Insights Unlocked

Episode web page: https://bit.ly/4rZmjXj

Episode summary: In this episode of Insights Unlocked, Nathan Isaacs sits down with Dave Kerry Davies, UserTesting’s Global Value Engineering Director, to tackle one of the most persistent challenges facing research and insights teams: proving ROI.

Drawing on conversations with more than 500 organizations, Dave shares a surprising pattern—most teams don’t struggle with complex financial modeling; they simply fail to measure ROI at all. The result? A “PR problem” for research teams, where executives call for customer-centricity but don’t clearly see the financial impact of insights work.

Dave breaks down four core value drivers—business growth, faster innovation, reduced operational costs, and risk mitigation—and explains how teams can translate customer experience improvements into measurable business outcomes. Through practical examples (from digital banking to municipal websites), he shows how reducing friction, shifting research earlier in the product lifecycle, and aligning with executive priorities can directly impact revenue, cost savings, and strategic decision-making.

The conversation also explores how framing insights through executive empathy—understanding what makes a great day for your boss—can transform internal conversations, reduce political friction, and earn research a true seat at the table. Dave offers simple, actionable advice for teams just getting started: track your work, state your assumptions, collaborate cross-functionally, and iterate on your ROI story over time.

You’ll learn:

Why failing to measure ROI creates a visibility and credibility gap for research teams

The four value drivers that connect insights work to executive priorities

How to quantify friction in customer journeys and tie it to revenue and cost impact

Why “shifting left” reduces rework and increases product success

How executive empathy can improve alignment and reduce internal politics

Practical first steps to start building your own ROI model

Resources & links:

How to measure UX ROI and impact (https://www.usertesting.com/blog/how-measure-ux-roi-and-impact)

The ROI of consumer insights when building digital finance products (https://www.usertesting.com/blog/roi-consumer-insights-when-building-digital-finance-products)

Dave Kerry on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-kerry/)

Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)

Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

Episode web page: https://bit.ly/4baZCZ9

Episode summary

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, host Blair Fraser sits down with Andrew Ackermann, VP of Product Design at Samsara, to explore what it really takes to design technology for frontline workers—the people powering the physical economy.

Andrew shares how his early exposure to design shaped his career, and why he was drawn to building AI-powered tools for industries like transportation, logistics, and field operations. From ride-alongs with truck drivers to observing mechanics at work, he explains why designing for the frontline requires deep humility, real-world immersion, and a relentless focus on eliminating friction.

The conversation dives into the hidden complexity of physical operations, the challenge of replacing paper-based systems with truly better digital tools, and why “elegance” is a guiding principle for creating experiences that feel seamless—even in gritty, unpredictable environments. Andrew also reflects on his transition from Google to Samsara, the difference between designing for moments that matter versus mission-critical daily workflows, and how AI is accelerating product development while raising the bar for quality and value.

You’ll learn:


Why field research and in-person observation uncover insights remote research can’t


How frontline workers often create their own “workarounds”—and what that reveals about product gaps


What it means to design tools that are truly better than paper and pencil


Why elegance, humility, and curiosity are essential for enterprise product design


The difference between high-volume consumer design and mission-critical B2B software


How rapid prototyping and tight feedback loops drive adoption and trust


The role AI will play in accelerating product development—and the challenge of cutting through the noise

Resources & links

Andrew Ackermann on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/anackermann/)

Learn more about Samsara (https://www.samsara.com/)

Watch Samsara’s Beyond 2025 conference highlights (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtUxSK4AhAdaFEzqudt-uYIXZUAKpwEkW&si=sjVFJmMweDQ4NoZY)

Blair Fraser on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrblairfraser/)

Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)

Learn more about Insights Unlocked https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

Episode web page: https://bit.ly/4sg3a3k

Episode summary:

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, Jason Giles sits down with Andrew Hogan, who leads insights at Figma, to explore what the future of design looks like as AI reshapes product development.

Drawing from Figma’s State of Design 2026 report and recent hiring research, Andrew shares why more people than ever are participating in design—and what that means for craft, quality, and leadership. With 60% of new Figma files created by non-designers, design is becoming shared infrastructure across organizations.

Andrew and Jason unpack the tension between speed and confidence in AI-enabled workflows, debating whether craft is about polish, problem solving, or something deeper. They explore why taste and discernment matter more in a world where you can generate 30 design variations in seconds—and how leaders must define what “good” looks like if they want to scale quality.

The conversation also dives into hiring trends, the growing demand for senior designers who can navigate complexity, and the importance of strong design systems as more cross-functional teams begin prototyping. Ultimately, the episode reframes AI not as a replacement for designers, but as an accelerator that increases the need for thoughtful validation, customer understanding, and clear decision-making.

You’ll learn:


Why AI makes taste and discernment more important—not less


What the State of Design 2026 reveals about craft and hiring trends


Why speed is increasing faster than confidence


How design systems help scale quality across teams


What leaders should define before scaling AI-driven workflows


How to avoid false confidence when using AI prototypes


Why design is becoming infrastructure inside modern organizations

Resources & links:


Andrew Hogan on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahhogan/)


Figma State of Design 2026 report (https://www.figma.com/reports/state-of-the-designer-2026/)


IDC study on the growing design workforce (https://www.figma.com/blog/idc-design-population-study/)


Jason Giles on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaygiles/)


UserTesting’s latest report: Defensible Design in the Age of AI (https://www.usertesting.com/resources/reports/defensible-design-in-the-age-of-ai)


Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)


Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

Episode web page: https://bit.ly/4tH0nSl

Leading without the title: The real power of the staff designer

What does it take to grow your impact as a designer—without becoming a manager?

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, host Jason Giles sits down with Catt Small, staff product designer, game maker, and author of The Staff Designer, to unpack the evolving role of senior individual contributors in design organizations.

Catt shares her unconventional journey from creating digital dress-up dolls as a kid to shaping products at Etsy and Asana—and how those experiences shaped her perspective on leadership, influence, and creative confidence.

At the heart of the conversation: a mindset shift. Moving from being told what to design to diagnosing what matters most.

What you’ll learn in this episode


The misunderstood role of the staff designer: Catt explains why the staff-level IC role often feels ambiguous—and how influence, not authority, becomes your primary tool. She breaks down what “building influence” actually means in practice and why it’s more intentional than mystical.


Invisible work and strategic impact: From relationship building to cross-team alignment, much of a staff designer’s impact happens behind the scenes. Catt explores how to prioritize the work that truly moves the business forward—and avoid getting stuck in “glue work” that doesn’t drive career growth.


From craft to communication: Design leadership at the IC level requires a shift from pixel perfection to clarity of thinking. Catt shares why low-fidelity diagrams and conceptual artifacts often create better alignment than polished UI—and how to coach teams away from jumping into high fidelity too soon.


Navigating politics with integrity: If you’ve ever felt “allergic to politics,” this conversation reframes the idea. Catt explains how understanding motivations, fears, and power dynamics is less about manipulation—and more about empathy, curiosity, and emotional intelligence.


Managing energy like a product: Influence takes energy. Catt shares practical strategies for auditing your calendar, designing your workweek intentionally, and partnering with your manager to balance short-term execution with long-term strategy.


AI as a tool, not a replacement: AI is another tool in the designer’s toolkit—but you’re still the creative director. Catt discusses how to use AI to accelerate research and exploration without outsourcing your thinking or critical judgment.

A key takeaway: Leadership is a mindset

One of the most powerful themes in this episode is confidence. Staff-level designers aren’t waiting for permission—they step into leadership by trusting their experience, sharing their perspective, and partnering across the organization.

As Catt reflects, the transition is uncomfortable at first. But the shift from execution to influence starts with believing you belong in the room.

Resources & links


Catt Small on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/cattsmall/)


Catt’s website (https://cattsmall.com/)


Catt’s Maven page (https://maven.com/catt-small/staff-designer)


The Staff Designer book page — 20% off with code UserTesting until Feb 28, 2026 (https://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/the-staff-designer/)


Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)


Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

Episode web page: https://bit.ly/4k9H4fT

Episode summary:

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, design and research leaders from TruStage share how they transformed UX research from an inconsistent, ad-hoc effort into a scalable, trusted practice embedded directly within their design team. Through a creative “cookbook” framework, the team built shared standards, accelerated time to insights, and increased stakeholder confidence—without sacrificing flexibility or creativity.

What you’ll learn

Why TruStage shifted from siloed research teams to an embedded UX research model

How a visual “cookbook” system helped standardize research without making it rigid

The power of shared language and artifacts to build stakeholder trust and buy-in

How repeatable research “meal plans” enabled faster pivots and better decision-making

What it takes to scale research volume while improving quality and consistency

Key themes and ideas

From potluck to practice. The TruStage team describes their early research approach as a “potluck”—rich in individual expertise but lacking consistency. By designing a shared system, they moved toward a polished, repeatable research practice that stakeholders could rely on.

The research cookbook framework. Using food metaphors, the team created:


Recipes for designers and researchers that explain how to run specific studies


Menus for stakeholders that clearly outline value, effort, and outcomes


Meal plans that bundle methods together across stages of the product lifecycle

This framework helped align internal teams and external partners around expectations, scope, and impact.

Embedding research into everyday workflows. By building the system directly in Figma and connecting it to their agile tooling, TruStage made research easy to plan, prioritize, and execute—removing friction that previously slowed teams down.

Scaling impact through trust and clarity. Clear artifacts and shared standards made research easier to explain, faster to approve, and more likely to be requested. As a result, the team more than doubled the number of research stories completed year over year and shifted from “selling” research to responding to demand.

Empowering teams through co-creation. Rather than dictating a process from the top down, the team involved designers across experience levels in shaping the system. This created stronger ownership, higher adoption, and a culture where research felt both accessible and fun.

Advice for teams operationalizing research

Lean into tools your team already loves and uses daily

Invest time in shared philosophy and language—not just templates

Co-create systems with the people who will use them

Treat research operations as an evolving practice, not a one-time deliverable

Resources & links

TruStage’s website (https://www.trustage.com/)

Nick Higbee on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-higbee-95540425/)

Benny Brooks on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebenbrooks/)

Betsy Drews on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/betsy-drews-4a30256b/)

Natalie Padilla on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-weiner/)

Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)

Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast