In-depth user research has been a touchstone throughout Lada Gorlenko’s fascinating career. She talks to MEX founder Marek Pawlowski about her current role leading experience research for work management platform Smartsheet, as well as everything from her background in cognitive science, working in prisons and her time working on Microsoft’s mobile ambitions in the late 2000s. The conversation expands to explore the ingredients for effective conferences and the skills Lada looks for when hiring for her teams. Get in touch with feedback and questions @mexfeed on Twitter or email [email protected].

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On this edition

• Marek Pawlowski, podcast host & founder, MEX (@marekpawlowski)
• Lada Gorlenko, Director of Experience Research, Smartsheet

Links

• Microsoft Office Communicator, which became Lync and subsequently Skype for Business, a product which Lada worked on during the early- and mid-2000s.
• MEX/4, a conference which Lada attended in May 2008, organised by Marek and the MEX team. The conference, like several MEX events, centred on a manifesto, which was explored by participants in a range of talks and workshops. You can read the reports from day one and day two of the event, and download a PDF of the original manifesto here.
• Gorlenko, Lada and Roland Merrick. “No wires attached: Usability challenges in the connected mobile world.” IBM Systems Journal 42 (2003): 639-651.
• Artefact, the design agency where Lada used to work.
• Interaction, a conference organised by IxDA, mentioned by Lada.
• Enterprise Experience, a conference mentioned by Lada.
• Engage, Smartsheet’s customer conference, mentioned by Lada.
• Women in Technology Regatta, a conference series mentioned by Lada.

About MEX Design Talk & how to get in touch

The podcast for the MEX community, interviewing UX pioneers, exploring emerging technologies, user behaviour and how to design better digital experiences.

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Thanks

• Jukedeck, for the artificial intelligence engine which provided the music