How research and product teams can create mission-critical products and confident bets

Synopsis

A deep understanding of user needs is a crucial foundation of Product Excellence and products make a difference when built with a diverse set of perspectives. User research is a critical role that can deeply influence and help teams build better products and innovate in challenging times.

In this fireside chat, we’ll talk with Gregg Bernstein, Director of User Research at Hearst Magazines and author of Research Practice: Perspectives from UX researchers in a changing field about his learnings working day-to-day in the practice itself and we’ll discuss:

• The different roles and teams user researchers might work with and how product and research can best work together and build a strong partnership and working relationship that benefits the customer and the product

• How research and product teams can best work together to make strong product bets, and drive customer retention, adoption and growth

• How research can work cross-functionally to 10x product teams and product outcomes, build research methodologies, and best share research findings with colleagues and stakeholders

• How to lean into the messy bits and overcome challenges — from advocating for change to partnering around the customer

Afterwards we’ll open things up for Q&A and you’ll have a chance to ask Gregg your questions — from either a research or product perspective. We’ll also be giving away three copies of Gregg’s book to attendees.

Our speaker

Gregg is the director of user research for Hearst Magazines, where he connects the worlds of content creation and consumption. Previously he managed innovative research practices at Condé Nast (The New Yorker, WIRED, Vogue, Pitchfork, Bon Appétit), Vox Media (Vox, The Verge, Polygon, Eater), and Mailchimp. He also taught design, branding, and typography at Georgia State University. In a previous life, he created album covers for punk and emo bands, and designed for clients in the music and advertising industries. 

Gregg studied journalism at the University of Georgia, and earned his MFA in graphic design from the Savannah College of Art & Design, where he focused on user experience research and design. He lives with his family in Athens, Georgia, where he enjoys long, quiet trail runs around the state botanical gardens.