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!

In this episode of The Optimal Path, host Ash Oliver welcomes Sander Viegers, VP of Design at Rabobank, to discuss the pivotal role of research and design in the digital transformation journey at Rabobank. Sander shares the principles that guide Rabobank's cooperative approach to a customer-centric design process, as well as practical examples of how research powers more innovative solutions for the customer and the business. About Sander: As the VP of Design at Rabobank, Sander leads the design organization in creating comprehensive customer and employee experiences on a global scale. With prior experience leading design teams at Microsoft, Amazon, and Catawiki, Sander has a proven track record of successful design leadership. He holds a Master's degree in Industrial Design Engineering from Delft University of Technology and has been named inventor on multiple patents. Connect with Sander: You can connect with Sander on Linkedin Resources: Flawless Consulting by Peter Block The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz Org Design for Design Orgs: Building and Managing In-House Design Teams by Peter Merholz and Kristin Skinner The Future of Finance: Driving Digital Innovation Through Customer Insights by Maze 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 is joined by Amy Lima, formerly product designer at AMP @ Amazon Music and currently founder of Diversify Design. Together, they discuss the role of user research in building community products and how to start and scale a research practice inside design teams. About Amy: Amy Lima is a first-generation Brazilian-American product designer, and founder of Diversify Design. Her global footprint growing up between cultures and across continents brings an innate appreciation for diverse perspectives and a fascination for the human experience. To honor these values, her design philosophy is deeply rooted in ethical and inclusive design practices, with her work focusing on fostering community and social expression in a 0-to-1 design process. Beyond her 9 to 5, she’s an active member of the design community and is often found hosting panels, giving conference talks, and writing articles on her experience pivoting into design from the music industry as a minority in tech. Connect with Amy: You can connect with Amy on LinkedIn. Resources: Mismatch by Kat Holmes Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O’Neil 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 welcomes Marcus Brandford to discuss the transformative power of research in marketing and product development. Delving into how research can inform creative campaigns and marketing decisions, Marcus shares how Figma harnesses customer insights to understand its audience and build impactful brand connections that drive better business outcomes. About Marcus: Marcus Brandford uses research to power marketing decisions. His career began on the agency side at Known, a marketing strategy firm where he ran custom studies for many Google teams as well as Microsoft, Intel, Viacom and others. After leaving the field to pursue his MBA from UC Berkeley, he joined Figma in 2022 as a dedicated researcher for the Marketing function. Marcus works with the Brand, Growth, Editorial, and PMM teams to introduce the market perspective into the creative process, helping teams build with their audience in mind. Connect with Marcus: You can connect with Marcus on LinkedIn. Resources: • The Dream Machine by M. Mitchell Waldrop 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 sits down with Roy Opata Olende to delve into the complexities of UX research across organizational altitudes. They explore the different modalities of learning that take place inside organizations, the critical need for leadership buy-in, and the challenges of communicating research impact. Roy introduces the concept of a "menu of learning" along with his best practices for fostering a culture of curiosity within your own organization. About Roy: Roy Opata Olende has been involved in user research and service design since 2012. He currently leads the UX Research practice at Zapier, a SaaS automation company. Prior to this role, he led Research Operations at Zapier and UX Research at Buffer. When not working or hanging out with his wife and three young boys, he can be found obsessing over football (soccer). Roy hails from Kenya and currently resides just outside of Toronto, Canada. Connect with Roy: You can connect with Roy on X or LinkedIn. Resources: • Research Maturity Model Report by Maze • How Zapier's Head of UX Research Organizes Projects • How to Build a High-Impact Learning Culture by Josh Bersin • Just Enough Research by Erika Hall • Research Practice by Gregg Bernstein 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!

The Optimal Path is a podcast about user research and product decision-making, brought to you by Maze. The voices featured in this trailer are Ash Oliver, UX Research Advocate at Maze; Marcus Brandford, Figma; Roy Opata Olende, Zapier; Amy Lima, (formerly) Amp @ Amazon Music; and Benjamin Humphrey, Dovetail New episodes drop every other week. Follow Maze and Ash Oliver on LinkedIn for updates, or visit maze.co/podcast and subscribe to be the first to know when we launch new episodes. See you soon!

The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same. You can connect with Jo on Twitter or LinkedIn. Resources mentioned: Continuous Research Report: Trends to Watch in 2023 by Maze in partnership with Atlassian UX Leadership Playbook: Democratizing Research to Deliver Impact at Scale by Maze in partnership with ADPList Building organizations that learn by Behzod Sirjani The Design of Everyday Things by Donald A. Norman The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick Follow Maze on social media: Twitter: @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!

The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same. You can connect with Gabriel on Twitter (@gabrielvaldivia) or check out his website. Resources mentioned: The Browser Company Team Human by Douglas Rushkoff How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell Follow Maze on social media: Twitter: @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!

The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same. You can connect with Aiswarya on LinkedIn or check out her newsletter. Resources mentioned: The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle Alan Design: Behind the screens by Aiswarya Kolisetty Follow Maze on social media: Twitter: @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!

The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same. You can connect with Jasmine on Twitter (@jazzy33ca) or check out her website. Resources mentioned: Atomic Habits by James Clear Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker Undoing the Toxic Dogmatism of Digital Design by Lisa Angela Just Work by Kim Scott Radical Candor by Kim Scott Follow Maze on social media: Twitter: @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!

The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same. You can connect with Julian on LinkedIn. And if you'd like to discuss the episode with other listeners, socialize with guests, and find extended host notes with further resources—check out the Host Posts space inside the Maze Community. Resources mentioned: Lightning Decision Jam by AJ&Smart Gamestorming: Faciliator resources Facilitator’s Guide by IDEO Crazy 8’s: Core Design Sprint method Gamestorming: A Playbook for Innovators, Rule-breakers, and Changemakers by Dave Gray Just Enough Research by Erika Hall Think Like a UX Researcher by David Travis Follow Maze on social media: Twitter: @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!

The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same. You can connect with Josh on LinkedIn or check out his Instagram account (@joshdixit). And if you'd like to discuss the episode with other listeners, socialize with guests, and find extended host notes with further resources—check out the Host Posts space inside the Maze Community. Resources mentioned: Behave by Robert Sapolsky Just Enough Research by Erika Hall Maze x ADPList UX Leadership Playbook: Democratizing Research to Deliver Impact at Scale Follow Maze on social media: Twitter: @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!

The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same. You can connect with Bob on LinkedIn and Twitter. And if you'd like to discuss the episode with other listeners, socialize with guests, and find extended host notes with going further resources—check out the Host Posts space inside the Maze Community. Resources mentioned: How we built the Figma design team by Noah Levin From Counterculture to Cyberculture by Fred Turner Stewart Brand's Whole Earth Catalog Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace Creative Selection by Ken Kocienda Follow Maze on social media: Twitter: @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!

The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same. You can connect with Pulkit on LinkedIn and Twitter. Resources mentioned: B.J. Fogg, Behavior Scientist at Stanford University Friction Logs: The Key to Unlocking Product Growth by Chameleon UserOnboard: Teardowns of your favorite web apps' first run experiences by Samuel Hulick How to Run User Surveys in the Age of Product-Led Growth by Chamaleon Nudge by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein Follow Maze on social media: Twitter: @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!

The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same. You can connect with Benjamin on LinkedIn. Resources mentioned: Foundations of atomic research by Tomer Sharon Legacy by James Kerr Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber by Mike Isaac The Eric Andre Show Follow Maze on social media: Twitter: @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!

The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same. You can follow Erika on Twitter (@mulegirl) or check out her articles on Medium. Resources mentioned: Conversational Design by Erika Hall Just Enough Research by Erika Hall Designing for the Digital Age by Kim Goodwin Behave by Robert Sapolsky Follow Maze on social media: Twitter: @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!

The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same. You can follow Renato on Twitter (@renn) or check out his website. Resources mentioned: Org Design for Design Orgs by Kristin Skinner and Peter Merholz High Growth Handbook by Elad Gil Managing Oneself by Peter F. Drucker Follow Maze on social media: Twitter: @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!

The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same. You can follow Samuel on Twitter (@fastfinge). Resources mentioned: Maze Community Event: Designing for Accessibility (Event recording) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) by the Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C) Fable Upskill The End of Average by Todd Rose Follow Maze on social media: Twitter: @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!

The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same. You can connect with Melanie on LinkedIn or check out her articles on our blog, In The Loop. Resources mentioned: Assumption Slam by JB (Shopify UX) A More Beautiful Question by Warren Berger UX research best practices: Building and researching products with ethics in mind by Melanie Buset Follow Maze on social media: Twitter: @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!