Speakers tackled some of the biggest challenges facing the industry, including the future of technology, the ethics of AI, and the realities of working in complex organisations.
Some talks pushed boundaries and confronted difficult truths. Others sparked new ideas and offered practical ways forward. Every session left the audience with something to take away, questions, challenges, or new ways of thinking.
In this post, we revisit some of the key themes and highlights that emerged.
Every minute you are here
Steph Troeth, head of data & insights at DXW
Steph opened the day by asking why everyone was there, not just in the physical sense, but in what they hoped to gain. Drawing on the work of Daniel Kahneman and storytelling theory, Steph explored how experiences shape memory and influence decision-making.
Steph challenged the idea of a tipping point as a moment of no return, showing that climate change happens over time with both negative and positive shifts. The way issues are framed affects how people respond. Research and storytelling, when done well, can drive action rather than just highlight problems.
Key insights
- Memory shapes decisions. People act not just on experiences but on how they remember and interpret them.
- Stories can drive change. Reframing issues influences engagement and solutions.
- Action is still possible. Climate narratives often focus on catastrophe, but systemic and individual choices still matter.
Steph encouraged researchers and designers to think about the stories they tell. Instead of reinforcing a sense of helplessness, shifting narratives towards possibility and agency can lead to meaningful change.
"If we keep perpetuating the same stories, we will end up in the world they describe. What if we told different stories?"
Steph left the audience with a compelling question. What future do we imagine, and how does that shape the choices we make today?
What happens when we listen to the birds?
Tamsin Bishton, co-founder of Wilsome
Tamsin explored how paying closer attention to the natural world can shift perspectives. Researching the impact of birdsong on human connection, Tamsin examined how attentiveness to nature influences attitudes and actions towards climate and biodiversity.
Participants in the study reported deeper relationships with their surroundings, a greater sense of responsibility, and a shift in how they saw themselves in relation to nature. Research methods that embrace the environment provided richer, more meaningful data than traditional interviews.
Key insights
- Environment shapes insight. Research conducted in natural settings can surface deeper, more embodied responses.
- Connection builds responsibility. The more people engage with nature, the more they value and protect it.
- Research can be participatory. Expanding the definition of stakeholders to include the natural world challenges human-centric assumptions.
Tamsin encouraged researchers to rethink their approach. Taking conversations outside, observing interactions with nature, and exploring non-traditional methods can create new ways of understanding.
"We need methods that acknowledge our fundamental interconnectedness, rather than reinforcing the idea that humans are separate from the world around them."
The session left the audience reflecting on how research can not only observe change but also contribute to it.
Designing communities
James Lang and Madeleine Paige, Together by Design
James and Madeleine explored the power of community and how research and design methods can be applied to strengthen human connections. Community provides belonging, resilience, and support, yet many products and services fail to consider collective experiences.
Together by Design has studied what makes communities thrive and created a pattern library of proven approaches. The principles of user experience and research can be used to create stronger communities both online and offline.
Key insights
- Community enhances wellbeing. Social isolation negatively affects health, but strong communities foster resilience.
- Trust and participation matter. Designing spaces where people feel safe and engaged strengthens connections.
- Growth is not always the goal. Instead of expanding endlessly, communities thrive when they replicate and adapt.
James and Madeleine highlighted examples of community design, from structured onboarding to traditions that strengthen shared identity. They encouraged the audience to use their research skills to foster better group experiences.
"If you can design an app, you can design a community. The same principles apply."
The session left the audience with a clear call to action. Community building is an intentional process, and research and design can play a key role in making it stronger.
How to see and be seen: Navigating organisational complexity
Dr. John Curran, anthropologist and organisational consultant
John explored the hidden dynamics of organisations and why research teams often struggle to make an impact. Organisational culture is shaped by rituals, hierarchies, and unspoken rules that influence how people behave. Recognising these patterns is key to creating change.
John shared the story of a UX researcher who felt undervalued until realising that navigating the system was as important as the work itself. By finding allies and framing research in terms leadership cared about, the researcher was able to gain visibility and influence.
Key insights
- Culture is not static. Organisational structures and power dynamics constantly shift.
- Perception shapes influence. How work is framed determines whether it gets attention.
- Conflict can drive change. Tension is often necessary to challenge assumptions and move forward.
John encouraged researchers to think beyond their immediate tasks and consider the wider system. Understanding organisational rituals, reading unspoken power structures, and positioning research within the right conversations can make a significant difference.
"To be seen, do not fear organisational hierarchy. Read the room, find allies, and be clear on what you bring."
The session provided a practical framework for navigating complex organisations and ensuring research is heard.
Picking up the pieces
Cennydd Bowles, technology ethicist, author and futurist
Cennydd delivered a stark but necessary assessment of the future of the tech industry, urging the audience to reconsider assumptions about stability and growth. The golden age of tech, with endless job opportunities and unchecked expansion, is over. Layoffs, AI-driven automation and geopolitical tensions have reshaped the landscape, making it clear that the old ways will not return.
Key Insights:
- The industry has changed permanently. Layoffs, AI replacing roles and shifting political alliances mean the old career paths no longer exist.
- AI is not a neutral force. Even if it is not better than human workers, companies will use it if it is cheaper. Many roles will be automated before new jobs emerge.
- Technology is no longer human centred. Profit and political influence now drive innovation, replacing the ideals of user focused design.
- New futures must be actively shaped. Instead of longing for the past, designers and technologists must redefine their value, reject harmful ideologies and insist on ethical, human first technology.
"It is a really poor choice to live your life and your career on autopilot when autopilot seems to be taking us into a mountainside."
The industry will not reset to its previous state. What happens next depends on those willing to shape the future.
A more holistic approach to accessibility
Priyanca D’Souza, senior user researcher
Priyanca highlighted the risks of designing services without considering how different barriers interact. Many systems assume users fit into neat categories, overlooking those with complex or overlapping needs. Using the example of autism and eating disorders, the talk demonstrated how failing to design for intersectionality can have life-threatening consequences.
Key Insights:
- Intersectionality matters. Many conditions, disabilities and lived experiences overlap, yet services often treat them separately.
- Real people cannot scope out parts of themselves. If a service only considers one aspect of a person’s needs, it risks excluding them entirely.
- Barriers are often compounded. Systems that fail to accommodate one need often fail to accommodate others, creating unnecessary struggles.
- Complaints are not always visible. The absence of complaints does not mean a service is accessible. Many people do not have the time, energy or means to push for change.
"Not considering or serving the needs of people who need our help will not make them disappear."
People who need the most support will suffer if they are not considered in design decisions. Services must account for complexity rather than forcing users to fit into rigid categories. Accessibility goes beyond compliance. It must be built into every stage of research and design.
The spirit of Bartleby: In defence of refusal
Michael Kibedi, design researcher and writer
Michael explored the power of refusal in digital culture and design. In an industry that prioritises efficiency, automation and mass participation, refusal can be an act of resistance against extractive and exploitative systems. Drawing on historical and artistic references, the talk challenged the audience to rethink engagement with technology and consider refusal as a design principle.
Key Insights:
- Technology mirrors state power. Digital platforms shape society in ways similar to government systems, often reinforcing oppression rather than reducing it.
- Refusal is protective. It defends against harm, exploitation and the erosion of dignity in digital spaces.
- Refusal is collective. Real change happens through community action, not individual resistance alone.
- Refusal is joyful. Saying no to harmful systems creates space for better alternatives and liberatory futures.
"This is an invitation to conspire, to breathe together, to draw liberatory futures closer to ourselves."
No is a generative and creative source of disorderly power. To refuse is to reject the systems that diminish people and imagine something better. The challenge is to resist collectively and reimagine technology’s role in society.
Debrief panel
Jeremy Keith, Dr. John Curran, Michael Kibedi, Cennydd Bowles, and Steph Troeth
The final panel brought together John, Michael, Cennydd, and Steph for an open and honest discussion on the themes of the day. The conversation covered ethics, power, and the changing role of design and research.
Key Insights:
- Ethical red lines matter, but must be chosen carefully
Cennydd argued that setting boundaries is essential but should not be arbitrary. "If a red line prevents progress, it’s the wrong red line." - Technology is not neutral
Michael highlighted how technology reflects existing power structures. "Technology is often framed through a white, male, Western lens. What happens when we shift that perspective?" - Hope requires action
Steph challenged the idea of passive optimism. "Hope is being punk. It’s not about waiting for the future to be better but actively shaping it." - Technology can reinforce inequality
John pointed out that innovation does not always mean progress. "Technology does not just create new possibilities – it can also entrench existing inequalities." - Strength comes from collective action
Cennydd emphasised that speaking up is easier with support. "One person raising an ethical concern is easy to ignore. A hundred people standing together is much harder to dismiss."
The discussion left the audience with plenty to reflect on. The industry is shifting, but those willing to challenge and build something better still have power to shape the future.
Final thoughts
Research by the Sea was not just a conference; it was an invitation to reflect, challenge, and rethink the role of research in a shifting landscape. Throughout the day, speakers shared personal reflections, bold ideas, and practical insights, touching on themes of community, resilience, ethics, and the evolving role of technology.
Some talks brought hard truths about the impact of AI, the complexity of organisational change, and the ethical dilemmas researchers face. Others offered hope and direction, reminding us of the power of community, the importance of accessibility, and the need to listen to nature, to each other, and to the wider world.
A common thread emerged: research is not just about gathering insights; it is about how we shape and influence the world around us. Whether through the questions asked, the boundaries set, or the communities built, researchers have a unique opportunity to advocate for meaningful change. “We do not get a chance to reset the future of our industry very often. Now is the perfect time to do the work that will define us.”
This was a day of big conversations, but also one of connection, curiosity, and optimism. As researchers, designers, and strategists return to their work, the challenge is not just to apply what was learned, but to continue these discussions, to keep questioning, listening, and building towards a more thoughtful, inclusive, and impactful future.
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