The Filter Redesign That Crashed and Burned (& What It Taught Us)

Jodi O'Prandy, VP of Product at 1stDibs, joins host Lihong Hicken on UX Stories to break down what luxury e-commerce and travel booking have in common — and where they diverge. They discuss how trust factors differ between a $500 flight and a $50,000 piece of fine art, the TripAdvisor filter redesign that failed because it skipped user testing, why hyper-personalization is the future of e-commerce, and what tools like Sprig are doing for modern product teams. 🔑 Topics covered: Trust signals in high-value vs. commodity purchases Why cruise shoppers rejected Google Flights-style filters How AI agents, image search, and natural language are reshaping shopping The case for moderated user research in the AI era Rapid fire: go-to testing tools and gathering customer feedback at scale ⏱️ Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro & Jodi's background 1:37 - $500 flight vs. $50K art: How trust differs 3:58 - How long does it take to buy a $50K art piece? 5:52 - Designing for conversion, not just looks 7:00 - How 1stDibs tests new features (focus groups + A/B testing) 7:42 - Why in-person & moderated research still matters 8:42 - The value of body language & behavioral cues 9:57 - Story: The TripAdvisor filter redesign that crashed and burned 13:07 - Lesson learned: Know your users before you build 13:27 - The future of e-commerce: AI agents, image search & personalization 14:48 - Why one-size-fits-all no longer works in e-commerce 16:22 - Image search, AI agents & serving every customer segment 17:02 - Hyper-personalization at 1stDibs 18:03 - Rapid fire: Go-to user testing tool (Sprig) 19:16 - Magic wand: Making feedback gathering easier at scale 🎙️ Guest: Jodi O'Prandy — VP of Product Management at 1stDibs, formerly TripAdvisor & Priceline 🎙️ Host: Lihong Hicken — Co-founder of TheySaid, former UserTesting team (zero to IPO) Subscribe for more conversations with product leaders on building great user experiences.

What is UX Stories Podcast?

If you want to understand your customers more deeply and unlock growth that doesn't rely on guesswork, this series is for you. Founders, operators, and product leaders tune in to learn how real conversations shape better products, better decisions, and better outcomes.

In each episode of UX Stories Podcast, you'll explore how fast-growing teams uncover meaningful insights using smarter feedback loops and authentic user conversations. Inspired by the approach behind TheySaid, this show digs into why traditional surveys fall short and how modern teams gather richer, more actionable signals that drive real business impact.