Carolyn Wei
Director | Bold Insight | France
Carolyn Wei is a UX Researcher with 20 years of experience, specializing in social media and social computing.
Anyone who has used social media in recent years has probably benefited from Carolyn’s work.
For more than 12 years, until 2026, she worked at Meta as a Principal UX Researcher, most recently at Instagram, where she studied how teenagers and young adults use social media to manage their identities, relationships and time across an ever-expanding portfolio of platforms. Her work sits at the intersection of Strategic Research and Cultural Foresight, helping product teams understand not only what users need today, but also the behavioral trends that may shape the future.
Throughout her extensive career, she has also worked at major technology companies such as Google and Microsoft, developing expertise in researching culturally diverse audiences and building systems that help teams anticipate emerging trends.
More recently, she has been exploring how AI tools can enhance UX Research practice, when it makes sense to use them and when human analysis remains the better approach.
Carolyn holds a PhD in Human Centered Design and Engineering from the University of Washington, where she studied technology use in digitally emerging contexts.
Drawing on her experience, she has focused on intergenerational Research: understanding how age, experience and cultural context shape the way people communicate and rely on technology. The patterns that span generations are often more revealing than the differences between them.
She is currently building an independent career in Research and consulting, with a particular focus on Gen Z and youth culture. She enjoys challenging problems and is especially interested in working with smaller, early-stage teams, where a Research function may not yet exist and someone needs to build it. She works with product leaders who want a clearer understanding of their audiences, and regularly speaks and writes about what Research can (and cannot) tell us about Human Behaviour at scale.
(coming soon)
Join us for two unforgettable days of design inspiration, innovation, and interaction at UX Masterclass 2025
Carolyn Wei
Independent UX Researcher | Former Meta, Google & Microsoft | USA
Carolyn Wei is a UX Researcher with 20 years of experience, specializing in social media and social computing.
Anyone who has used social media in recent years has probably benefited from Carolyn’s work.
For more than 12 years, until 2026, she worked at Meta as a Principal UX Researcher, most recently at Instagram, where she studied how teenagers and young adults use social media to manage their identities, relationships and time across an ever-expanding portfolio of platforms. Her work sits at the intersection of Strategic Research and Cultural Foresight, helping product teams understand not only what users need today, but also the behavioral trends that may shape the future.
Throughout her extensive career, she has also worked at major technology companies such as Google and Microsoft, developing expertise in researching culturally diverse audiences and building systems that help teams anticipate emerging trends.
More recently, she has been exploring how AI tools can enhance UX Research practice, when it makes sense to use them and when human analysis remains the better approach.
Carolyn holds a PhD in Human Centered Design and Engineering from the University of Washington, where she studied technology use in digitally emerging contexts.
Drawing on her experience, she has focused on intergenerational Research: understanding how age, experience and cultural context shape the way people communicate and rely on technology. The patterns that span generations are often more revealing than the differences between them.
She is currently building an independent career in Research and consulting, with a particular focus on Gen Z and youth culture. She enjoys challenging problems and is especially interested in working with smaller, early-stage teams, where a Research function may not yet exist and someone needs to build it. She works with product leaders who want a clearer understanding of their audiences, and regularly speaks and writes about what Research can (and cannot) tell us about Human Behaviour at scale.
Meet this speaker at:
Talk
Foresight doesn't require a dedicated futures team. It requires a lightweight, repeatable practice any researcher can fold into their existing work. Drawing on her experience building a trends monitoring system for teen and young adult audiences, Carolyn Wei shows how to set up an AI-assisted trends dashboard, apply STEEP signal-scanning and turn cultural shifts into product implications before they become obvious, with a clear-eyed view of when AI genuinely helps and when it doesn't.
Independent UX Researcher
Carolyn Wei is a UX Researcher with 20 years of experience, specializing in social media and social computing.
Anyone who has used social media in recent years has probably benefited from Carolyn’s work.
For more than 12 years, until 2026, she worked at Meta as a Principal UX Researcher, most recently at Instagram, where she studied how teenagers and young adults use social media to manage their identities, relationships and time across an ever-expanding portfolio of platforms. Her work sits at the intersection of Strategic Research and Cultural Foresight, helping product teams understand not only what users need today, but also the behavioral trends that may shape the future.
Throughout her extensive career, she has also worked at major technology companies such as Google and Microsoft, developing expertise in researching culturally diverse audiences and building systems that help teams anticipate emerging trends.
More recently, she has been exploring how AI tools can enhance UX Research practice, when it makes sense to use them and when human analysis remains the better approach.
Carolyn holds a PhD in Human Centered Design and Engineering from the University of Washington, where she studied technology use in digitally emerging contexts.
Drawing on her experience, she has focused on intergenerational Research: understanding how age, experience and cultural context shape the way people communicate and rely on technology. The patterns that span generations are often more revealing than the differences between them.
She is currently building an independent career in Research and consulting, with a particular focus on Gen Z and youth culture. She enjoys challenging problems and is especially interested in working with smaller, early-stage teams, where a Research function may not yet exist and someone needs to build it. She works with product leaders who want a clearer understanding of their audiences, and regularly speaks and writes about what Research can (and cannot) tell us about Human Behaviour at scale.
2
DAYS
Get ready for two full days of immersive UX exploration. Whether you're a designer, researcher, or innovator, this event is packed with curated keynotes, deep-dive sessions, and hands-on workshops designed to challenge your thinking and spark new ideas. It’s not just a conference — it’s an experience crafted to elevate your UX mindset.
15
EVENTS
Dive into a diverse lineup of 20+ sessions featuring cutting-edge topics in design, AI, accessibility, service design, and more. From thought-provoking panels to interactive case studies, every session is tailored to bring real-world insights and bold future perspectives. Whether you're looking to learn, share, or be inspired — we’ve got something for you.
20
SPEAKERS
Meet 20+ trailblazers in UX from across the globe — from industry pioneers to emerging voices driving innovation. These speakers bring experience from top companies and real-world projects, delivering stories, strategies, and frameworks that leave a lasting impact. Get ready to learn from the best.