Attendee feedback

My talks make AI approachable for product teams, emphasizing evidence-based best practices for product research and strategy, and getting ahead of what comes next.

I’ve spoken extensively at technology and design venues such as UXDX, Rosenfeld Media: Advancing Research, the User Testing: Insights Unlocked podcast, and Austin Startup Week. I’ve also been an invited speaker at organizations like Microsoft, Guidewire, and the Library of Congress.

As as the curator of Designing with AI for Rosenfeld Media, I understand the many moving parts that go into planning a major event. And as a former board member for UXPA and IxDA chapters, I also have a soft spot for local meetups.

(For training and workshops, see Upcoming Workshops.)

Popular speaking topics

• AI for UX research: What UX practitioners should know

  Adding AI to your UX research workflow isn’t just a tooling decision: it’s a strategic one.  The tools you choose influence more than how insights are generated and interpreted. They also influence how decisions get made, how teams collaborate, and ultimately how your research culture evolves over time.

• Designing for AI agents: How businesses can unlock new value through agent experience testing

  On Black Friday 2025, AI agents influenced $14.2 billion in sales–but most of that potential is being left on the table because today's interfaces are built for humans, not agents. AX testing gives you a new way to optimize interfaces and capture your piece of the AI commerce pie.

• Physical AI needs a new type of designer

  Physical AI brings AI out of the chat window and into the physical world–enabling sensing, smart devices, and even robots. Investors are betting this will be the next breakout technology. But traditional UX design processes are built for screens, not spaces.  In this forward-looking talk, learn how to evolve your design practice for this emerging frontier.

Custom topics available upon request.

Past talkS

• Episode 20 - Figma Design Agent, 2026 AI in Design Report, Synthetic Customers, Llewyn Paine on UXR [podcast] - AI and Design Podcast

• Designing with AI: Outputs are easy–problems aren't [podcast] - User Testing Insights Unlocked

• Designing for AI Agents: How Researchers Can Unlock New Business Value Through Agent Experience Testing - Big Design 2026

• Evaluating AI tools for UX research: Aligning strategy, risk, and culture - Condens

• AI privacy and trust: 5 new ways of working with AI - World Usability Day 2025 (UXPA Austin)

• Working with AI: What UX practitioners need to know about AI as a research tool - [Undisclosed financial institution]

• [Expert interview for forthcoming book on AI + research]

• Coexisting with AI: Redefining our research identity - Library of Congress: User Research Community of Practice

• Designing with AI 2025 [emcee] - Rosenfeld Media Designing with AI 2025

• Cutting-edge AI opportunities - Rosenfeld Media Designing with AI 2025

• Looking ahead: Designing with AI in 2026 [panel] - Rosenfeld Media Designing with AI 2025

• Using AI in UX with impact - Rosenfeld Media Designing with AI 2025

• Up to the minute: The latest in AI’s impact on UX [panel] - Rosenfeld Media Designing with AI 2025

• From hype to insight: Llewyn Paine on AI, UX, and Critical Thinking [podcast] - Rosenfeld Review Podcast

• Coexisting with AI: A practical guide for researchers - Rosenfeld Media Advancing Research 2025

• Reconceiving the purpose of research [panel] - Rosenfeld Media Advancing Research 2025

• Physical AI needs a new type of designer [guest lecture] - Pratt Institute

• AI: Passionate defenses and reasoned critique [panel] - Rosenfeld Media Advancing Research community workshop

• Research repositories: Best practices [round table] - Guidewire Software, Inc.

• Deploying AI doppelgangers to de-identify user research recordings [demo] - Rosenfeld Futures: Designing with AI 2024

• The secrets to researching potential emerging tech products [podcast] - Design of AI podcast

• Discovering physical-digital spaces - Austin Design Week 2021

• Discovering profitable spatial problems: How to match the capabilities of AR, IoT, and robotics to customer needs - Austin Startup Week 2021

• Researching a pivot: How do you “get out of the building” when you can’t leave the house? - Austin Startup Week 2021

• Differentiated research 101 - Microsoft: Strategy & Operations University

• Guidelines for designing chat messaging bots - Microsoft: Company bots hackathon

• Quantifying delightful design - ConveyUX 2016

• An interview with Llewyn Paine [podcast] - ConveyUX podcast

• Bing in education [panel] - Microsoft E2 Global Educator Exchange 2015

• Lean user research - The Advisory Board Company (now Optum)

• Microsoft in education: Executive strategy summit [curator] - Microsoft

• Engaging users (research and strategy of designing for audience engagement) - Microsoft: Bing Summit

• [Various executive presentations on research methodology] - Disney Media & Advertising Lab