#109 - The Challenges of Hybrid Work with Eduardo Gomez Ruiz of Miro

11/30/22 • 40 min

As teams look for effective ways to collaborate between in-person and remote work, hybrid meetings are a flexible solution to meet both needs. But how can teams strike a balance of both in-person and remote meetings in a hybrid setting? How can facilitators reimagine collaboration to make meetings more effective and productive?

In this episode of Awkward Silences, Lead UX Research Manager at Miro, Eduardo Gomez Ruiz, is back to share his team’s insight from Miro’s latest research study on the advantages and challenges of hybrid meetings. He shares exactly how he secured stakeholder buy-ins, UX research methods, and surprising signals. As hybrid working models take hold, this study serves as a great starting point for understanding new paradigms, trends, and attitudes as we continue to navigate new ways of working.

In this episode, we discuss:

How UX is affected by the evolving hybrid work environment
Effective ways to gather collaborators and stakeholders
The various UX research methods Eduardo and his team used for the study, and some surprising results
The role of inclusion in facilitating hybrid work environments
Best tips and practices from successful hybrid meeting facilitators

Highlights:

[00:05:17] The project's hypothesis was to uncover the dynamics of the overlap between devices, environment, and culture
[00:09:12] How Eduardo gained support from the CEO and the Chief Product Officer
[00:13:50] The four-phase plan; observation, interviews, surveys, and a co-creation session
[00:18:57] Revealing surprising insights about IRL vs. remote user research and inclusivity
[00:21:27] Attending in-office meetings as if they were remote
[00:25:29] The biggest challenge: maximizing hybrid meetings for both remote and in-person contributors
[00:35:01] J.H. touches on emerging approaches to asynchronous communication in meetings
[00:37:33] Helpful tips on inclusion and initiating collaboration during hybrid meetings

Sources mentioned in the episode:

About our guest

Eduardo Gomez Ruiz is the Senior UX Research Manager at Miro, which develops cutting-edge collaboration software trusted by over forty million users. He has also served as a Design Thinking Associate Professor at IE Business School for nearly eight years. Since Eduardo joined Miro in 2020, he has been instrumental in the growth and development of the company’s UX research department. Prior to joining Miro, he held positions at Uber and several consulting agencies as a Global UX Researcher and UX Consultant

In this episode, we discuss:

How UX is affected by the evolving hybrid work environment
Effective ways to gather collaborators and stakeholders
The various UX research methods Eduardo and his team used for the study, and some surprising results
The role of inclusion in facilitating hybrid work environments
Best tips and practices from successful hybrid meeting facilitators

Highlights:

[00:05:17] The project's hypothesis was to uncover the dynamics of the overlap between devices, environment, and culture
[00:09:12] How Eduardo gained support from the CEO and the Chief Product Officer
[00:13:50] The four-phase plan; observation, interviews, surveys, and a co-creation session
[00:18:57] Revealing surprising insights about IRL vs. remote user research and inclusivity
[00:21:27] Attending in-office meetings as if they were remote
[00:25:29] The biggest challenge: maximizing hybrid meetings for both remote and in-person contributors
[00:35:01] J.H. touches on emerging approaches to asynchronous communication in meetings
[00:37:33] Helpful tips on inclusion and initiating collaboration during hybrid meetings

Sources mentioned in the episode:

About our guest

Previous Episode

#108- Perfecting the UX of UX testing with Nicholas Aramouni of Userlytics

The dual nature of research on research is exciting in itself, especially for Senior UX Researcher Nicholas Aramouni. In this episode, things get meta as we address the UX of UX research. Nicholas discusses the importance of testing everything, testing early, and testing often. He elaborates on his approach to UX research from different angles and describes the beauty (and absurdity) of what it’s like when UX researchers become participants.

In this episode, we discuss:

Best practices for building better UX
The UX challenges UX researchers face
Important factors that influence UX testing
The pros and cons of adopting new research tools
A walkthrough of Nicholas’ testing methods

Highlights:

[00:01:52] The keys to designing a great UX test are flawlessness, simplicity, and making it intentional
[00:05:42] Nicholas’ approach: test everything, test early, and test often to create the perfect test
[00:06:53] Nicholas talks about staying focused on what matters and that empathy is a powerful research tool
[00:10:42] The test is a valuable asset, and how tools affect the outcomes
[00:23:17] Do researchers make good participants?
[00:27:52] Tips for researchers using a new UX platform
[00:31:39] More on researchers as participants. Nicholas shares his experience as a participant
[00:33:04] Erin asks Nick how he got into user research

About our guest

Nicholas Aramouni is a Senior Communications Manager and UX Researcher at Userlytics who specializes in global UX practices. Nicholas has experience in various industries, including music, entertainment, media, and e-commerce. He is passionate about humanities, holds a B.Ed. in Social Studies from Mount Royal University, and was the former co-host of Mindspark. A learning podcast focused on K-12 education.

Next Episode

#110 - Experience Design Research in Healthcare with Tiffany Mura and Erica Devine

Healthcare organizations are responding to the UX design boom by focusing on the patient experience. What is driving this shift? Why did it take so long? How does quantitative research align with qualitative research?

In this episode of Awkward Silences, Tiffany Mura, Senior Vice President of Health Practice Lead at Mad*Pow, and Erica Devine, Associate Director, Patient Experience Strategy and Support at Otsuka Pharmaceutical Companies (U.S.), discuss patient-centered design in healthcare research. They explore the complexities of the healthcare ecosystem and share key aspects of their research methodologies to help paint a picture of how research can help improve the overall patient experience.

Highlights:

[00:03:48] Digital health companies are disrupting the industry
[00:11:38] Erica shares data collection procedures and discusses research trends
[00:14:28] How do healthcare researchers find the right people to talk to?
[00:17:00] Tiffany explains standard healthcare research methodologies
[00:26:39] Ethical considerations are central to planning and recruitment
[00:37:02] How to use qualitative data to better understand the patient experience
[00:40:21] New regulations will force companies to measure patient-reported outcomes

Sources mentioned in the episode:

About our guests

Human-centered design specialist Tiffany Mura is a senior-level brand marketing strategist with a range of experience in multiple healthcare sectors. She is currently the Strategic Lead of Healthcare at Stone Mantel (formerly Senior Vice President, Health Practice Lead at Mad*Pow). She has a Master’s degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from Penn State University.

Erica Devine is a practicing pharmacist with over sixteen years of experience building and overseeing teams. She is currently the Associate Director of Patient Experience Strategy at Otsuka Pharmaceutical Companies. Her work centers around business development and customer experience strategy, among other things. Erica has a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Pittsburgh, licensed to practice in NY and PA.