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- ๐ค Synthetic users and 'realistic' research + ๐ง Applying GenAI to UXR
๐ค Synthetic users and 'realistic' research + ๐ง Applying GenAI to UXR
This week: ResearchOps Ramblings: Synthetic users and 'realistic' research; Using simulation models in UX research; and Your Multi-Use Starter Pack for Applying GenAI to UXR. Check out our Research Lunch Club member interview from ๐ฉ๐ช Germany, our podcast pick on Future-Proofing Your Career, plus the latest job opportunities in research. And finally - join Research Lunch Club, now live in 33+ cities, before we send out our SECOND round of matches tomorrow!

๐ค Community Highlights
๐ Weโre sending out match groups to members tomorrow! Fancy meeting new researchers? Building a few bridges over lunch? and growing your research network? ๐๏ธ Join us!
๐ Research Lunch Club is matching researchers across 30+ cities worldwide this May - connecting members in trios from fields like AI ethics, cognitive science, ethnography, and UX research. Whether youโre in New York or Sao Paulo or Sydney, thereโs a seat at the table.
Be part of our second round of matches tomorrow! - itโs like networking, but tailored, fun and over lunch!
๐ฌ Research Lunch Club Member Interview
This weekโs interview is from Research Lunch Club - where researchers meet in person for monthly lunches in their city.
๐ฌ Our Meet Our Members series shares the journeys of researchers across disciplines - so you can get to know who you might be sitting down with over lunch!
![]() Research Lunch Club Meet our Members #6 |
๐ฐ Article Picks
๐ ResearchOps Ramblings: Synthetic users and 'realistic' research: Jessica Lewes expresses concerns about using AI-generated "synthetic users" as a substitute for real user interaction, emphasizing the critical difference between 'realistic' and 'real'. While acknowledging AI's utility for tasks like refining language or practicing interviews (referencing Vincent Koc's work and Kate Darling's perspectives), she highlights ethical considerations, the risk of undermining research validity, and the crucial role of ResearchOps in establishing guardrails, also touching on sustainability concerns related to AI's energy consumption.
๐ Using simulation models in UX research: Talieh Kazemi argues that current methods are often superficial and that simulation modeling offers a robust way to understand complex, emergent user behaviors at scale. She details how models like Agent-Based Modeling (ABM) or System Dynamics can help test hypotheses and predict outcomes where traditional research faces limitations such as participation bias or lack of access to users. Kazemi provides a table mapping research goals to various simulation types (e.g., predicting behavior, understanding app navigation, user influence) to guide UXR professionals.
๐ Your Multi-Use Starter Pack for Applying GenAI to UX: Compiles foundational approaches, tactical tips, and product-building use cases for UX researchers and designers looking to integrate GenAI. The roundup features curated articles on topics such as the ethical considerations of GenAI ("GPT Needs UXR"), practical research applications ("How to Approach Studies on GenAI"), and real-world examples from companies like Headspace and Duolingo, aiming to help professionals harness GenAI effectively.
๐ Submit An Article!
๐๏ธ Podcast Pick
๐ผ Job Picks
Are you a hiring manager looking to share research opportunities with a global network of over 2,000 researchers in more than 60 countries? We'd love to hear from you! Just drop us an email โ๏ธ.
UK & Europe
UX Researcher, Qualitative ๐ฌ๐ง UK
Lead User Researcher ๐ฌ๐ง UK
User Researcher ๐ฌ๐ง UK
UX Researcher ๐ฌ๐ท Greece
User Experience (UX) Researcher ๐ง๐ช Belgium
North America
Senior UX Researche ๐บ๐ธ U.S.
UX Researcher ๐บ๐ธ U.S.
User Experience Researcher ๐บ๐ธ U.S.
Senior UX Researcher ๐จ๐ฆ Canada
Oceania
UX Research Associate ๐ฆ๐บ Australia
Latin America
UX Researcher II ๐ง๐ท Brazil
UX Researcher ๐ฒ๐ฝ Mexico
Asia
UX Researcher ๐ธ๐ฌ Singapore
UX Researcher ๐ฎ๐ณ India
๐ Sponsor us?
Our weekly newsletter is a fantastic way to connect with a global audience! With over 2,000 researchers tuning in from more than 60 countries, it's a great chance for sponsors to boost their brand visibility and make a real impact. - ๐ฌ letโs talk!
๐ About us
Weโre People of Research & Research Lunch Club - a global hybrid community uniting researchers across the industries, from UX Research to Behavioural Science. We connect, collab and grow. People of Research was created by @faysel.
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