matters most.
#178 - How to Measure What Matters with Lyndsi Lee of Turnitin
Q: What value did you find in certifications?
Lyndsi shares that certifications allowed her to immerse herself in learning and gain real-world experience through projects.
#178 - How to Measure What Matters with Lyndsi Lee of Turnitin
Q: What skills do you find that you carried with you across these roles?
Lyndsi emphasizes the balance of creative and analytical skills developed from her diverse experiences.
#175 - The Scourge of Wasted Research with Jake Burghardt of Integrating Research
Q: What should a research practitioner do next week to start addressing research waste?
Next week, researchers can start conversations about existing research value, collaborate on understanding insights, and activate previous research findings while planning new projects.
#175 - The Scourge of Wasted Research with Jake Burghardt of Integrating Research
Q: What can people listening do or steps they might take to start identifying waste?
Researchers can begin by reviewing impactful past studies and building case studies to highlight underutilized findings that could apply to current projects and engage stakeholders in recognizing the value of existing research.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Awkward Silences

What is Awkward Silences about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Focused on enhancing the understanding of user experience research, the content consistently engages industry experts in discussions around qualitative data acquisition and utilization. A central theme revolves around effective methodologies for transforming research insights into actionable business strategies. The series uniquely features insights from both recognized leaders in technology and lesser-known voices in small companies and academia, fostering a diverse exploration of perspectives within user research practices. The engaging formats and personal narratives shared by guests contribute significantly to a relatable learning environment for both seasoned professionals and newcomers in the field.

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How many listeners does Awkward Silences get?

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What are the audience demographics for Awkward Silences?

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How many subscribers and views does Awkward Silences have?

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Which podcasts are similar to Awkward Silences?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Awkward Silences:

1. The User Research Strategist: UXR | Impact | Career
2. NN/G UX Podcast
3. Worklife with Adam Grant
4. The Daily Stoic
5. Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel

How many episodes of Awkward Silences are there?

Awkward Silences launched 7 years ago and published 187 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Awkward Silences?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

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What guests have appeared on Awkward Silences?

Recent guests on Awkward Silences include:

1. Maria Rosala
2. John Whalen
3. Shalin Pei
4. Natalie Golub
5. Jackie Ianni
6. Samira Jain
7. Dr. Serena Hillman
8. Jake Burghardt

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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