October 17 / Virtual

The global research and discovery conference by Maze

Discovery is a mindset.

At the heart of all research lies a starting point—a question or curiosity that ignites the pursuit of knowledge. Channeled into research, discovery transforms questions into decisions, data into stories, and insights into direction.

Born from the belief that the best products are built on user insights, Disco Conf is the global user research conference created by Maze, for organizations that learn.

Join us on October 17 to embark on a collective venture into research, design, and discovery.

Global

Whether you’re tuning in from Studio 54 or your living room floor, Disco Conf is a global conference with speakers and attendees from around the world.

For everyone

Online-by-design and completely free, all you need is an internet connection. View downloadable transcripts and if you can’t join live, watch on-demand later.

Intentional

Your time is valuable. With a highly-curated agenda, Disco Conf is intentionally designed to serve up expert-led, quality content from start to finish.

Our speakers

Meet our Disco Conf speaker lineup

Amanda Gelb

Independent (ex-Asana, Lyft, Google)

Khalida Nicole Sebree

Senior UX Researcher at LinkedIn

Andy Warr

Director of Portfolio Research & Insights at Dropbox

Ellis Yu

Design Operations Lead at Plaid

David Hartley-Simon

Research Lead at Rippling

Julia Cowing

Principal Research Operations Manager at Esri

Kate Fisher

Senior Design Researcher at Jasper

Bryanne Peterson

Global Head of Research and Strategy for the VCF Division at Broadcom

Alison Irvine

Director, Advance Research at Instructure

Behzod Sirjani

Research Consultant and Founder, Yet Another Studio

Jonathan Widawski

CEO & Co-founder at Maze

George O'Brien

Chief Product Officer at Maze

Netali Jakubovitz

Director of Product Management at Maze

Peter Kildegaard

Senior Product Manager at Maze

Jane Davis

Senior Product Manager at Maze

Ash Oliver

UX Research Advocate at Maze

Agenda

Your session line-up for Disco Conf 2024.

Time

Sessions

Speaker

9am PST/12pm EST

Opening keynote with Jo Widawski, CEO at Maze

Opening remarks from Maze CEO and Co-founder, Jo Widawski, on what brings us together, a look back at the year, the key trends in research, and how that's informing what's new and forthcoming from the Maze platform.

Jonathan Widawski

Jonathan Widawski

CEO & Co-founder at Maze

9:15am PST/12:15pm EST

Product vision keynote

Hear from Chief Product Officer, George O'Brien, and the Maze Product Leads on how the platform has evolved to help its customers get user insights at scale across the key phases of product development. The keynote will announce exciting new features and provide a vision for where the platform is headed.

George O'Brien

George O'Brien

Chief Product Officer at Maze

Peter Kildegaard

Peter Kildegaard

Senior Product Manager at Maze

Jane Davis

Jane Davis

Senior Product Manager at Maze

Netali Jakubovitz

Netali Jakubovitz

Director of Product Management at Maze

10:00am PST/1:00pm EST

AI & Research: A measured perspective

This talk explores the role of AI in nascent design research, focusing on the key considerations for effective and responsible usage. We'll begin with a brief history of AI, tracing its evolution and major milestones. Next, we'll dive into current trends in AI & product-oriented research, examining its growing impact across the discipline. Ethical considerations, such as data privacy and algorithmic bias, will be discussed alongside the limitations of AI tools for business contexts. Finally, David will share a personal window into how he integrates AI into his own research approach, highlighting both its benefits and constraints.

David Hartley-Simon

David Hartley-Simon

Research Lead at Rippling

10:25am PST/1:25pm EST

0 to 1: Lessons learned building product at big and emerging tech companies

Andy shares stories of using research throughout his two decades building products at big tech and hyper-growth companies, including Airtable, Dropbox, Google, Instagram, Microsoft, and Uber.

Andy Warr

Andy Warr

Director of Portfolio Research & Insights at Dropbox

11:00am PST/2:00pm EST

Be the calm pilot: Moving from ticket-taker to partner

Navigating stakeholder relationships can feel like piloting through turbulence, especially when dealing with the trickiest personalities. In 'Be the calm pilot: Moving from ticket-taker to partner', you'll meet the five most challenging stakeholder archetypes that can derail your projects and learn practical strategies to handle each one. From the indecisive to the micromanager, this talk will equip you with tools to stay composed, build trust, and transform these tough interactions into collaborative partnerships. Master the art of stakeholder management and position yourself as a steady, reliable partner in every scenario.

Amanda Gelb

Amanda Gelb

Independent (ex-Asana, Lyft, Google)

11:25am PST/2:25pm EST

Leveling up research impact with the GAME framework

Discover how to elevate your research practice and drive meaningful change in your organization with the GAME Framework, a method designed to increase research reach and value. Learn how to implement Genuine Engagement, Agile Education, Maturity in Research, and an Emphasis on Innovation to transform your approach. This session will provide you with practical tools and techniques for building trust with participants and stakeholders, adapting educational initiatives for democratized research, and promoting a culture of continuous innovation.

Bryanne Peterson

Bryanne Peterson

Global Head of Research and Strategy for the VCF Division at Broadcom

12:00pm PST/3:00pm EST

Intermission: Choose your own adventure

During intermission, it’s time to choose your own path of discovery—say hello to our partners, chat with the day’s speakers in our Speakers Corner, get product demos of the latest Maze features, or sit back and groove to our custom DJ set on the main stage!

1:00pm PST/4:00pm EST

Persuasive marketing techniques to drive action

While technical expertise can open the door to a UX Research role, it's the ability to compellingly advocate for your research that truly sets you apart as a practitioner. In this talk, we'll delve into psychology-based marketing techniques designed to inform and captivate busy stakeholders. We'll discuss how to select, structure and balance your content in order to transform your research findings into actionable insights, ultimately driving meaningful change within your organization.

Khalida Nicole Sebree

Khalida Nicole Sebree

Senior UX Researcher at LinkedIn

1:25pm PST/4:25pm EST

Efficient by design: Operationalizing design and research

Operations doesn’t have to be complex; when done right, it can empower your teams by providing the structure designers and researchers need to excel in their roles together, leading to higher quality work, more efficient projects, and a genuinely satisfied team. In this presentation, Ellis shares what’s worked (and what hasn’t) for investing in operations that can help your teams work smarter and ship better products, faster.

Ellis Yu

Ellis Yu

Design Operations Lead at Plaid

2:15pm PST/5:15pm EST

Agents of change: Big and small

Navigating change is a critical skill for everyone on a product team. This presentation explores how to take charge of the changes you care about most, driving user-centered innovation, and making a lasting impact as researchers, designers, or product managers. Drawing from over a decade of experience, this session will equip you with actionable strategies to embrace your role as an agent of change. Whether you're part of a big company or small startup, you'll walk away with practical tools and frameworks to help you lead and innovate through change with confidence.

Alison Irvine

Alison Irvine

Director, Advance Research at Instructure

2:45pm PST/5:45pm EST

Silos to synergy: How to tap into existing data for faster, validated discoveries

In their presentation, 'Silos to Synergy', Kate Fisher and Julia Cowing will discuss a framework to break down discovery roadblocks, foster collaboration, and streamline product decisions. Say goodbye to siloed efforts and lengthy processes, and hello to faster, validated insights that drive innovation. With practical steps for centralizing data and using triangulation to ensure credibility, you’ll turn scattered information into actionable results. Ready to turn data silos into discovery synergy?

Julia Cowing

Julia Cowing

Principal Research Operations Manager at Esri

Kate Fisher

Kate Fisher

Senior Design Researcher at Jasper

3:10pm PST/6:10pm EST

Closing keynote: Jo Widawski & Behzod Sirjani

A fireside conversation between Maze CEO and Co-founder, Jo Widawski, and Behzod Sirjani on the key learnings from Disco Conf 2024, how they reinforce or challenge broader changes in UX research, and their perspectives on the emerging topics and trends shaping discourse as we head into 2025.

Behzod Sirjani

Behzod Sirjani

Research Consultant and Founder, Yet Another Studio

Jonathan Widawski

Jonathan Widawski

CEO & Co-founder at Maze

October 17, 2024 / Virtual

Hear from previous attendees

Thank you, Maze, for this amazing set of speakers, break sessions, and value you put into our careers. I hope we all spread the word to everyone in the industry about this event. I think we are on the verge of creating a revolution in the way we develop products.

John

One of the most impactful and enjoyable conferences I have attended.

Sarah

Couldn’t have asked for a better experience! This event was exceptionally well-planned, delved into crucial and timely topics, and featured some truly outstanding participants.

Alina C.

I appreciated that a lot of the content and insights were directly applicable to product and business strategy, essentially giving us an extra way to differentiate and compete in the market.

Sahil S.

I had the privilege of diving into a world of innovation and knowledge at this remarkable conference. Huge shoutout to the conference organizers for bringing together such a dynamic group of professionals from across the globe.

Selvasivasankar M.

What an engaging event and great resource; amazing leaders and topics.

Nachshon B.

FAQs

Who is Disco Conf for?

Disco Conf is designed for organizations that learn. From researchers to product managers and designers, the conference is open to anyone with a curious mind and a drive to uncover user insights.

Register here to join us on the journey.

Where is Disco Conf?

Disco Conf is virtual-by-design. All you need is an internet connection and somewhere to jot notes. Join in from anywhere and represent your space among a global audience.

Will the conference be recorded?

After Disco Conf, we’ll share recordings of each session with registrants so you can catch up on what you missed—or play back your favorite highlights. If you can’t attend live, register anyway to make sure the recordings end up in your inbox ✉️

Is Disco Conf really free?

Yes! There’s no hidden costs, and zero ticket cost to tune in to Disco Conf. All you have to do is register.

I can’t wait until October. Is there a place to stay up to date before the conference?

Once registered, you’ll be kept in the loop on all details, directly to your inbox. You can also watch this space or tune in on socials for the latest updates and teasers. Follow us on LinkedIn, X and Instagram.

For a taste of what's to come, you can also catch up on last year's sessions and watch Disco Conf 2023 on-demand, right here. Take a look to hear from industry giants like Microsoft, Google, Figma, Miro, and more.

Ready? We'll see you at

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October 17, 2024 / Virtual

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