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Why personas are broken and what to do instead with Jen Blatz - episode 35

Thursday, May 29th, 2025 at 3:15 AM ux community team collaboration research frameworks industry insights professional growth ux education digital banking remote work product management design strategy research methods personal branding career development ai tools credit unions financial services scenario planning personas user experience ux research

In this episode of the How This Works show, principal UX researcher Jen Blatz discusses the evolution of user research, the fundamental problems with traditional personas, and why the future of UX might look different than we think. From her journalism background to her current role at Boeing Employees' Credit Union (BECU), Jen shares honest insights about working across diverse industries — from animal hospitals to financial institutions — and the practical realities of conducting research in today's challenging landscape.

You can listen in the player above or wherever you get your podcasts: https://www.howthisworks.show/035-jen-blatz. Or watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/B-uMrQ4d4RQ.

Our conversation explores:

  • Her transition from newspaper design to UX research, starting with ethnographic observation in animal hospitals where she watched dogs undergo anesthesia for dental cleanings
  • Why all financial institutions aren't the same — the unique constraints of credit unions versus big banks and FinTech companies
  • Her fundamental critique of personas and why demographic information often misleads product teams
  • The Scenario Alignment Canvas (SAC) framework as a practical alternative that focuses on specific user scenarios rather than archetypal users
  • How to use AI tools like ChatGPT and Adobe Firefly as research assistants while avoiding the trap of treating AI outputs as gospel
  • The distributed research model at BECU and the trade-offs between learning about different business areas versus sustained project influence
  • Honest advice about the current UX job market and why real-world experience trumps theoretical knowledge
  • Her prediction that design system roles may become obsolete as AI tools advance, and why UX researchers are migrating to product owner positions

Throughout our discussion, Jen emphasizes the importance of listening more than talking, both in research interviews and in understanding the nuanced needs of users in specific scenarios. Her approach challenges conventional UX wisdom while offering practical frameworks that teams can implement immediately to make better, more informed design decisions.
You can find Jen on LinkedIn and on her YouTube channel BlatzChatz, where she explores current challenges in UX research and shares book summaries for seasoned practitioners navigating mid-career challenges.