by Critical User Journeys And Their Significance In Product Development -Javier Bargas-Avila, Google
We are excited to kick-off our new vlog interview series for UX360 with Google’s Javier Bargas-Avila Director, Google Play UX Research – who will also present the keynote at the upcoming UX360 in-person conference on May 16&17 in Berlin! Javier gives a short preview of his presentation on Critical User Journeys (CUJs) and also shares his insights and views on the industry.
Find all speaker interviews, past conference presentations and more at merlien.com!
Video transcript below (This is an AI generated summary. There may be inaccuracies.)
Critical User Journeys And Their Significance In Product Development -Javier Bargas-Avila, Google
Javier Bargas, Google’s director for Google Play UX research, will deliver the opening keynote speech at the UX360 conference in Berlin. In this interview he discusses the significance of defining and measuring critical user journeys in product development and the evolution of UX research. Bargas also explores the impact of AI on UX design and research, emphasizing the need for human touch in products and the importance of understanding user needs.
He outlines his role in helping young professionals build careers in UX and advocates for user-centered development. Bargas expresses his excitement about the integration of AI in UX research and the potential it holds, while also acknowledging the importance of accuracy and caution. Throughout the conversation, Javier shares his personal preferences and encourages UX professionals to engage with each other and reach out to him for assistance.
Javier shares that his talk will focus on “critical user journeys,” which are defining journeys people use with products, and the importance of not only defining but measuring them during product development. Bargas also discusses the evolution of UX research as a discipline and the challenges researchers face, emphasizing the need for user-centric product development and the importance of adapting to new technologies.
Next, Javier discusses the impact of AI on UX design and research. He explains that AI will make interfaces more fluid and open up new possibilities, which will also change the way research is conducted.
Javier also shares his role in helping young professionals build careers in UX and become better leaders. He defines leadership as getting a group of people to work together towards a common goal, and for UX leaders, this means advocating for user-centered development and engaging in leadership activities to drive the entire team in a user-centric direction. Javier advises UX professionals to embrace the challenge of advocating for user research and the value of UX, even when working with stakeholders who may not have experience with the discipline.
The rise of AI and the need for human touch in products is also a focus for Javier. He explains that while AI has been around for a while, the current trend is the use of generative AI to help users generate things. However, he cautions against shoehorning AI into products without addressing user needs or problems. Javier draws parallels to the early days of the internet, where many companies had dumb ideas that didn’t solve real needs and eventually went bust. He emphasizes the importance of understanding user needs and preferences, especially when it comes to AI, and the need for transparency and control to build successful and accepted products.
On the future of UX in product development and the impact of new technology, specifically AI, on UX research and researchers, Javier explains that as products become more fluid due to AI integration, researchers must understand how to embrace this change and influence the product in the right direction. Additionally, AI can assist researchers in various steps of the research process, making it easier and more efficient. Javier expresses excitement about this development but also acknowledges the need for caution and the importance of building checkpoints and guard rails to ensure the accuracy of AI-generated data. The conversation then shifts to a rapid-fire question round where Javier shares his favorite movie, music genre, sport, and countries.
In closing, Javier talks about his approach to research, stating that he doesn’t have a favorite technique or method as each situation calls for a different approach. He also shares one of his quirks, being very opinionated about his preferences, such as red wine. Javier then expresses his excitement about attending the UX360 conference in person and encourages attendees to engage with each other and reach out to him for assistance. He looks forward to meeting people face to face and is excited about his talk in Berlin next month.
Grab your tickets to UX360 2024 at https://www.eu.ux360summit.com/ and join thought leaders from Google, SAP, Volkswagen, Thumbtack, Philips, Henkel, Ebay, Santander, Ikea, Eye Square, Trivago, JustEat, Skyscanner and many many more! UX360 will showcase the latest UX and design research – from planning and conducting, to analysis and the implementation of UX insights. This exciting conference includes presentations from global thought leaders and international brands, interactive panel discussions and 1-2-1 meetings. This is a must-attend conference for UX researchers to learn, be inspired and to network with peers.
