Log in or create a free Rosenverse account to watch this video.
Log in Create free account100s of community videos are available to free members. Conference talks are generally available to Gold members.
IBM User Experience Program—The What, Why and How
Summary
Key Insights
-
•
IBM’s User Experience Program involves long-term partnerships (often 1-2 years) with customers for ongoing, strategic feedback rather than one-off sessions.
-
•
Customers in the program are called User Experience Partners and do not receive incentives, unlike traditional research participants.
-
•
Effective recruitment relies heavily on internal stakeholders like sales and account managers to identify and connect with the right customers.
-
•
Diversity and inclusion remain key priorities; IBM has launched initiatives specifically to recruit partners with diverse abilities and backgrounds.
-
•
A slender core team led by Tracy manages over 700 active user partners globally, requiring scalable processes and collaboration from multiple program managers.
-
•
IBM uses a robust, self-service research repository built on Airtable to track participants, research activities, and avoid over-engagement.
-
•
Communication with partners is highly personalized including quarterly playback meetings where customers discuss roadmaps and past feedback impacts directly with product teams.
-
•
Legal and data privacy challenges are complex, especially with multinational customers, requiring evergreen feedback agreements and GDPR-compliant consent forms.
-
•
Measuring program impact ties into IBM’s overall business objectives and benefits from customers advocating for the program internally.
-
•
The User Experience Program acts like an advisory board, helping IBM anticipate future needs beyond immediate usability issues, fueling innovation.
Notable Quotes
"Yesterday was a prototype – we are continually redesigning around our users’ needs."
"Our user experience partners co-create with product teams to help refine IBM products."
"We don’t promise that every piece of feedback will show up in the product, but we keep partners informed about how their input influences development."
"Recruiting diverse partners takes time and effort, and we are actively building programs to include people with diverse abilities."
"It’s like sending around the Rolls Royce with the champagne bottle – a white glove, concierge service for recruiting partners."
"We have a feedback program agreement that once signed, is evergreen and covers everyone in the customer’s company."
"We’re very careful about PII and only the lead researcher and research ops managers have access to sensitive data."
"Customers in the program become our greatest source of learning and help shape the future of our products."
"Getting internal teams on board is often the biggest challenge, but once they see the value, it lights a fire."
"We don’t need to convince executives of the program’s value – our customers do that for us."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"If you said are you creative, I’m gonna say hell yeah."
Dr. Karl JeffriesThe Science of Creativity for DesignOps
January 8, 2024
"We use Alexa’s personification for good, fun, and delight, but we don’t advertise, especially because there may be kids listening."
Amy MarquezINVEST: Discussion
June 15, 2018
"The core of it is really putting yourself in that other person’s shoes—it’s basic but essential empathy."
Steve Portigal Chris Chapo Kelly Goto Christian RohrerDiscussion
May 13, 2015
"Some needs proved full-time, so hybrid staffing models are often short term or mixed part-time."
Alicia MootyDesign Staffing Models
September 30, 2021
"We want to stay in the game no users cursing our name."
Ana Maria Montero Barrantes Aditi Dhar Michelle Kaplan Nate Osborne Matt LaurenceThe Authentic UX Talent Show
January 8, 2024
"You can’t really advocate for UX or move an organization forward without interacting with your team and business colleagues."
Lada Gorlenko Sharbani Dhar Sébastien Malo Rob Mitzel Ivana Ng Michal Anne RogondinoTheme 1: Discussion
January 8, 2024
"We think about research as the magnetic field that attracts every part of the business into alignment around the customer."
Sofia QuinteroThe Product Philosophy Behind EnjoyHQ
March 10, 2021
"Large companies demand certainty, but certainty is the opposite of innovation."
Laura KleinUnique challenges of innovation in enterprises
April 23, 2020
"Existing research repositories die at the bottom of slide decks; that’s why I started Everywhere to rethink how we manage insights."
Andrew MichaelBuilding a Product Insights Team
March 10, 2022
