Walky Goode on building UX Research Cultures

In this conversation, Walky shares her journey from mechanical engineering to leading user research at Amazon, tracing her path through human factors, early voice interface design, and a PhD in cognitive psychology. She discusses building research cultures in organizations, partnering with engineering to bridge the gap between user expectations and product design, and empowering cross-functional teams to conduct objective, high-quality research. Walky explains how she balances deep strategic studies with rapid, tactical testing, scaling impact through collaboration and AI-powered workflows. She emphasizes the importance of keeping the human in the loop when using AI, fostering curiosity as a core skill for researchers, and advocating for users across diverse product contexts. Her insights offer valuable guidance for aspiring researchers and design leaders navigating today’s fast-paced, AI-enabled product environment.