UX Soup

Friend of the podcast Dr. Santosh Basapur returns for a third time! On this episode, Dr. Basapur shares his thoughts on AI's impact on health care service design, including possible improvements in patient care, and the new challenges AI could introduce.

As robotaxis flood public roads, many groups continue to voice safety concerns. One ongoing challenge relates to how driverless cars interact with fire engines, ambulances, and law enforcement. In this special episode, Derek and Chris put on their “researcher hats” to moderate an interview / participatory design session with Christopher Dodge (a firefighter, EMT, and former UX researcher!) on best practices for robotaxis and first responders.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in the US more than 7000 pedestrians are killed each year and more than 71000 injured. According to the World Health Organisation, pedestrians represent over 20% of all road traffic deaths. In this episode we talk pedestrian (and cyclist) safety with Dr. Austin Angulo from the Transportation Research and Visualization Laboratory at the University at Buffalo. We discuss Dr. Angulo's research on vehicle-pedestrian communication and testing pedestrian and cyclist safety in virtual reality.

Like any UX or human factors research project, “digital transformation” (the integration/evolution of new tech to parts of a business) requires a strategic, human-centered approach. In this episode, we explore approaches for digital transformation, and the importance of change management during the process. We also discuss how the AI bubble has affected the field.In Condensed Soup, we share stories of “change management gone wrong.”

In this installment of our Spilt Soup series, exploring the reasons behind product and service failures, we review the spectacular faceplant of Sonos. In 2024 Sonos pushed a "courageous" (not our word) app update that broke several core features, not to mention its users' trust. We analyze how Sonos lost $600 million in market cap overnight, and what product teams can learn from this failure.In Condensed Soup, we cleanse our palette by sharing stories of app updates done right.

Tesla recently announced its intention to sunset manufacturing of its Model S and Model X cars, in favor of... robots? On this episode Lisa, Chris, and Derek break down the "why's" behind this decision, and the effects it could have on Tesla's legacy. In our Condensed Soup segment, the team discusses what we're naming our first humanoid robot, and where we're storing them in our homes.

Bryan Reimer, Ph.D., is a Research Scientist in the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics and co-author of the book "How to Make AI Useful: Moving Beyond the Hype to Real Progress in Business, Society and Life." Bryan discusses AI's current trajectory, its impact on transportation, jobs, creativity, and other areas of life. He discusses how to harness AI as a useful tool to fully realise AI's potential in a safe manner.

Every year the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas provides a glimpse into the strategies of automakers and suppliers. Derek walked the show floor to assess where the automotive world is headed. Join us as we discuss AI, new in-cabin experiences, Derek's robotaxi ride, and what was missing from this year's show. In Condensed Soup, Chris and Derek share their personal CES hacks.

Happy New Year! The stereotypical New Year's resolution is to work off all the weight gained over the holiday season, so in this first episode of 2026 it seemed appropriate to revisit the UX of fitness tech. We covered this topic back during the pandemic, so we look at how things have changed since then and where it still falls short. In Condensed Soup, we share our favourite sporting/fitness accomplishments.

As the holidays are upon us, it seems fitting to talk about one of the popular presents young people especially will be asking for: games. Join us on the last episode for 2025 as we discuss how UX research for gaming differs from other industries, how gaming UX has changed over the years, future trends, and most importantly, what games we are all playing at the moment.

In this extended episode of UX Soup, we talk with Professor Gary Burnett from Loughborough University, who is a pioneer in the use of immersive technology, especially social virtual reality, as a means to engage and teach Higher Education students in new and meaningful ways. We talk with Gary about two recently published research articles: one on hologram teachers and the other on utilising virtual worlds for team-building exercises.

The first instalment of Spilt Soup, which breaks down UX reasons for spectacular product and service failures. Where better to start than Quibi? In 2020 Quibi was launched with massive financial backing as a streaming service to compete with Netflix and other video streaming platforms. But after only 8 months it was gone. We analyse what went wrong from a UX perspective and lessons that can be learned.In Condensed Soup we discuss our biggest UX research wins.

A recent study out of Dongchedi in China evaluated how effectively 36 cars handled 15 obstacles in both highway and urban settings. We discuss the results of the study, the strengths and weaknesses of it, and what it means for safety and human factors in the design of these systems. In Condensed Soup, we share our most proudest or most memorable research findings.

In this episode, we discuss fake people. No, not people who pretend to be somebody they're not, but true fake people and their potential use in UX research. AI-powered participants? AI researchers? There are companies creating these fake participants for usage in product and market research, and we discuss the pros and cons. Then we contemplate other use cases for fake people, and Oprah and ABBA become involved. In Condensed Soup, we tell the one thing we would want our own fake double to carry out.

We are all aware of issues with data privacy on the internet and on your mobile devices, but how aware are you about the data being collected from your car? We discuss how this data is different from that of your other connected devices and how well automakers are protecting your data. We review a benchmarking report from Privacy4Cars which evaluates how effectively automakers honor your privacy rights.

Zoe is a personalized nutrition program which uses at-home tests and blood sugar monitoring to help users understand how their body responds to food and provide personalized dietary recommendations. Chris and Derek interview Lisa about her positive and negative experiences with Zoe, and what she would change for future releases. In Condensed Soup, we discuss our favourite recent health care tech.

In this episode, we discuss an opinion piece written by Nick Hodges lamenting the decline of the user interface, providing our analysis of the main points regarding where UI has gone wrong and how we can fix it. In Condensed Soup, we discuss the most misused UX research phrases.

Make sure you stay to the end of the episode for a big announcement! But before that, Derek talks with Chris and Lisa about why he is part of the Tidbyt fan club. Tidbyt is a retro-style display that has a passionate core base but likely a limited future. For UX Soup, they discuss their favourite retro video game.

For years, automotive interior design has trended toward minimalism, which combined with smartphone and other tech trends has led automakers to move an ever increasing amount of functionality to the touchscreen. However, some automakers and regulators are pushing back. Join Chris, Derek, and Lisa as they discuss touchscreen design considerations, safety issues, and give their thoughts on the future of touchscreens in the car.

Last year, Human Factors and Ergonomics professionals from Delft University of Technology published a paper arguing that their field was losing credibility and significance. Join Chris, Derek, and Lisa (our three human factors professionals) as we discuss this article and the profession as a whole. Is the paper correct? What are the dangers facing our profession? What can be done to make it more impactful?

Can it be? Yes! UX Soup has returned with the original gang! Join Chris, Lisa, and Derek as they return to the mic to talk about the UX of ChatGPT and other large language models (LLMs). They discuss applications, its impact on UX research, and for Condensed Soup share their silliest AI experiences, with a singalong at the end.

This week, Lisa sits down with Serena Nüsing and Stéphanie Krus and their research project “Practitioner’s Stories” where they and their team volunteered their time to examine the needs of the service design community. Listen as we discuss some of their discoveries from the interviews they conducted with other professionals in the field and how the process itself impacted participants and indeed their own roles as service designers.Practitioner StoriesYou can follow the team on twitter at @PractitionerSt1The Practitioner Stories Team Contact InfoAngela Orviz, twitter - @ArtmadilloSerena Nüsing, twitter - @SerenaNusingStéphanie Krus, twitter - @StephanieKrusVinishree Verma, twitter - @VinishreeeSend us your thoughts and comments or ask us anything by emailing us at [email protected] on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

Today we really go beyond the buzzwords and discuss in full the buzzword of the year: the metaverse. Chris welcomes David MacQueen from Strategy Analytics to discuss what the metaverse is, why it is, what use cases it enables, how we will interact with it, and why augmented reality is the key to future metaverse adoption.SA's Metaverse researchDavid MacQueen on LinkedInSend us your thoughts and comments on the metaverse or ask us anything by emailing us at [email protected] on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

In-air gestures have been around for several years, from the Xbox Kinect to some smartphones and automotive. Join Chris and Diana as they discuss the UX of in-air gestures -- the foundational barriers gesture recognition faces, the use cases that consumers want, and issues to consider when designing them. In Condensed Soup, they discuss their favorite experience with in-air gestures.SA Research on gesturesSend us your thoughts and comments on in-air gestures or ask us anything by emailing us at [email protected] on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

It is long past due that gaming UX is discussed on UX Soup, so Chris rectifies that by welcoming Chirag Upadhyay, who is an industry analyst at Strategy Analytics focusing on PC and game consoles. They discuss gaming UX trends over the past few years, mobile gaming, and factors that will impact the gaming user experience in the future. Chirag Upadhyay on LinkedInChirag's researchSend us your thoughts and comments on gaming UX or ask us anything by emailing us at [email protected] on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

Diana and Lisa welcome back to the podcast Dr. Gary Burnett from the University of Nottingham. Gary started teaching graduate classes on the metaverse, and held their lectures in the virtual world of "Nottopia." Gary discusses the impetus behind Nottopia, how students responded, how social norms developed, and lessons learned along the way.Dr. Gary Burnett on LinkedInArticle by Gary on NottopiaSend us your thoughts and comments on the metaverse or ask us anything by emailing us at [email protected] on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

Join Lisa, Diana, and Chris as they discuss research from CHI 2021, where elderly participants co-created a virtual reality platform over a three year period. The team discuss the interesting learnings from this study such as is presence a priority in VR? What value did avatars add to elderly users' experiences of social interactions online and what can we learn from this research effort in the future? In condensed soup, find out the teams' aspirations for their own avatars.Avatar-Mediated Communication in Social VR: An In-Depth Exploration of Older Adult Interaction in An Emerging Communication PlatformCHI 2021CHI 2022Send us your thoughts and comments or ask us anything by emailing us at [email protected] on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

Certain streaming services are in the news lately for being burning through huge amounts of cash in a model that may not be sustainable in the long-term. Some of the issues they are facing have UX at their core. In this episode Lisa, Chris and Diana discuss these issues and what can be done to improve the video streaming experience. In Condensed Soup, they talk about their favorite streaming experiences.Send us your thoughts on improving the user experience for streaming services, or ask us anything by emailing us at [email protected] on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

Lisa welcomes Dr. Payal Ghatnekar from NHS England to the podcast. Dr. Ghatnekar studies the efficacy and effectiveness of immersive healthcare interventions in reducing patient pain and anxiety, improving patient experience and educational learning outcomes for self management and behaviour change. Lisa and Payal also discuss the challenges and successes when researching VR or AR in the healthcare setting.Dr. Ghatnekar on LinkedInLink to Dr. Ghatnekar's researchSA research on remote health and wellness monitoringSend us your thoughts on the user experience for healthcare or ask us anything by emailing us at [email protected] on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

The UX Service at the University of Edinburgh is an example of creating a more matrix-like structure and breaking down silos within an academic institution to create a more holistic experience for students and staff. In this episode, Chris welcomes Duncan Stephen who manages that group to discuss its origins, how a consultancy model works within academia, their projects and methods, and what universities need to think about if adopting this type of model.Duncan Stephen on LinkedInUser Experience Service at The University of EdinburghSend us your questions by emailing us at [email protected] on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

Once the stuff of science fiction, brain-computer interfaces have been gaining attention lately in part due to Neuralink, run by Elon Musk. Chris welcomes back Di O'Neill to discuss brain-computer interfaces, their applications in both the medical and consumer space, UX issues and concerns, and of course monkeys playing Pong. In Condensed Soup Di and Chris discuss whether they would ever use a brain-computer interface.Brain-Computer Interfaces: Vendor ProfilesBrain-Computer Interfaces: Consumer PerceptionsDi O'Neill on LinkedInSend us your thoughts on brain-computer interfaces, or ask us anything by emailing us at [email protected] on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

Chris welcomes special guest, UX Soup co-creator, and former co-host Derek Viita. Derek left to pursue other opportunities in 2021, so it seemed fitting to bring him back to discuss the job hunting process. Derek and Chris share their opinions on LinkedIn as a job hunting tool and provide tips on resumes, portfolios, and more. Derek on LinkedInSend us your thoughts on job hunting, or ask us anything by emailing us at [email protected] on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

Chris, Lisa, and Diana have been UX professionals for more years than they wish to admit. They have all seen how UX has evolved within organizations, how it is taught, and the lengths to which it has been emphasized. In this episode they discuss the evolution of the UX profession -- both the good and bad. In Condensed Soup, they share their favorite UX project or moment.Send us your thoughts on UX profession, share your favorite moments, or ask us anything by emailing us at [email protected] on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas was once again hampered by the pandemic. With Omicron surging, many companies pulled out while others scaled back their presence. Still, there were a lot of interesting developments from CES. Chris, Diana, and Lisa discuss some of the intriguing announcements in AR glasses, haptics, the automotive space, and healthcare, along with the future of CES and other in-person trade shows. In Condensed Soup they discuss each of their favorite CES products.SA reports on CES 2022: HMI AdvancementsAutomotive UXHealthcare UXBMW's color-changing carSend us your thoughts on CES or ask us anything by emailing us at [email protected] on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

Lisa sits down with Martin Ralfe from the Royal National Institute of Blind People, the Blind Since Birth Charity, and the Blind Dad Diaries podcast to discuss assistive technology and digital inclusion for the blind and visually impaired. Martin talks about his experiences in working inclusion into the design process as well as his favorite and least favorite assistive tech.Martin Ralfe on LinkedInRoyal National Institute of Blind PeopleBlind Since BirthBlind Dad Diaries PodcastSA Research on assistive tech for those with sight loss Send us your thoughts on designing for inclusion or ask us anything by emailing us at [email protected] on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

In 2021, UX Soup covered a whole host of topics, from areas we cover at work on a daily basis to ones we chose to cover to show how UX and user-centered principles are all around us. Chris recaps some of the memorable clips from 2021, including interviews with leading UX researchers along with banter from Lisa, Diana, and former co-host Derek covering the user experience in automotive, virtual reality, healthcare, and more.Thank you for listening! As always, you can ask us anything by emailing us at [email protected] on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

Smart home cameras, thermostats, locks, and other devices are supposed to make home life easier, but they can be misused in some very dark and disturbing ways. Chris, Lisa, and Diana talk about some of these cases of misuse and how UX researchers and designers can mitigate these situations.Send us your thoughts on the user experience of smart home tech or ask us anything by emailing us at [email protected] on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

We've all been there. Frustrated on the phone calling a customer service center after pressing "1" for this or "3" for that, only to see we have gone down the wrong path. These types of interactive voice response systems (IVRs) are notoriously annoying. Chatbots are supposed to make reaching customer service better, but have they? Who are they designing these systems for? How can they be made better? Are live text chats with agents better? In Condensed Soup, Lisa, Diana, and Chris discuss the one thing that can make dealing with customer service better.Send us your thoughts on the user experience of videoconferencing platforms or ask us anything by emailing us at [email protected] on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

Join Lisa as she sits down for a bumper episode of UX Soup with Irina Bolychevsky, (Director of Standards and Interoperability at NHSx) as they talk about the essential and challenging role of standardization in digital healthcare to combat interoperability issues and how the NHS is taking on the challenge so that digital information can seamlessly integrate across multiple departments, multiple processes, and multiple users.Irina Bolychevsky on LinkedInNHSxSend us your thoughts on interoperability in digital healthcare or ask us anything by emailing us at [email protected] on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

A couple of months ago we chatted with Joe Smyth about motion sickness - what causes it, how can we mitigate or recover from it, and also how we could measure it. In this episode we continue the discussion about aspects of passenger comfort, and the fact it will become a key User Experience issue and differentiator in future vehicles. In order to have this conversation, Chris and Diana have invited Dr. Cyriel Diels, deputy director of the Intelligent Mobility Design Centre at the Royal College of Arts in London. Join them to raise your knowledge on this multi-faceted concept!How do you feel about this living room on wheels concept which all the future AV designs seem to be converging towards? Let us know by emailing us at [email protected] on LinkedInChris on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

Are people tired of Zoom and other video conferencing platforms after overdosing during the lockdowns? Lisa, Chris and Diana got together to discuss the user experience of Zoom and other videoconferencing services, and how they foresee their future.Make sure you stay for Condensed Soup at the end, when they share some embarrassing experiences they have had using over Zoom, some of the funniest moments on UX Soup.Send us your thoughts on the user experience of videoconferencing platforms or ask us anything by emailing us at [email protected] on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

Thanksgiving is coming up in the US, and that means a lot of cooking for a lot of people. Join Chris, Lisa, and Diana as they look at the user experience of cooking for large groups. What are the special user needs for cooking a great Thanksgiving meal? Is the latest cooking tech meeting these needs? In Condensed Soup, the gang talks about their favorite or least favorite pieces of cooking tech.Send us your thoughts on the user experience of smart appliances or ask us anything by emailing us at [email protected] on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

Friend of the podcast Dr. Santosh Basapur returns to discuss a new equitable health care design project he is heading up, which tackles the biggest problems in how health care is provided for underserved communities from a UX perspective. Santosh talks to Chris about the progress of the project, methodologies being used, and shares some early anecdotes and findings.Seminar on Equitable Health Care DesignSantosh Basapur on UX Soup: Healthcare UXSA research on remote health and wellness monitoringSend us your thoughts on the user experience for healthcare or ask us anything by emailing us at [email protected] on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

These are exciting times in digital health, with consumers having greater access to devices that can assess their physical and mental health and medical practitioners having more connected devices at their disposal to prescribe to patients. Lisa takes Chris through the current landscape of remote health monitoring, addressing stakeholder needs, and the main user experience issues faced. In Condensed Soup they discuss the future health monitoring feature which peaks their interest.Lisa's Research on Remote Health MonitoringSend us your thoughts on the user experience for digital health or ask us anything by emailing us at [email protected] on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

The genealogy site MyHeritage has a feature where they can animate the pictures of your ancestors, while apps like Tokking Heads and Reface allow you to do the same with any photo. This leads down the dangerous road to deep fakes where you might not be able to tell a true video from a manufactured one. Chris, Lisa, and Diana tackle this topic, discussing the UX of face swapping and photo animating services, the role of UX designers in mitigating misuse, and whether there are additional use cases. In Condensed Soup, they each share the film or use case to which they would swap their faces.Send us your thoughts on photo animating, face swapping, and deep fakes, or ask us anything by emailing us at [email protected] on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

Communication is primarily done through text, but with so many messaging services being used in different regions for different use cases, there is bound to be fragmentation. Lisa, Diana, and Chris discuss the current state of messaging, the various services they use, and the issues they encounter. In Condensed Soup, they discuss their best and worst messaging experiences.Send us your thoughts on messaging, or ask us anything, by emailing us at [email protected] on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

Visualisation and mental rehearsal are training techniques widely used in the sports field to reduce anxiety, build confidence and improve concentration, as well as to overcome potential problems and improve performance. But did you know that these techniques could be used to improve performance in other fields, such as aviation and medicine?Having deeply studied the topic and applied it when she worked with the All Blacks and the New Zealand Olympic Teams, and then with pilots and air traffic controllers around the world, Dr. Anne Isaac is the ideal person to share her knowledge about visualisation, situation awareness and mental rehearsal.Send us your ideas for the application of visualisation and mental rehearsal or ask us anything by emailing us at [email protected] Isaac, PhD on LinkedInChris on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

Chris and Diana have had plenty of exposure to online selling, especially with Facebook Marketplace. However, Lisa has some qualms about online selling. Join them to find out what they have enjoyed, especially when compared to other secondhand selling platforms and traditional offline methods, and the nuisances that could be ironed out for an even greater experience.Send us your best, worst or weirdest secondhand shopping experience, or ask us anything, by emailing us at [email protected] on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

Our interview with Dr Bryan Reimer continues as he talks with Chris and Diana about the challenges of setting realistic targets to globally reduce auto fatalities, how to support drivers to make better moment-to-moment decisions, continuous driving education, and camera based Driving Monitoring Systems.Dr Bryan ReimerSA Research on Self Driving VehiclesAVT ConsortiumBryan's call for a collaborative mandate in DMSQuestions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

New vehicles are increasingly outfitted with advanced technology that is poorly communicated to the consumer and even to the dealer. Chris and Diana sit down with Dr Bryan Reimer from MIT about how mental models of ADAS system designers and users do not overlap. In his opinion -and we at Strategy Analytics agree with him-, we need to work together and we need to use real world data to a greater degree, as they do at the Advanced Vehicle Technology (AVT) Consortium.Dr Bryan ReimerSA Research on Self Driving VehiclesAVT ConsortiumA model for naturalistic glance behavior around Tesla Autopilot disengagementsDriver behavior and the use of automation in real-world drivingQuestions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice