Jared Spool: The Strategic Value of User Experience & UX Leadership | Pulse by Intuji #21

In this enlightening episode of Pulse by Intuji, Julian Wallis speaks with Jared Spool, a renowned UX expert with over 44 years of experience in helping organisations use user experience as a competitive advantage. In this conversation, Jared shares invaluable insights on strategic UX leadership, the true cost of poor user experiences, and why understanding your users is crucial for business success.

Drawing from real-world examples and his extensive experience, Jared discusses how companies can avoid costly mistakes by prioritising user experience and maintaining strong connections with their customers. Whether you’re a UX professional, business leader, or product manager, this episode offers practical wisdom on creating meaningful user experiences that drive business value.

Topics Covered:

00:00:00 Podcast Intro Episode snippets and guest background highlights

00:01:29 Introduction Julian introduces Jared Spool and his extensive background in software engineering and UX.

00:02:58 Defining UX and Its Business Impact Understanding UX as a competitive advantage and how it affects market leadership.

00:07:57 Strategic vs Tactical UX The difference between reactive and proactive approaches to user experience.

00:11:26 Evolution of UX How technology and user experience practices have changed over four decades.

00:16:18 Measuring UX Success Discussion on quantifying and tracking user experience improvements.

00:21:49 Case Study: Market Analysis Software Analysis of how customer success teams can mask underlying UX issues.

00:31:32 The Sonos Story Detailed examination of how UX decisions can impact business value and market position.

00:45:45 Knowing Your Users The importance of maintaining direct connections with customers and users.

00:47:18 Final Thoughts Insights on business priorities and creating lasting impact in the UX field.

Key Takeaways from this Episode:

• The critical importance of proactive, strategic UX over-reactive, tactical approaches
• How poor UX decisions can lead to significant business consequences
• The value of maintaining direct relationships with users
• Why user experience should be considered a core business function
• The real cost of using workarounds instead of fixing underlying UX issues

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