Balancing user needs with technological capabilities in product development | Amanda Di Dio | #63

In this field notes episode, Petra Rajkov reflects on her conversation with Joel Barr and outlines the lessons she is applying to her own user research practice. She examines why getting out into the field and observing users in their own environment remains key for teams building software, which business metrics demonstrate the research value better than CSAT and NPS, and why she shares Joel's view that AI can support researchers but should not replace the people at the center of the work.

Deniz Kartepe, a product researcher at Miro, reflects on the most prominent changes AI is bringing to product development and UX research. He explores how agentic AI transforms the speed and quality of research, reshapes organizational culture and collaboration within teams, and redefines the skills the next generation of researchers will need. Deniz also advocates a distinctive view of the product lifecycle: bottlenecks never disappear, they simply shift from building to discovery and alignment, which gives researchers greater influence over what gets built in the first place.

Mujaahida Shakur, a behavior scientist and UX researcher with a background in public health and experience at Amazon Web Services, reflects on her journey into UX research and the challenge of translating a nontraditional career path into a compelling professional story. She explores career pivots, resume language, AI in hiring and research, inclusive recruitment, and the realities of navigating today’s job market. She also explains how she turned networking into a research project and how her curiosity turned career conversations into opportunities for learning, self-discovery, and genuine connection. UPD: During the editing process of this episode, Mujaahida was hired at the SteerBridge as a User Experience Researcher. We wish her best of luck at her new company.

Angie Amlani, Executive Director of Strategy and Research at Metalab, talks about what it really takes to design AI-native products. She covers how UX researchers can navigate AI-specific challenges like user trust and ethics, stay rigorous while working at speed, and build stronger storytelling and systems-thinking skills. She also shares tips for using AI in research for running studies, synthesizing findings, and communicating insights to stakeholders, while keeping empathy at the center of UX research.

Joel Barr, a UX engineer and software creation professional, reflects on why we need to rethink the place of UX research within organizations, arguing that researchers have much greater impact when they sit under operations rather than product. He explores the decline of field research, the importance of connecting UX to sales and customer success teams, and the risks of overrelying on AI and synthetic participants. Joel also advocates for measuring UX through business outcomes such as revenue, retention, and operational success rather than product-centric metrics, debating that only by proving its commercial impact can UX secure its future.