Past Agenda
Day 1
Wed May 14
08:00 – 08:50
50 min
REGISTRATION AND WELCOME COFFEE
Wed May 14
08:50 – 09:00
10 min
OPENING REMARKS BY MERLIEN INSTITUTE & CONFERENCE CHAIR
Marcos Nunes-Ueno
UX Researcher
Meta
Speaker
Presentation
Wed May 14
09:00 – 09:30
30 min
THE POWER OF RESILIENT LEADERSHIP: HOW TO CREATE SUSTAINABLE CULTURES IN TODAY´S WORLD OF PERPETUAL CHANGE
Change is inevitable. Each day brings seismic shifts that stress-test our organizations and challenge our assumptions. Success in such an environment demands a fundamental shift in how we lead. The most crucial leadership qualities today aren't just adaptability and proactiveness, it’s the art of resilience – transforming challenges into catalysts for growth. Discover practical strategies for cultivating resilient leadership, demonstrating how your existing UX expertise can become your greatest asset in building this critical skill. Leverage your design thinking mindset to not just survive uncertainty, but to thrive in it.
- Embracing constant change: cultivating resilience as an individual and for your team
- Evolution through change: going beyond recovery to innovation and growth
- UX as a resilience tool: while others see disruption, we see design opportunities. While they resist change, we prototype the future
- Actionable leadership strategies: learn practical approaches to build resilient leadership using your existing design thinking capabilities
Rosanna Sibora
CIO, Germany´s Digital Health Agency
Gematik
Speaker
Presentation
Wed May 14
09:30 – 10:00
30 min
TRACEABILITY IN UX: WHEN THE ¨WHY¨ GETS LOST
- Beyond Customers: UX for the Whole Ecosystem – Designing for all stakeholders, not just end-users
- Tracing Decisions: The Meta-Structure of the Why – How to document and retain design intent over time
- Design Processes & Source Tracking – Ensuring transparency and consistency in UX evolution
Hadi Pourebrahim
Global UX/BX Leader & Creative Director
Roche
Speaker
Presentation
Wed May 14
10:00 – 10:30
30 min
UNLOCKING THE POWER OF UX RESEARCH IN LARGE-SCALE ORGANIZATIONS
- Tie UX Research to Business Goals – How to align research insights with key business outcomes.
- Speak the Language of Stakeholders – Strategies to tailor UX messaging for different teams.
- Simplify and Embed UX Research into the Product Organization – Practical ways to integrate research into everyday workflows, empowering teams and fostering a user-centered culture.
Lyubomir Todorakov
Director UX Strategy
Paysafe
Speaker
Wed May 14
10:30 – 10:35
5 min
RECAP & REFLECT
Networking
Wed May 14
10:35 – 11:05
30 min
NETWORKING BREAK
Presentation
Wed May 14
11:05 – 11:35
30 min
BEYOND INSIGHTS: UNPACKING UX RESEARCH FOR DEMONSTRATABLE IMPACT
- Unpacking the UX Research Lifecycle: Analysing each phase (planning, execution, analysis, communication) to identify those with the greatest potential for impact
- Revealing High-Impact Activities: Showcasing specific activities within each phase that have consistently driven meaningful change in product, process, and people
- Providing Actionable Guidelines: Concrete examples and practical advice on how to implement these high-impact activities in day-to-day research
- Sharing Real-World Success Stories: Illustrating the effectiveness of these guidelines with compelling case studies from various organizations
Utkarsh Seth
Senior Staff UX Manager
Google
Speaker
Presentation
Wed May 14
11:35 – 12:35
60 min
MAPPING UX RESEARCH SKILLS FOR BUSINESS GROWTH
In this workshop we will focus on developing leadership strategies aligned with business needs to maximise research impact. The objective is to empower research teams and their leaders with actionable tools to identify essential set of skills, enhance processes, and plan career paths all while addressing organizational challenges
- Discover & define: establishing UX Research Competency Frameworks and aligning them to maximise business growth and the stated business objective
- Develop and deliver a growth pathway: brainstorming the skills and steps required to enhance UX research as a strategic function for organizational impact
- Conclusion & discussion: outline and share actionable plans, exchange on the challenges, strategies and effective ways forward
Elena Sverguenenko
UX Research Director
Xsolla
Speaker
Ekaterina Sadykova
Senior UX Researcher
Xsolla
Speaker
Wed May 14
12:35 – 12:40
5 min
RECAP & REFLECT
Networking
Wed May 14
12:40 – 13:40
60 min
NETWORKING LUNCH
Presentation
Wed May 14
13:40 – 14:10
30 min
DECODING USER BEHAVIOUR: BRIDGING DATA AND USER EXPERIENCE
- Enhancing foundational research methods with quantitative data to support and validate qualitative insights
- Uncovering all the answers and boundaries of archetypes
- Conducting quantitative explorations based on qualitative facts, and creating synergies between both types of data
- Promoting extensive learning and sharing within the org as a tool to back up qualitative findings in a data-driven organization
Horaci Polanco
Director UX and Research
Banc Sabadell
Speaker
Katherine S Vegas G
Sr Design Researcher
Banc Sabadell
Speaker
Presentation
Wed May 14
14:10 – 14:30
20 min
CREATE, SHOW, TEST: OPTIMIZING FREENET´S DIGITAL ASSETS WITH A ¨DIGITAL EXPERIENCE SANDBOX¨
- Developing key research questions to ensure optimal presentation of Freenet´s tariff options on their website
- Establishing why we opted for a quantitative approach to tackle this
- Showcasing a breakthrough solution for behavioural testing of digital products
- Collaboratively applying this real-time feedback to the research
- Key takeaways and business impact
Inga Scharfenberg
Manager Market Research & Customer Advocacy
Freenet AG
Speaker
Carina Lehne de López
Chief Experience Officer & Partner
eye square GmbH
Speaker
Presentation
Wed May 14
14:30 – 15:00
30 min
CROSS DISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION IN UX
- Finding the role of a UX Researcher in the ecosystem of a complex organization
- Collaborating across departments to ensure that designed experiences are effectively implemented
- Building shared roadmaps and a common user-centric language
- Lessons learned and helpful takeaways for your cross disciplinary collaboration
Giulia Angeletti
UX Research Lead
Nestle
Speaker
Wed May 14
15:00 – 15:05
5 min
RECAP & REFLECT
Networking
Wed May 14
15:05 – 15:35
30 min
NETWORKING BREAK
Presentation
Wed May 14
15:35 – 16:05
30 min
FROM DESIGNING PRODUCTS TO DESIGNING PLATFORMS
- Moving UX from standalone products to platforms and ecosystem solutions
- Ensuring strategic principles and delivering a framework for effective and scalable platform UX
- Highlighting challenges and sharing tips for success
Shamindri Perera
Head of UX, Airline Solutions
Amadeus
Speaker
Presentation
Wed May 14
16:05 – 16:25
20 min
SOLVING THE RESEARCH AWARENESS PROBLEM
- Spotlighting the paradox: despite a growing appetite for research by stakeholders, there is very low awareness and visibility of the research that has been done
- Identifying the barriers to research awareness and visibility
- Dismantling these barriers to enhance reach and impact
- Evaluating to ensure we are on the right track
Lloyd Yoo
Principal – UXR
Stravito
Speaker
Panel discussion
Wed May 14
16:25 – 16:55
30 min
ADDRESSING PRODUCT DEMOCRATISATION AND JOB SECURITY
- Establishing the role of research and research value in the organization
- Defining democratisation and its purpose
- Benefits and challenges of democratisation
- Democratisation and job security
- Building a research democratisation application framework
Dr. Javier Bargas-Avila
Founder & UX Director (ex-Google)
Astrolabium
Moderator
Yoel Sumitro
Sr. Director Product Design & Research
Delivery Hero
Panelist
Helen Devine
Principal Design Researcher
Lloyds Banking Group
Panelist
Rosanna Sibora
CIO, Germany´s Digital Health Agency
Gematik
Panelist
Wed May 14
16:55 – 17:05
10 min
CHAIRS REMARKS & TRANSITION
Marcos Nunes-Ueno
UX Researcher
Meta
Speaker
Roundtable
Wed May 14
17:05 – 17:35
30 min
TOPIC 1: THE UNTAPPED POTENTIAL OF UX RESEARCH AS A CATALYST FOR RESPONSIBLE AND HUMAN-CENTRIC AI ACROSS THE AI LIFECYCLE
Emily Yang
Head of Human-Centered AI and Innovation
Standard Chartered
Speaker
Roundtable
Wed May 14
17:05 – 17:35
30 min
TOPIC 2: INFLUENCING WITHOUT AUTHORITY: MAKING UXR INDISPENSABLE
Yoel Sumitro
Sr. Director Product Design & Research
Delivery Hero
Speaker
Agata Kutowska
Sr. UX Researcher
Delivery Hero
Speaker
Chara Makri
Sr. UX Researcher
Delivery Hero
Speaker
Roundtable
Wed May 14
17:05 – 17:35
30 min
TOPIC 3 RESEARCHING WITH HEART: BALANCING USER NEEDS, BUSINESS METRICS, AND THE ETHICS OF AI INNOVATION WHEN DESIGNING FOR VULNERABLE PEOPLE
Helen Devine
Principal Design Researcher
Lloyds Banking Group
Speaker
Roundtable
Wed May 14
17:05 – 17:35
30 min
TOPIC 4: RESEARCH AS ACCOUNTABILITY IN DECISION MAKING (NOT VALIDATION)
Neha Viswanathan
UXR Director
Trustpilot
Speaker
Networking
Wed May 14
17:35 – 18:35
60 min
NETWORKING RECEPTION BY MERLIEN INSTITUTE
Day 2
Thu May 15
08:30 – 09:00
30 min
WELCOME COFFEE
Thu May 15
09:00 – 09:10
10 min
OPENING REMARKS BY MERLIEN INSTITUTE & CONFERENCE CHAIR
Dr. Javier Bargas-Avila
Founder & UX Director (ex-Google)
Astrolabium
Speaker
Presentation
Thu May 15
09:10 – 09:40
30 min
DESIGN BEYOND PIXELS: FROM PUSHING PIXELS TO SHAPING STRATEGIES
- Research driving transformation: by identifying organizational challenges, fostering collaboration across teams and reshaping our approach to product launches
- Research as a strategic tool: Leveraging evidence-based design influence, developing an efficiency framework and establishing Research Ops with clear metrics
- Evolved design teams: developing business acumen, mastering knowledge synthesis and employing tools like service blueprints to align stakeholders on future priorities
- Wielding an evolved design toolkit to achieve success: Establishing strategic research tactics, learning from common pitfalls and ensuring robust documentation methods
Jean-Baptiste Kaloya
VP Design & Research
Bpifrance
Speaker
Presentation
Thu May 15
09:40 – 10:10
30 min
BEYOND CLICKS: SUPERCHARGING UX TESTING WITH AI-POWERED QUAL AT SCALE
- Running UX testing and qualitative research all in one place, combining the speed of unmoderated testing with the depth of real-time moderation.
- Exploring how AI-moderation probes deeper with smart follow-up questions and adapts dynamically to user and product interactions.
- Evaluating user interactions through usability studies that are integrated within qualitative research.
- Uncovering how AI-driven UX testing gives you real-time reports, pinpointed user journeys and actionable insights.
Hakan Yurdakul
CEO
Bolt Insight
Speaker
Udy Ravid
UX Expert
Udybility
Speaker
Presentation
Thu May 15
10:10 – 10:40
30 min
UNSEEN INTERACTIONS: A PROVOCATION FOR RESEARCH IN GENERATIVE EXPERIENCE DESIGN
- Generative AI: A basic grounding in AI and GenAI today
- Generative AI in Design: Explore the increasing use of generative AI in design
- Emergent User Experiences: Understand the shift from static interfaces to dynamic and virtual environments simulating users and outcomes where user experiences are emergent.
- Social Science in generative UX: Provocation, now we can see the path design is moving along. How do we make sure research social sciences are in the mix?
Rich Brady
UX Director
YouTube
Speaker
Thu May 15
10:40 – 10:45
5 min
RECAP & REFLECT
Networking
Thu May 15
10:45 – 11:15
30 min
NETWORKING BREAK
Presentation
Thu May 15
11:15 – 11:45
30 min
HUMAN CENTERED-AI STARTS HERE: LEVERAGING UX RESEARCH TO INFORM ROI AND EMPOWER RESPONSIBLE AI
- Research as catalyst for human-centered AI
- Value and impact studies: bridging assumptions and reality to inform business metrics
- Insights to empower responsible AI adoption
Emily Yang
Head of Human-Centered AI and Innovation
Standard Chartered
Speaker
Panel discussion
Thu May 15
11:45 – 12:15
30 min
HERE AND NOW: AI IN UX RESEARCH
- Ensuring an ethical approach to leveraging AI
- Delineating the lines for automation vs. researcher/human insight
- Looking ahead: personalisation at scale, specialized researchers, collaborative teams
Marcos Nunes-Ueno
UX Researcher
Meta
Moderator
Giulia Angeletti
UX Research Lead
Nestle
Panelist
Venessa Bennett
Global UX Director
Dye & Durham
Panelist
Rich Brady
UX Director
YouTube
Panelist
Hakan Yurdakul
CEO
Bolt Insight
Panelist
Presentation
Thu May 15
12:15 – 12:45
30 min
BREAKING LANGUAGE BARRIERS: HOW AI INTERVIEWS HELPED DEEPLY UNDERSTAND JAPANESE GAMERS
- Overcoming the challenges of a small international research team and language barriers in multi-country UX research
- Leveraging AI-powered interviewing to achieve more with limited resources
- Going beyond surveys to in-depth insights: transcending language barriers to identify cultural nuances and differentiate Japanese gamers from English-speaking users
- Best practices for leveraging AI interviewing in multi-country UX research
Olga Gribkova
UX Research Lead
Nexters
Speaker
Tanya Berlina
Client Success Director
Yasna.ai
Speaker
Networking
Thu May 15
12:45 – 13:45
60 min
NETWORKING LUNCH
Presentation
Thu May 15
13:45 – 14:15
30 min
DESIGNING OUT RISK WITH A DEEPLY PEOPLE-CENTRIC APPROACH
- Establishing the importance of people-centric innovation in Healthcare
- Going beyond: why simulated testing is not always enough and how we can do better
- Elevating the user experience
- Situating the role of data and AI in all this
Barbara Koop
Head of Usability
Philips
Speaker
Presentation
Thu May 15
14:15 – 14:45
30 min
THE TRUST EQUATION: SHIFTING UXR FROM DELIGHT TO ENDURING RELATIONSHIPS
- Establishing trust as a fundamental design principle
- Building a framework of structural and relational trust
- Applying UX practice to understand trust gaps and design for genuine user confidence.
- Earning trust through consistent positive experiences
Neha Viswanathan
UXR Director
Trustpilot
Speaker
Presentation
Thu May 15
14:45 – 15:15
30 min
FROM REFLECTION TO CONNECTION: HOW CULTURAL SENSITIVITY STRENGTHENS DESIGN
- Understanding what Culturally Sensitive Research is and why it matters
- Navigating insight development in international studies
- Learning from IKEA researchers’ lessons from Nigeria and India to the U.S. and Netherlands, with practical tips for every phase of research
- Implementing actionable strategies in research to balance sensitivity and effectiveness
Jeremy Raider-Hoàng
Sr. Design Researcher
IKEA Retail (Ingka Group)
Speaker
Thu May 15
15:15 – 15:20
5 min
RECAP & REFLECT
Networking
Thu May 15
15:20 – 15:50
30 min
NETWORKING BREAK
Presentation
Thu May 15
15:50 – 16:20
30 min
STUCK WITH US: CREATING HIGH QUALITY USER EXPERIENCES FOR A CAPTIVE INTERNAL AUDIENCE
- Defining internal UX: What makes it different from other fields of UX
- Identifying the unique challenges and opportunities of internal UX product development
- How do you successfully provide good UX for a user group that has no choice but to use your products?
- Conducting UX research in a highly regulated and technical industry
Leanne Waterton
Senior UX Researcher
Novo Nordisk
Speaker
Michelle Bergenholz Groth
Senior UX Researcher
Novo Nordisk
Speaker
Presentation
Thu May 15
16:20 – 16:50
30 min
FROM PROFIT AND CUSTOMERS TO POLICY AND CITIZENS: LESSONS FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR FOR CITIZEN-CENTERED GOVERNMENTAL DIGITAL PROJECTS
- Challenges in Public Sector Digitalization: Creating services for ALL citizens, adressing low user trust, accessibility barriers, and workforce shortages while navigating bureaucratic complexities unique to public services
- Contrasting Commercial and Public Sector Approaches: While commercial sectors prioritize usually financially strong customers, profitability, rapid iteration, and customer retention and playful experiences, public services focus on inclusivity, accessibility, usability and collaboration across hierarchical levels
- User-Centric Methodologies for Public Services: Leveraging research, iterative design, and metrics adapted to the public sector's unique needs to create effective solutions
- Case Study - Access to Justice: Creating accessible digital services, reducing errors and improving user satisfaction confidence, showcasing the potential of citizen-centric approaches
- Key Takeaways for Innovation: Emphasizing inclusivity, adaptability, usability and measurable outcomes as critical for driving citizen-centered solutions in public administration
Sonja Wilczek
Principal User Researcher
DigitalService GmbH des Bundes
Speaker
Presentation
Thu May 15
16:50 – 17:20
30 min
FROM INSIGHTS TO IMPACT: ELEVATING PRODUCT EXCELLENCE THROUGH DESIGN & RESEARCH COLLABORATION
- Position research as a co-creative force, rather than a final checkpoint
- Engage with research early and continuously throughout the design process
- Use research to inspire new ideas and challenge assumptions rather than just affirming existing ones
- Learn how to structure research processes that actively shape design decisions
Adam Ebel
UX Design Director
Klang Games
Speaker
Panel discussion
Thu May 15
17:20 – 17:50
30 min
UX PRACTICE LEADING ON PRODUCT STRATEGY
- Ensuring product strategy and design is a user-driven practice that drives both creation and prioritization
- Promoting shared ownership: new dynamics and stakeholder alignment in strategic product roadmaps
- Integrating product and user roadmaps for optimal business performance
Venessa Bennett
Global UX Director
Dye & Durham
Moderator
Lyubomir Todorakov
Director UX Strategy
Paysafe
Panelist
Adam Ebel
UX Design Director
Klang Games
Panelist
Shamindri Perera
Head of UX, Airline Solutions
Amadeus
Panelist
Barbara Koop
Head of Usability
Philips
Panelist
Thu May 15
17:50 – 18:15
25 min
CHAIR´S CLOSING REMARKS AND END OF CONFERENCE
Dr. Javier Bargas-Avila
Founder & UX Director (ex-Google)
Astrolabium
Speaker
Networking
Thu May 15
18:15 – 19:15
60 min
BIERGARTEN
After two power packed days, if you want to sample a taste of Berlin and unwind, Marcos will take the scenic route to ¨Schoenbrunn¨ - a Biergarten located in Berlin´s oldest public park, the historic Volkspark Friedrichshain. 15min walk, group to collect at the registration desk.