UX Soup

The first instalment of Spilt Soup, which breaks down UX reasons for spectacular product and service failures. Where better to start than Quibi? In 2020 Quibi was launched with massive financial backing as a streaming service to compete with Netflix and other video streaming platforms. But after only 8 months it was gone. We analyse what went wrong from a UX perspective and lessons that can be learned.In Condensed Soup we discuss our biggest UX research wins.

A recent study out of Dongchedi in China evaluated how effectively 36 cars handled 15 obstacles in both highway and urban settings. We discuss the results of the study, the strengths and weaknesses of it, and what it means for safety and human factors in the design of these systems. In Condensed Soup, we share our most proudest or most memorable research findings.

In this episode, we discuss fake people. No, not people who pretend to be somebody they're not, but true fake people and their potential use in UX research. AI-powered participants? AI researchers? There are companies creating these fake participants for usage in product and market research, and we discuss the pros and cons. Then we contemplate other use cases for fake people, and Oprah and ABBA become involved. In Condensed Soup, we tell the one thing we would want our own fake double to carry out.

We are all aware of issues with data privacy on the internet and on your mobile devices, but how aware are you about the data being collected from your car? We discuss how this data is different from that of your other connected devices and how well automakers are protecting your data. We review a benchmarking report from Privacy4Cars which evaluates how effectively automakers honor your privacy rights.

Zoe is a personalized nutrition program which uses at-home tests and blood sugar monitoring to help users understand how their body responds to food and provide personalized dietary recommendations. Chris and Derek interview Lisa about her positive and negative experiences with Zoe, and what she would change for future releases. In Condensed Soup, we discuss our favourite recent health care tech.

In this episode, we discuss an opinion piece written by Nick Hodges lamenting the decline of the user interface, providing our analysis of the main points regarding where UI has gone wrong and how we can fix it. In Condensed Soup, we discuss the most misused UX research phrases.

Make sure you stay to the end of the episode for a big announcement! But before that, Derek talks with Chris and Lisa about why he is part of the Tidbyt fan club. Tidbyt is a retro-style display that has a passionate core base but likely a limited future. For UX Soup, they discuss their favourite retro video game.

For years, automotive interior design has trended toward minimalism, which combined with smartphone and other tech trends has led automakers to move an ever increasing amount of functionality to the touchscreen. However, some automakers and regulators are pushing back. Join Chris, Derek, and Lisa as they discuss touchscreen design considerations, safety issues, and give their thoughts on the future of touchscreens in the car.

Last year, Human Factors and Ergonomics professionals from Delft University of Technology published a paper arguing that their field was losing credibility and significance. Join Chris, Derek, and Lisa (our three human factors professionals) as we discuss this article and the profession as a whole. Is the paper correct? What are the dangers facing our profession? What can be done to make it more impactful?

Can it be? Yes! UX Soup has returned with the original gang! Join Chris, Lisa, and Derek as they return to the mic to talk about the UX of ChatGPT and other large language models (LLMs). They discuss applications, its impact on UX research, and for Condensed Soup share their silliest AI experiences, with a singalong at the end.

This week, Lisa sits down with Serena Nüsing and Stéphanie Krus and their research project “Practitioner’s Stories” where they and their team volunteered their time to examine the needs of the service design community. Listen as we discuss some of their discoveries from the interviews they conducted with other professionals in the field and how the process itself impacted participants and indeed their own roles as service designers.Practitioner StoriesYou can follow the team on twitter at @PractitionerSt1The Practitioner Stories Team Contact InfoAngela Orviz, twitter - @ArtmadilloSerena Nüsing, twitter - @SerenaNusingStéphanie Krus, twitter - @StephanieKrusVinishree Verma, twitter - @VinishreeeSend us your thoughts and comments or ask us anything by emailing us at

Today we really go beyond the buzzwords and discuss in full the buzzword of the year: the metaverse. Chris welcomes David MacQueen from Strategy Analytics to discuss what the metaverse is, why it is, what use cases it enables, how we will interact with it, and why augmented reality is the key to future metaverse adoption.SA's Metaverse researchDavid MacQueen on LinkedInSend us your thoughts and comments on the metaverse or ask us anything by emailing us at UXSoup@strategyanalytics.com.Chris on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

In-air gestures have been around for several years, from the Xbox Kinect to some smartphones and automotive. Join Chris and Diana as they discuss the UX of in-air gestures -- the foundational barriers gesture recognition faces, the use cases that consumers want, and issues to consider when designing them. In Condensed Soup, they discuss their favorite experience with in-air gestures.SA Research on gesturesSend us your thoughts and comments on in-air gestures or ask us anything by emailing us at UXSoup@strategyanalytics.com.Chris on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

It is long past due that gaming UX is discussed on UX Soup, so Chris rectifies that by welcoming Chirag Upadhyay, who is an industry analyst at Strategy Analytics focusing on PC and game consoles. They discuss gaming UX trends over the past few years, mobile gaming, and factors that will impact the gaming user experience in the future. Chirag Upadhyay on LinkedInChirag's researchSend us your thoughts and comments on gaming UX or ask us anything by emailing us at UXSoup@strategyanalytics.com.Chris on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

Diana and Lisa welcome back to the podcast Dr. Gary Burnett from the University of Nottingham. Gary started teaching graduate classes on the metaverse, and held their lectures in the virtual world of "Nottopia." Gary discusses the impetus behind Nottopia, how students responded, how social norms developed, and lessons learned along the way.Dr. Gary Burnett on LinkedInArticle by Gary on NottopiaSend us your thoughts and comments on the metaverse or ask us anything by emailing us at UXSoup@strategyanalytics.com.Chris on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

Join Lisa, Diana, and Chris as they discuss research from CHI 2021, where elderly participants co-created a virtual reality platform over a three year period. The team discuss the interesting learnings from this study such as is presence a priority in VR? What value did avatars add to elderly users' experiences of social interactions online and what can we learn from this research effort in the future? In condensed soup, find out the teams' aspirations for their own avatars.Avatar-Mediated Communication in Social VR: An In-Depth Exploration of Older Adult Interaction in An Emerging Communication PlatformCHI 2021CHI 2022Send us your thoughts and comments or ask us anything by emailing us at UXSoup@strategyanalytics.com.Chris on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

Certain streaming services are in the news lately for being burning through huge amounts of cash in a model that may not be sustainable in the long-term. Some of the issues they are facing have UX at their core. In this episode Lisa, Chris and Diana discuss these issues and what can be done to improve the video streaming experience. In Condensed Soup, they talk about their favorite streaming experiences.Send us your thoughts on improving the user experience for streaming services, or ask us anything by emailing us at UXSoup@strategyanalytics.com.Chris on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

Lisa welcomes Dr. Payal Ghatnekar from NHS England to the podcast. Dr. Ghatnekar studies the efficacy and effectiveness of immersive healthcare interventions in reducing patient pain and anxiety, improving patient experience and educational learning outcomes for self management and behaviour change. Lisa and Payal also discuss the challenges and successes when researching VR or AR in the healthcare setting.Dr. Ghatnekar on LinkedInLink to Dr. Ghatnekar's researchSA research on remote health and wellness monitoringSend us your thoughts on the user experience for healthcare or ask us anything by emailing us at UXSoup@strategyanalytics.com.Chris on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

The UX Service at the University of Edinburgh is an example of creating a more matrix-like structure and breaking down silos within an academic institution to create a more holistic experience for students and staff. In this episode, Chris welcomes Duncan Stephen who manages that group to discuss its origins, how a consultancy model works within academia, their projects and methods, and what universities need to think about if adopting this type of model.Duncan Stephen on LinkedInUser Experience Service at The University of EdinburghSend us your questions by emailing us at UXSoup@strategyanalytics.com.Chris on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice

Once the stuff of science fiction, brain-computer interfaces have been gaining attention lately in part due to Neuralink, run by Elon Musk. Chris welcomes back Di O'Neill to discuss brain-computer interfaces, their applications in both the medical and consumer space, UX issues and concerns, and of course monkeys playing Pong. In Condensed Soup Di and Chris discuss whether they would ever use a brain-computer interface.Brain-Computer Interfaces: Vendor ProfilesBrain-Computer Interfaces: Consumer PerceptionsDi O'Neill on LinkedInSend us your thoughts on brain-computer interfaces, or ask us anything by emailing us at UXSoup@strategyanalytics.com.Chris on LinkedIn Lisa on LinkedInDiana on LinkedInStrategy Analytics UX Innovation Practice