Solving user problems with empathetic solutions
This case study began as a 2-week Agile sprint in July 2025 to validate the value of an AI agent for CareerCoachingPro.
Discovery research surfaced common themes around the challenges of networking and the opportunity for an AI experience to help users practice in a risk-free environment.
Those findings led to two distinct AI coaching tool paths. The Product Owner prioritized an onboarding agent to address early client experience friction, with foundational research from the original sprint informing the new direction.
Research is ongoing. Current work focuses on how users interact with AI products, how AI experiences are implemented, and how ethical design principles can be embedded into AI training and knowledge materials from the ground up.
Directions for navigating the Mural Board:
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Available on desktop, using your mouse or trackpad, zoom in to at least 20%.
(Tip: 25% to 30% for best readability) -
Move from left to right to follow my process within product discovery
Key Findings:
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AI skepticism among users remains consistent and may be deepening, reinforcing the need for trust-building as a core product design priority rather than an afterthought.
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The team is grounding AI training and knowledge materials in ethical design and human-centered practice, positioning these principles as the foundation for responsible product growth.
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When the Product Owner shifted priority to the onboarding agent, foundational research from the original sprint transferred directly, validating that the discovery work produced insights flexible enough to inform multiple product directions.
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Ongoing research into how users interact with AI products continues to surface new patterns, suggesting that the relationship between user trust and AI adoption is evolving and requires sustained investigation.
Key takeaways:
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Discovery research surfaced two distinct AI coaching tool paths, giving the Product Owner evidence-backed options rather than assumptions when prioritizing the product roadmap.
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The Product Owner prioritized an onboarding agent, a decision informed by foundational research that identified the early client experience as a critical friction point.
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Current research is generating new insights into how users interact with AI products and how AI experiences are implemented, extending the original sprint findings into a longer-term research practice.
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The sprint format demonstrated that focused discovery research can produce actionable product direction quickly, while also laying groundwork for deeper, ongoing investigation.