🧠 Motivation vs. Manipulation + 💬 Interview Users Without It Getting Weird

This week, 👀 Interviewing Without It Getting Weird, ⚖️ Motivation vs. Manipulation, and 🚫 Stop Quoting Henry Ford! Plus, check out our People of Research member interview from 🇩🇪 Berlin, podcast pick on UX lessons from a decade researching AI, and our latest job opportunities in research. And finally, we’ve launched Research Lunch Club across +33 cities and are matching researchers very soon - join now!

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People of Research
April 15, 2025

🎤 Announcements

🚀 LIVE NOW: Research Lunch Club in +33 Cities! We launched last week! Research Lunch Club is now connecting researchers live across +33 cities globally.

Ready to network with peers outside your immediate circle? From UX research to computational biology and beyond, our community is growing fast. Membership is just £3.33/month (~$4 USD).

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Join the Research Lunch Club and meet two other researchers from your city for lunch each month.

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🔬 People of Research Member Interview

Our interview this week is brought to you by Research Lunch Club - Join the Research Lunch Club and meet two other researchers from your city for lunch each month

People of Research Interview with Wyndham

We'd love to showcase your career journey in our People of Research Interview series! It's a great opportunity to share your story, highlight your work, and connect with our vibrant community of over 2,000 researchers and more than 5,000 LinkedIn followers. 👉️ Email us!

📰 Article Picks

🔗 Stop Quoting Henry Ford… It’s Lazy: In Stop Quoting Henry Ford… It’s Lazy, William Chaumeton critiques the overuse of the “faster horse” quote often attributed to Henry Ford. Chaumeton argues that while users may not articulate perfect solutions, they offer rich insights into their problems and dismissing their input undermines the research process. He urges a balanced approach, combining deep user understanding with bold, imaginative thinking. .

🔗 The Fine Line Between Motivation and Manipulation: Dr. Cynthia Borja explores how behavioural science can both empower and exploit consumers. Using a personal experience with a “spending goal” email from a credit card company, Borja highlights how framing and intent affect ethical engagement. Real-world examples from loyalty programs to habit-building apps demonstrate the difference between helpful nudges and harmful tactics.

🔗 How to Interview Users Without Making It Weird: Gary shares practical strategies for conducting better user interviews. He stresses the importance of being human, building rapport, and focusing on understanding user needs rather than extracting data. Tips include warming up with small talk, using open-ended questions, and avoiding overly scripted sessions.

🎙️ Podcast Pick

#164 - UX Lessons from a Decade Researching AI with Jess Holbrook of Microsoft

Awkward Silences · Episode

open.spotify.com/episode/3DWRVLbX4dmodNYJBH3OTc

💼 Job Picks

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👋 About us

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