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Tuesday June 3, 12:30pm – 4:30pm PT

Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture, San Francisco and Online

With Title Sponsor

With Title Sponsor

maze title sponsor

About
The Event

The advances in AI over the past 12 months has been nothing short of astonishing, and as a field whose work primarily revolves around qualitative data, the impacts of AI can’t be overstated.

Whether it’s AI’s ability to summarize large amounts of text, generate key takeaways, or the number of custom AI tooling that’s being built every day, there’s already been a lot of AI-powered change in research.

 

Will the AI come for our jobs? Probably not. But the real question is: how do we harness this new technology to make ourselves that much more effective in our roles?

 

Back for it’s second year, this program highlights ideas and perspectives from the most senior UX research leaders at the companies defining the AI age.

 

Heather Breslow is the Senior Director of Research at Grammarly, where her teams focus on the future of AI communication assistance.

 

Previously, Heather has led teams at Google and Robinhood, and is deeply committed to fostering research-driven cultures that are human-centered and data-driven.

 

Heather is optimistic about the potential for AI to reshape our craft and community in ways that empower researchers, unlock our creativity, and bring into full relief what it means to be human.

Hosted by Heather Breslow
Sr. Director of Research at Grammarly

Event Schedule

All scheduled times are in PT

12:30pm – 1:00pm

Coffee, Snacks and Welcome

1:00pm – 1:30pm

The AI Empowered Researcher

AI is already reshaping how research gets done—and what it means to be a researcher. In this talk, Kaleb Loosbrock shares his perspective on embracing these changes, and how he’s using AI to expand his impact, increase efficiency, and reimagine what’s possible in the role.
Kaleb Loosbrock Staff Researcher at Instacart

Kaleb Loosbrock

Staff Researcher at Instacart

instacart logo
Kevin Newton Sr. Manager, UX Measurement at Linkedin
Marieke McCloskey Director of UX Research at LinkedIn

1:30pm – 2:00pm

AI Experimentation on Research Teams​

In this talk, Marieke and Kevin from LinkedIn share how they’re using AI to scale insights, streamline workflows, and expand the reach of research across the company. Through workshops, knowledge sharing, and custom-built AI tools, they’ve created a culture of experimentation that empowers researchers—and lowers the barrier for others to join in.

Marieke McCloskey

Director of UX Research at LinkedIn

linkedin logo

Kevin Newton

Sr. Manager, UX Measurement at Linkedin

linkedin logo

2:00pm – 2:30pm

Research on B2B AI

The stakes for AI are different in enterprise products—where reliability, accuracy, and trust are non-negotiable. In this talk, Jan Blom shares how researching AI in B2B settings requires a different mindset, and what researchers need to consider when businesses rely on their tools to really work.

Jan Blom

Sr. Director, UX Research, AI at ServiceNow

servicenow logo

2:30pm – 3:00pm

Break

3:00pm – 3:30pm

Research's Role in AI/ML Engineering

When we think about research in AI, it’s often in the context of UX or content design—but our impact doesn’t have to stop there. In this talk, Jenny Lo shares how researchers can also contribute meaningfully to engineering and R&D efforts, and why that collaboration is more important than ever.

Jenny Lo Head of Research at Global AI Platform

Jenny Lo
Head of Research at Global AI Platform

global ai platform logo
Pete Fleming Director, UX Research, Gemini at Google

3:30pm – 4:00pm

UX Research in 2030​

AI is evolving fast—and reshaping what it means to do research along the way. In this panel, research leaders from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google share their perspectives on where UX research is headed, and how the role might change in the next five years.

Pete Fleming
Director, UX Research at Google

google logo

Arianna McClain
Head of UX Research at OpenAI

openai logo

Jane Justice Leibrock
Head of UX Research at Anthropic

4:00pm – 4:30pm

Closing Thoughts and Wrap Up

8:00 am –
9:15 am

Coffee Hour

9:15 am –
9:30 am

Welcome and Host Introduction

Colette Kolenda Sr. Staff UX Researcher, Ads at Google
Colette Kolenda
Independent Research Leader

9:30 am –
9:55 am

Moneyball UXR

In research, we’re often dealing with criticisms about sample sizes and confidence when it comes to qualitative research. However, if we take a Bayesian approach to our research, you can build a tremendous amount of confidence and certainty even in our findings from smaller sample sizes. In this talk, Joris leverages insights from his days building out the ‘Moneyball’ strategy as part of the Oakland Athletics baseball club to help researchers and their teams build confidence in their results.
Joris Drayer,
Staff UX Researcher, Equities Lead at Robinhood

9:55 am –
10:20 am

The Rise of the UX Research Scientist

As companies develop more advanced products and tackle novel problems, user research can be complemented by specialized domain expertise and a scientific approach. This provides a new opportunity for a UX role that has roots in academic research but is integrated within a product team. To fill this gap, we introduce the UX Research Scientist (UXRS) role that has been actively growing within Meta. As current UX Research Scientists with different research backgrounds, Madeline and Rose will highlight how a UXRS differs from other research roles, talk about the types of skills needed, and provide guidance for employers and researchers who may want to pursue this role.
Madeline Huberth,
UX Research Scientist at Meta
Rose Cooper,
UX Research Scientist at Meta

10:20 am –
10:45 am

Break

Sponsor Announcement

10:45 am –
11:10 am

Leading with Strategic Foresight

It can be challenging for UXRs to drive strategic decisions your organization needs to make. It always seems there’s never enough time to answer the big questions. But it can be done by spending just a few hours a week on the practice of strategic foresight. You can be the one facilitating key conversations, bringing the big insights, and helping set the direction of your team and company. In this talk, Sam walks us through incorporating strategic foresight into your every-day research practice.

Sam Ladner,
Author and Executive Director

11:10 am –
11:35 am

Researching Customer Journeys at Scale

We all know the importance of showing the right thing at the right time for users. But what if we could predict a user’s goal and adapt the experience in real time to meet their needs? In this talk, Jennifer will discuss how to level up your customer journey UX Research, so you can maximize your impact on the user and the business.
Jennifer Siedjak,
Director of UX Research at Tapestry

11:35 am –
12:00 pm

The Discipline of Hope: How to Not Lose Yourself in UXR

During this time together, Vivianne will explore the critical role of hope in UX Research against the backdrop of industry, personal, and societal hurdles and presents a framework for incorporating hope into research practices. This talk highlights how practitioners can foster hope and drive significant transformation by deeply understanding users, questioning current standards, and prioritizing a healthier relationship with self-care. Attendees can expect to leave this session with a rejuvenated dedication to weaving hope into their practice and with the tools to enhance their relationship with work, with others, and, above all, with themselves.
Vivianne Castillo,
Founder and CEO at HmntyCntrd

12:00 pm –
1:30 pm

LUNCH BREAK

Sponsor Announcement

Sponsor Announcement

Sponsor Announcement

1:30 pm –
1:55 pm

Putting AI to Work for UX Researchers

AI has impacted how we think about our jobs, our roles, and the future of our professional existence. But instead of living in the fear of being replaced, we have a unique opportunity to harness this evolving technology and leverage it to support, enhance, and accelerate the impact of human-centered research to a scale not possible before. In this talk, Christie will share how her research team at Autodesk customized AI models to do exactly just that.
Christie McAllister,
Director of Experience Research at Autodesk

1:55 pm –
2:20 pm

Insights to Income

User Research goes beyond enhancing experiences—it’s a powerful tool for boosting profitability and widening market share. This talk will show you how to link user insights with financial forecasts, revealing the tangible impact of product features on a company’s bottom line. Michael will draw from diverse case studies, ranging from streaming services to the aviation sector, to demonstrate practical strategies for leveraging User Research to achieve both standout user experiences and solid financial gains.
Michael Lombardo,
Independent Research Leader

2:20 pm –
2:45 pm

Efficiency Through Research Blueprints

In the face of mounting pressure to accomplish more with less, finding the next edge in productivity seems daunting. However, by adopting a bird’s-eye view of workflows and touchpoints, opportunities can be effectively mapped out. In this talk, Nicole will share her approach to gaining valuable strategies for identifying efficiency gaps, maximizing impact, and fostering team success.
Nicole Wright,
Director of Research at HoneyBook

2:45 pm –
3:10 pm

Break

3:10 pm –
3:35 pm

Make It Matter

Why does UX Research exist? In this talk, Marie will explore how to move beyond trying to do the perfect research to doing the most useful research for the situation. Learn how to land the “so what?” to make your insights actionable, deliver difficult findings in a constructive way, and more!
Marie Sbrocca,
UX Research Leader, Gemini at Google

3:35 pm –
4:00 pm

Bootstrapping Trust

The chaos of a low UX maturity organization or team often frustrates researchers who must establish a research practice. Trust in research accelerates when team members view each other as credible contributors. In this talk, Kristen will introduce a model to leverage strengths, outline tactics, and create a consensus-oriented research foundation.
Dr. Kristen Guth,
Senior User Researcher at Snowflake

4:00 pm –
6:00 pm

Happy Hour

Colette Kolenda Sr. Staff UX Researcher, Ads at Google
11:00 am

Welcome and host introduction

Colette Kolenda
Independent Research Leader

Tickets

Free
In-Person

Join us at the Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture in San Francisco.

Free
Livestream

Watch the event in real time with the entire research community.

This Event Is
Brought To You By

Title Sponsor

Make user insights available at the speed of product development

The user research platform that makes products work for people. Maze is trusted by more than 4,000 companies to help them build customer-centric products.

Book a demo

Research Week Sponsors

Make user insights available at the speed of product development

The user research platform that makes products work for people. Maze is trusted by more than 4,000 companies to help them build customer-centric products.

The leading community-centered research platform

The fastest and easiest way to conduct UX research with real users and inform smarter product decisions.

All your UX needs in one place

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The qual research platform you've always wanted

The most powerful qual research tool on the market. Run interviews, usability tests, and more with Lookback.

The fastest way to recruit quality participants for any kind of research

It’s the only tool that lets you source, screen, track, and pay participants from your own panel, or from our 4-million-strong network.

The Research Ops Platform

Don’t let Research Operations slow down product decisions. Talk to your users at scale with Rally’s Research Operations Platform.

Qualitative research conducted and analyzed by AI

Listen Labs empowers you to do more research than ever before, with AI powered concept tests, churn interviews, user testing and more. 

Conduct iterative AI-powered research with agency-quality rigor in less time—and at a fraction of the cost

With Suzy’s consumer insights platform, you can research, learn, and pivot with data-backed conviction. Always-on access to insights means you can ask more, guess less, and move at the speed of culture.

Forsta powers the HX (Human Experience) Platform

A comprehensive technology solution for experience measurement, data analytics, and insights. Purpose built for market research teams, Research HX streamlines workflows with best in class data collection tools, sample management, advanced analytics and AI-driven insights.

Single Event Sponsors

BuildUX - Change Your UX Game Forever

A modern UX suite that turns insights into action, and keeps them accountable. Create live, collaborative Journey Maps, Personas, UI Reviews, DILO, Red Routes, and more. No more research lost in PDFs, trace every decision back to real user understanding.

The original AI-moderated research platform

Get the depth of an interview at the speed and scale of a survey. Let AI lead and synthesize video interviews, usability tests, concept testing sessions, and much more. Trusted by brands like WeightWatchers, Nestle, Hubspot, and more.

Understand your users. Build better experiences

Easily collect in-the-moment user sentiment and behavior, instantly analyze it with Sprig AI, and make smarter recommendations in less time.

BCS delivers the UXR resourcing agility you need

Our customizable model provides access to top talent who seamlessly integrate into your teams’ workflows. From whole teams to individual talent; our resources, your scale.

With AI and UXR Sponsor

The original AI-moderated research platform

Get the depth of an interview at the speed and scale of a survey. Let AI lead and synthesize video interviews, usability tests, concept testing sessions, and much more. Trusted by brands like WeightWatchers, Nestle, Hubspot, and more.

Book a demo