rethink.fm

Listen in to this insightful conversation with Sarah Fruy, a seasoned marketing leader with 20 years of experience, who discusses her transition to a fractional CMO and her consultancy, Resonance Marketing. She emphasizes the importance of a solid data foundation for personalization, highlighting the need for good data hygiene and scalable content. Sarah shares her approach to personalization, focusing on core messaging and user journeys, and the role of AI in automating content recommendations and chatbots. She stresses the importance of maintaining authenticity and human connection, even with AI tools. Sarah also discusses the challenges and benefits of AI adoption, including the need for clear governance and the potential for increased creativity and efficiency.

In this episode my special guest, Rho Lall, an AI analytics engineer, discuss his role in helping executives cut through noise and amplify leadership by bringing clarity to complex problems. He emphasizes the importance of data in AI, likening it to a left tackle protecting the quarterback. We also discuss the need for a clear AI strategy, starting with understanding current data maturity and monetization steps.

Today’s special guest, Jessica Talisman, is an Information Architect with over 25 years of experience shaping enterprise architectures, taxonomies, ontologies, and knowledge systems across industries. With a Masters in Library and Information Science and a MicroMasters in Design Thinking, she brings deep expertise in building information frameworks that enhance user experiences, support business goals, and power machine learning. We are having a passionate discussion about data clarity, knowledge sharing, and innovation in this enterprise area.

In this episode, I sit down with career coach Carmelina Piedra to talk about what really drives career growth and business success. We explore her coaching services that span job seeking, career development, and business support, and why networking delivers far better results (a whopping 70–80%) compared to just sending out applications (only about 10%). Carmelina shares how she tailors her coaching for individuals and groups, including job-seeking cohorts, and breaks down the mix of people she supports: job seekers, proactive career builders, and even businesses and fellow coaches. We also dive into why tracking metrics and outcomes matters so much for long-term growth. Plus, Carmelina introduces her new venture, designed to help coaches launch and scale their practices. If you enjoy these conversations with industry leaders and Super ICs, support the podcast by becoming a sponsor, learn more, and help future-proof your career/teams: Contact Cathi Bosco Related interesting reads or resources Individuals | Career Coaching Pro Businesses | Career Coaching Pro Coaches | Career Coaching Pro 1:1 personalized coaching The free job seeking cohort (pay only after you receive an offer, which is 3% of the annualized salary: https://www.careercoachingpro.com/cohort-group-options Forbes Blog Client recommendations on Carmelina's LinkedIn Client reviews on Career Coaching Pro Website (pulled from LinkedIn): https://www.careercoachingpro.com/reviews Interviewsby.ai Watch this episode on YouTube

In this conversation, Pavel Samsonov, a Problem Designer, discusses the importance of problem scoping and definition in design, criticizing the linear approach of the Double Diamond model. He emphasizes the need for reflection and feedback loops in the design process, advocating for a more strategic and continuous learning-first approach. We also critique the misguided emphasis on Design Thinking and the democratization of research, arguing for a more integrated and collaborative approach to design within organizations. You may know Pavel Samsonov's work through his writing. He publishes a newsletter called Product Picnic - go subscribe today! It’s important work. I’m very grateful to be able to amplify his strategic message as we recorded this episode together. If you enjoy these conversations with industry leaders and Super ICs, support the podcast by becoming a sponsor, learn more, and help future-proof your career/teams: Contact Cathi Bosco Related interesting reads or resources Product Picnic Newsletter Pavel Samsonov Ha Phan Rob Snyder Cathi Bosco Watch this episode on YouTube

"In essence, we're bridging the chasm between scattered insights and meaningful outcomes." Join me and my special guest, Dwayne King, Founder and CEO of Rutabaga, as we discuss a pervasive challenge, the fragmentation and misalignment within product teams. With over two decades in product development and experience transformation, Dwayne has mastered the intricacies of human-centered innovation, UX design, and research. Rutabaga serves as the pivotal System of Action, unifying teams around authentic customer needs and ensuring the accelerated delivery of products that truly resonate. I am an advocate of Knowledge Graphs in research discovery, so we'll reflect on the state of the technology, including challenges and opportunities with AI. If you enjoy these conversations with industry leaders and Super ICs, support the podcast by becoming a sponsor, learn more, and get involved: Contact Cathi Bosco Related interesting reads or resources Rutabaga Dwayne King - LinkedIn Judd Antin - The UX Research Reckoning is Here Watch this episode on YouTube

My special guest is Nikki Anderson, who helps User Researchers go from overlooked to indispensable. You can work with Nikki to sharpen your strategy, communicate your impact, and influence decision-making. We're pulling back the curtain today and recording our very first conversation together. Nikki Anderson, a User Researcher with 11+ years of experience, shares nine impact formulas for UX research. The 9 Practical UX Research Impact Formulas help teams unlock less familiar impact areas where we can measure the impact of our work. We also discuss challenges in AI research, including stakeholder buy-in and the importance of leveling tactical research to strategic. Action Items: Follow up on the Trust Value Management and Trust Coherence Algorithm resource mentioned. Use the document, which includes the 9 user research impact formulas and examples. Explore ways to start small when expanding research to new user segments, such as conducting usability tests with an elderly population. If you enjoy these conversations with industry leaders and Super ICs, support the podcast by becoming a sponsor, learn more, and get involved: Contact Cathi Bosco Related interesting reads or resources The 9 Practical UX Research Impact Formulas to Use Nikki's Substack and community - The User Research Strategist Research advice that doesn’t sound like it was written by a chatbot with a LinkedIn addiction Actual strategies to influence product decisions (instead of shouting into the void) Tools, templates, and real-talk examples from someone who’s done the job, screwed it up, fixed it, and made it work A community that knows what it’s doing and isn’t just here to drop “it depends” into the chat Trustable.tv Interview with the team behind the Trust Coherence Algorithm Podcast available on YouTube

You will not want to miss this conversation, trust me. Rachel Maron and Sabino Marquez discussed their work on operationalizing trust and the importance of trust in business. Rachel, co-founder and CEO of Trust Value Management, emphasized the need for trust to be measurable and scalable. Sabino, Chief Innovation Officer of Trustable, introduced the Trust Coherence Algorithm, which he invented, which models trustworthiness as a predictive financial asset. They highlighted the emotional supply chain, the impact of trust on UX, and the importance of trust in customer relationships. We also discussed the role of trust in attracting top talent, reducing churn, and the long-term benefits of maintaining trust. Action Items: Explore the Trustable.tv website and schedule a call with Rachel Maron. Integrate Trust Personas into go-to-market planning for the CRO, CMO, and CPO. GitHub Reinterpret the "security backlog" as "trust work" that needs to be prioritized. If you enjoy these conversations with Industry leaders and Super ICs, support the podcast by becoming a sponsor, learn more, and get involved: Contact Cathi Bosco Related interesting reads or resources Trustable.tv The Slow Leak: How Trust Erodes in Digital Environments Plenty.ag Buffer.com Schedule a conversation with Rachel and Sabino What Makes an Experience Seem Innovative? - Jared Spool Podcast available on YouTube

In this episode, I’m joined by Joshua Marowitz, Staff Product Designer at OneSignal, to unpack key takeaways from Figma’s Config 2025. We dive into quality and craft in human-centric design, and how AI is shaking up the design world, sparking excitement and unease across teams. We also explore today’s biggest challenges in design and product development, and highlight standout moments from the conference, including John Lepore’s vision for designing optimistic futures and Keegan McNamara’s bold take on the “maximalist theory of minimalism.” It's a rich conversation full of insight and inspiration, don’t miss it. If you enjoy these conversations with Super ICs, support the podcast by becoming a sponsor, learn more and get involved: Email: Cathi Bosco Related interesting reads or resources The maximalist theory of minimalism with Keegan McNamara Designing positive futures with John LePore Joshua Marowitz: LinkedIn Config 2025: Crafting quality that endures with Karri Saarinen OneSignal Podcast available on YouTube

WPCampus is launching a major research initiative, “The State of WordPress in Higher Education,” in partnership with Human Made. Join the conversation to explore the current landscape of WordPress in higher ed, uncover key challenges and opportunities, and gain insights into how web teams are shaping the digital future of academia. Project timeline and deliverables May 2, 2025: Launch the survey May 23, 2025: Close the survey July 10, 2025:Presentation webinar on key findings from the survey You will receive an invite upon completion of the survey July 14, 2025: Publication of findings report Rachel Cherry founded WPCampus in 2015 and has spent most of her career in higher education. The survey aims to gather insights on how people use WordPress in higher education today, and we hope listeners will take the time to fill it out to help the community. Related interesting reads or resources Complete the survey: https://wpcampus.typeform.com/wpinhighered Learn more: WPCampus Research Human Made Agency Slack Group: wordcampus.slack.com

The UX/AI Coop is a response to the rapid introduction of AI into the world of User Experience. It is similar to the UXPA or IXDA, but with the major difference being an invitation for developers, data scientists, and product managers to create a larger community. It’s a true cooperative in that we need everyone to contribute to form an open-source marketplace. The UX/AI Cooperative being launched by Kevin Schumacher, Jonathan Kempf, and a few others who share the same vision and understand the same world need. "Over the last couple of years there’s been a universal shift happening in the world of design, and most UX practitioners were too busy building prototypes and design systems in Figma to realize it was bleeding into our world. There’s a lot of work to do to build a non-profit organization, but we already have many people interested in helping build our initial infrastructure." - Co-founder, Kevin Schumacher AI is just raw power and potential right now, but that potentials too tempting and too enabling, because it lacks any real control or rules. From our community comes the only practitioners of a craft that focuses entirely on how technology affects human beings, and keeps their humanity sacrosanct. Being sensitive to human empathy couldn’t possibly be more important than it is at this moment. It’s a moment of reckoning for us. - UX/UI Cooperative NOTE: As the podcast grows, I’m also looking for sponsors who believe in thoughtful design, emerging tech, and meaningful conversations. If that sounds like you or your brand, let’s talk! Related interesting reads or resources Slack Groups: aiforux.slack.com Communites: Some discord servers for creatives, but we are seeing a lack of cohesive community discussion around Design and AI. Midjourney Discord Server: https://discord.com/invite/midjourney This server is a hub for exploring AI-generated visual arts, with members discussing techniques and tools for image creation. Kaiber Discord Community: https://discord.com/invite/kaiber This community supports users in creating unique images from textual descriptions, offering guidance and inspiration. OpenArt AI: https://openart.ai/create This platform is focused on AI-native social expression and entertainment, offering a new paradigm for art creation, according to their Discord server. Recraft Discord AI Bot: https://discord.com/invite/recraft This bot allows users to generate AI art in Discord by using descriptive text prompts to create original images, vector art, illustrations, and 3D graphics. Book(s): uxGPT: Mastering AI Assistants for User Experience Designers and Product Managers - Patrick Neeman Generative AI for Everyone: A Practical Guidebook - Preston McCauley People: Patrick Neeman Scott Dickie is an early tool creator using GPT like a madman Kshitij Agrawal - founder of AIverse Preston McCauley - Director of AI & Emerging Technologies, Professor at SMU Website UX/AI Coop link: https://uxaicoop.com UX for AI: https://www.uxforai.com/ (Recommend) AIverse: https://aiverse.design/ (largest library of AI-UX interactions, run by Kshitij Agrawal) AI research in real time: https://epoch.ai/ Kevin's tools: Gemini Suite using Vertex for imagery Hailou https://hailuoai.video/create Magic Patterns https://www.magicpatterns.com/ (love it - exports to Figma) UXPIlot - https://uxpilot.ai/ (More Figma goodness) Subframe - https://www.subframe.com/ (big fan) Ontology https://github.com/ozekik/awesome-ontology A curated list of ontology things. Your contribution is welcome!

We are discussing the evolving landscape of AI in UX research, emphasizing the importance of adapting to new tools and methodologies. John Whalen, PhD, is propelling professionals and businesses into the future through the potential of AI to streamline research processes, reducing a seven-week study to seven days. We share insights from his course, which covered prompt engineering, AI-moderated interviews, and Agents (synthetic users). He notes the skepticism among researchers but stressed the benefits of AI in scaling and cost-saving. Whalen also addresses ethical considerations and the need for researchers to embrace AI while maintaining a real human connection. We are excited about the potential for multi-agent systems and discuss the importance of security in AI tools. John's courses empower professionals and businesses to: Learn better prompt engineering techniques. Try AI-moderated interview tools and understand their capabilities and limitations. Explore and experiment with AI-powered synthesis and data interrogation tools to scale research efforts. Investigate the potential of synthetic users and agents to guide research and product development. Develop a research plan that incorporates a mix of human-led and AI-assisted research methods. As the podcast grows, I’m also on the lookout for sponsors who believe in thoughtful design, emerging tech, and meaningful conversations. If that sounds like you or your brand, let’s talk! Related interesting reads or resources Maven Course AI for Customer Research Join John Whalen, PhD, to explore the future of customer research, AI-powered insights, and human-centered design. Whether it’s an AI + UX Coffee Talk or a Maven Lightning Lesson, each event sparks new ideas and gives you practical strategies to apply immediately. Design for How People Think - John Whalen, PhD User experience doesn’t happen on a screen; it occurs in the mind, and the experience is multidimensional and multisensory. This practical book will help you uncover critical insights about how your customers think so you can create products or services with an exceptional experience. YouTube Interviews with Founders from AI platforms and tooling for Customer Research Brilliant An agency with bespoke research services, founded by John Whalen, PhD. Join John Whalen, PhD, to explore the future of customer research, AI-powered insights, and human-centered design, whether it’s an AI + UX Coffee Talk or a Maven Lightning Lesson. Additional book recommendations: Co-Intelligence by Ethan Mollick Working and thinking with AI. Concepts of Centaur and Cyborg (different approaches to partnering with AI). A Brief History of Intelligence Thinking about how brains are designed and therefore how AI should be built. Thinking Fast and Slow A great book on how we think and our two systems of processing information.

In this quick (and slightly selfish) update, I’m excited to share that I’ll be publishing episodes more frequently. I’m also announcing some amazing upcoming guests—you won’t want to miss what they have to share. As the podcast grows, I’m also on the lookout for sponsors who believe in thoughtful design, emerging tech, and meaningful conversations. If that sounds like you or your brand, let’s talk! Related interesting reads or resources Design for How People Think - John Whalen PhD uxGPT: Mastering AI Assistants for User Experience Designers and Product Management Professionals - Patrick Neeman Supremacy: AI, ChatGPT, and the Race that Will Change the World - Parmy Olson

Jeremy Miller is a well-respected veteran Design leader many know from the popular podcast "Beyond UX Design". He is continuously empowering UX professionals with the soft skills that make them more effective. In this episode we are discussing his book Beyond UX Design - Master Your Craft Beyond Pixels & Prototypes. Jeremy's impact on individuals, organizations, and field of UX more broadly is increasingly impactful. He continues to inspire and educate through his podcast, consultancy work, and mentorship. This book is essential for all UX designers because, like Jeremy says, "you can't build great software without great relationships." In each chapter, experts also shared meaningful, real-world perspectives and valuable insights. Gift this book to every member of your team and join the conversation we recorded about the book. Related interesting reads or resources The Book - Beyond UX Design, Master Your Craft Beyond Pixels & Prototypes The Podcast - Beyond UX Design VUCA - The VUCA Concept Framework Sources: Bennett & Lemoine (2014) Expert contributors: Yaddy Arroyo Christopher Nguyen - UX Playbook Dan Winer - Design Career Guide Tim Yeo - The Quiet Achiever Tonja Barlow Thomas Wilson Mitchell Clements Dr. David Leitner, PhD

Join my conversation with web accessibility leader Natalie MacLees! Natalie has been working in web development and digital accessibility, for over 20 years. She is the co-founder and COO of a small software company NSquared focused on building accessible, user-friendly tools for small businesses. Throughout her career, she has remained a passionate advocate for accessibility and has made it her mission to train developers and designers to incorporate accessibility practices into their work. You should know that with Natalie's resources at AAArdvark for Accessibility, teams get a full accessibility platform that helps make auditing easier and faster while still maintaining high-quality work. AAArdvark does not offer a misleading quick-fix overlay, but rather offers tools for designers, developers, and accessibility professionals to quickly and easily identify, track, and fix accessibility issues on websites. Related interesting reads or resources Perform professional accessibility audits: Aaardvarkaccessibility.com Accessibility statement generator tool from WAI Software solutions for small businesses: NSquared.io Mule Design Ruined by Design - A design ethics and activism book by Mike Monteiro Just Enough Research - the 2024 Edition by Erika Hall Leaders of Awesomeness with Jared Spool

In this episode, we continue a critical conversation about the challenges we face together on computer science, ethics, and unintentional consequences with emerging technologies that lack defined purpose and regulations. Morten Rand-Hendriksen has published countless valuable courses on LinkedIn Learning reaching hundreds of thousands of viewers from all over the world. He also contributes to the web community as a public speaker, author, educator, developer, and design philosopher. Related interesting reads or resources Invite Morten to speak: Thinking out loud about the internet Code of Ethics for Bloggers, Social Media and Content Creators Recent Talk: Y OSLO - TO­WARDS VAL­UES AND ETHICS IN DE­SIGN AND TECH­NOL­O­GY Towards a Technoethics (Abstract) - Mario Bunge Your Face Belongs to Us: A Secretive Startup's Quest to End Privacy as We Know It - by Kashmir Hill

I am talking with Jessica Ivins about strengthening stakeholder relationships via UX research operations in this episode. Jessica is the Lead UX Researcher at The Predictive Index, overseeing research and research operations. She plans, conducts, and synthesizes strategic UX research projects that provide critical insights for organizational stakeholders. We've got some actionable professional strategies and resources to share too. Related interesting reads or resources An Essential Tool for Capturing Your Career Accomplishments by Jessica Ivins Leaders of Awesomeness - Dr. Leslie Jensen-Inman, Jared Spool, and the team at Center Centre – UIE launched Leaders of Awesomeness, an online community of more than 46,000 UX design, research, and content leaders - Free to join Thanks to Vitaly Friedman for the following useful links: How To Manage Challenging Stakeholders and Influence Without Authority (free eBook, 95 pages) (https://lnkd.in/e6RY6dQB), a practical guide on how to deal with difficult stakeholders, manage difficult situations and stay true to your product strategy. From HiPPOs (Highest Paid Person’s Opinion) to ZEbRAs (Zero Evidence But Really Arrogant). By Dean Peters. The Delicate Art of Interviewing Stakeholders, by Dan Brown https://lnkd.in/dW5Wb8CK Good Questions For Meetings With Stakeholders, by Lisa Nguyen, Cori Widen https://lnkd.in/eNtM5bUU UX Research Studies to Win Over Stubborn Stakeholders, by Lizzy Burnam 🐞 https://lnkd.in/eW3Yyg5k

In this episode, I am joined by special guest, Jared Spool! We are talking about transformational UX research and design strategies. We cover a lot of actionable insights and share a few laughs too. You will learn about how to evaluate the readiness and urgency required to make a maximum strategic UX impact within organizations, what actual leadership means, and how to improve future experiences with research-led, human-centric practices and more. If you and your design/product teams need weekly motivation and resources, join the Leaders of Awesomeness community or sign the team up for a deeper intensive. Lift up your career and your organization with an amazing knowledge base and uniquely thoughtful teacher, Jared Spool. Related interesting reads or resources Leaders of Awesomeness - Dr. Leslie Jensen-Inman, Jared Spool, and the team at Center Centre – UIE launched Leaders of Awesomeness, an online community of more than 46,000 UX design, research, and content leaders - Free to join The Evolution of a New UX Design Resolution - UIE - Deliver Better Design Advanced Approaches to UX Research - Intensive led by Jared Spool How to Win Stakeholders and Influence Decisions Program - Intensive led by Jared Spool Deconstructing Delight - by Dana Chisnell Walt Disney's Synergy Map - Napkin sketches from 1957 and 1967 by Walt Disney diagramming the company’s core strategy

Hey, everybody, it's Cathi Bosco from rethink.fm the forward-thinking podcast about experience design. Join me and special guests to discuss effective design, technology, and the intersection of helping people and entrepreneurship. From user experience research to product roadmaps. We've got you covered. The big news today is that I will officially be taking over the rethink.fm podcast, founded by Jackie D'Elia and then co-hosted by Jackie, Monique Dubbelman, and myself. Moving forward, I will be conducting one-on-one interviews with experienced professionals to gain insights into their practices, their projects, and their teams. Let's face it, design is a team sport, technology and user needs are continuously evolving and we can learn a lot from each other's experiences along the way. Since this episode is a transition episode each of us will answer a few questions and at the end of the podcast, I'll give some definitive insights into where we're headed moving forward. I hope you'll enjoy this episode. Thank you for joining. What does UX mean to you today, compared to early in your career?

It's been a while, but in this episode, we have a guest! And what a guest: Rian Rietveld, accessibility specialist at Level Level is joining us to talk about accessibility. We talk about the problem with accessibility overlays, educating people, and how we can help more people develop, design, and create content in a way it's accessible for everyone. Big take away: make it about themselves. Related interesting reads or resources Selfish accessibility - talk by Adrian Rosselli 6 tips for accessible web design - (UXATT blog) Accessibility isn't magic that comes from tools (UXATT blog) WP Engine partners with AudioEye Overlay Fact Sheet A11y-collective (accessibility courses by Rian Rietveld) Gravity Forms accessibility guide for developers Axe Dev tools Chrome extension