“Behind the Pixels,” a podcast series formed from longitudinal study data

The research-sharing experiment that captivated a product team


A olorful digital illustration with a microphone at the center. The surface of the mic is metallic in shades of blue, purple, and teal. Abstract concentric circles, resembling sound waves,radiate outward. Bright geometric shapes and pixelated patterns in vibrant shade of orange, yellow, pink, teal and green surround it.

Illustration by Roxanne Rashedi using Photoshop web Text to Image

As a researcher, I know that slide decks and written reports skillfully summarize my findings, but every time I present them, I’m left with two questions: “Will this inspire action?” and “Will anyone remember any of it two weeks from now?”

Earlier this year, I began a longitudinal study of Adobe Photoshop for mobile and web. It unfolded in five parts:


As I moved from collecting data to making sense of it, I kept returning to the same question: “Given that research moments carry a kind of emotion that no bullet-point list or slide can capture, will the final output truly connect?”


Instead, I imagined my colleagues hearing directly from our users when a tool worked exactly as they hoped, when something was unclear, or when a process took too long. That vision became “Behind the Pixels,” a research podcast series that traded slides for voices, where users could speak for themselves, and where each episode felt like a conversation, not a presentation.


Podcasting not only preserved the emotional nuance of users’ voices—it also made the findings more memorable, more actionable, and more deeply human. For researchers seeking a powerful alternative to traditional reports, this behind-the-scenes look at crafting audio narratives shows how it can also become a source of insight.

Giving data a voice: How podcasting makes research more human

Each episode should be grounded in data and told through lived moments, so it feels real. Listeners (for me it was the Photoshop team) should hear the joy when a workflow felt effortless, the frustration when something didn’t work as expected, and the surprise at a new discovery.

With a hard time cap, it won’t be possible to include everything from a multi-part diary study, but that constraint can force crisp choices: sharpen the stories, tighten the pace, and make the insights stick. Distill your research to the most essential takeaways—those most closely tied to business goals and most likely to spark meaningful conversations. This discipline helps clarify the path from user feedback to product priorities.

Because podcasts meet listeners where they are—during a commute, while multitasking, or in moments of quiet focus—the format invites empathy. It reflects the reality that we all absorb information differently. That flexibility makes it easier for people to connect emotionally with the stories being told.

“Turning the findings into a podcast made the research much easier to consume. I could listen on my commute, over lunch, or while doing dishes—it kept me current without carving out desk time. It was engaging and efficient, and I wish more insights were shared this way.”
Shambhavi Kadam, Senior Director of Product Management

Sift through your recordings with the findings as your north star and choose clips that carry the evidence forward. My episodes felt human because they were built from lived moments, and every beat was anchored to the data I set out to share. Study participants became “guests” as I wove clips from their sessions directly into the podcast. Participant voices bring an authenticity that keeps listeners engaged. They became the stars of the show: no translation, no interpretation, just their own words.

When recording narration, remember that delivery matters as much as the content. Adjust your tone to match the emotional weight of each moment, vary intonation to highlight key points, and use pauses to give listeners time to absorb what they’ve heard. Product teams often read research results, but they rarely hear directly from research participants. Give the data a voice.

A special guest joins in person: Mercedes Vega Villar, PhD

While I was producing my episodes, Mercedes Vega Villar, PhD, a senior researcher on our team, was conducting a diary study in Photoshop mobile. After we compared notes, I invited her to cohost a special episode so we could walk through our findings together.

Weaving edited user clips from both studies into a single narrative arc and closing with a short wrap-up to connect themes deepened insights for both of us.

“Working together on the podcast episode encouraged rich discussion about what we were observing separately, which led to more nuanced insights that our stakeholders could confidently rely on.”
Mercedes Vega Villar, PhD, Senior Experience Researcher

Sharing the mic can turn a simple comparison into a shared narrative that partners can consume in their own time, making overlaps easy to see and providing a single place to stitch evidence together. For us, it built a sense of research community, showcased our team’s impact across the organization, and reinforced the idea that research is an ongoing dialogue that accelerates alignment, sharpens priorities, and moves decisions forward.

Making the podcast pop!

What began for me as an experiment eventually became a six-episode series, each with its own rhythm yet part of one continuous story. The finale revisited users’ return to Photoshop mobile and web, weaving together the final threads of the study.

To spark curiosity and make each episode stand out, consider creating a visual identity that will garner attention in Slack and other communication channels. It will make each release feel less like a notification and more like an invitation.

I designed custom cover art for the podcast using Photoshop web and mobile, and Adobe Express. Along the way, I practiced compositing (combining images with layers and masks to control what shows and what doesn’t) a workflow the research participants naturally attempted. Completing the same steps gave me firsthand insight into their experience.

Producing the podcast meant learning as I went. I used Adobe Podcast to record and refine audio and Adobe Premiere Pro to generate transcripts. Microsoft Copilot became my creative sounding board for brainstorming episode structures, though I preferred to go off script to keep the delivery authentic.

“I liked being able to listen on my own time. Anything to get out of adding another meeting to a day of back-to-back meetings.”
Michael Cragg, Senior Design Manager


Because studies can run for several weeks, a podcast can keep stakeholders engaged in real time. Launch each episode with intention, pairing it with teasers and short intros to encourage listening and sharing. Short clips can spark Slack discussions within minutes, and by the time the finale airs, the audience will feel part of the story.

Turning research into resonance: Lessons from behind the mic

As the series came together, I saw what made it work. Some choices were intentional from the start (two to three core findings per episode, three guest clips, and a clear “what this means” close), while others appeared along the way (like discovering Copilot as a helpful creative partner).

“What I appreciated about the podcast format is it provides a better long-term understanding of the customer. Each episode gave a new insight that carried forward to the next. It allowed you to take in the findings like layers on a cake, and a better appreciation for each insightful bite as you've been on the journey with the customer.”
David Hackel, VP Engineering, Photoshop Platform

Each element works together to move the series beyond a report, turning it into an ongoing dialogue that will stay with stakeholders long after the final episode. These are the lessons that helped me keep the dialogue alive and move people to act:

Beyond bullet points

Decks and reports will always hold value for the depth they provide and the way they serve as lasting references. But when the goal is to spark action and build empathy, a story told in a human voice offers something richer: emotional dimension and resonance.

There are plenty of tools that can create a podcast in seconds, but shaping each episode by hand—weaving in real voices, designing visuals, refining delivery—is a creative process well worth the effort.

“I'm generally an auditory learner, so having a podcast version of the findings was so much better for me than the typical written format. I was able to consume the information better and on my own terms.”
Alyssa Wood, Senior Design Manager

Because the act of editing and curating is about interpretation, not just production, each decision about what to highlight, what to leave out, and how to frame a moment can force researchers to weigh the emotional truth of participants’ voices against the business needs of a team.

For me, the discipline sharpened my ability to distill insights into their most essential form while preserving the humanity of the stories. In that sense, the process itself became a form of research: it asked me to listen more carefully, empathize more deeply, and craft in a way that made the findings not just understandable, but resonant.

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