Discussion
Summary
In this talk, Kelly, Christian, and Chris explore the unique challenges of conducting UX research and generating insights within large enterprise organizations. They highlight the importance of empathy to bridge cultural divides between tribes such as data and design, as Kelly emphasizes starting with understanding others' perspectives. Christian stresses balancing corporate momentum with addressing critical gaps in knowledge, advising targeting insights that align with business needs and decision-makers’ motivations to maximize impact. Chris illuminates organizational politics where relationships can trump the quality of data or methods, underscoring the value of trust and tailored communication in convincing stakeholders. The panelists also discuss tactical challenges like recruiting participants and executing ethnographic studies in enterprise contexts, advocating for pilot projects and building internal research practices. They recognize the early maturity of enterprise UX and foresee increasing adoption but note that success depends on strategic awareness and PR around insights work. Various practical methods such as intercept interviews, microsurveys, and observation of networked workflows are shared. The conversation includes addressing pitfalls like confirmation bias and bad data, emphasizing data integrity and framing research questions effectively. Together, Kelly, Christian, and Chris provide a nuanced view of how to create meaningful, actionable insights and embed them into large organizations to drive customer-centered product success.
Key Insights
-
•
Empathy is foundational to bridging cultural gaps between different organizational 'tribes' such as design and data teams.
-
•
Both data scientists and designers share a deep commitment to creating awesome customer experiences despite differing toolsets.
-
•
Effective insight work balances leveraging existing corporate momentum with uncovering critical blind spots in knowledge.
-
•
Building trust with senior executives is crucial to successfully influencing decisions with user insights.
-
•
Visualization tailored to how an executive interprets data can turn skepticism into acceptance.
-
•
Enterprise UX research often succeeds by breaking down large organizations into smaller, approachable segments.
-
•
Organizational politics and relationships often outweigh the methodological rigor of insight work in influence.
-
•
Pilot studies and evangelists within companies help overcome fear and budget hesitations around ethnographic research.
-
•
Recruiting ‘impossible’ user groups like data scientists requires strategic high-level buy-in and creative outreach.
-
•
Data quality, understanding research questions, and recognizing confirmation bias are vital to trustworthy analysis.
Notable Quotes
"The core of it is really putting yourself in that other person’s shoes—it’s basic but essential empathy."
"Both tribes really believe in doing awesome for customers, that’s our common ground."
"The weakest insight method might win simply because of the relationship to the power structure."
"Trust is built by showing you’re there to help make them succeed, not just push your agenda."
"Visualizing data in a way executives can interpret is key to shifting from I think to I know."
"Enterprise UX is still nascent—businesses worldwide are just beginning to figure out where UX fits."
"When you look at data without training, confirmation bias makes you just find what you already believe."
"Pilot projects with evangelists inside the company make ethnography manageable and successful."
"Breaking enterprise into small segments lets you apply research methods effectively at scale."
"Building an internal research practice is critical for long-term value and integration of insights."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Researchers hold objective knowledge which holds power to account."
Jemma AhmedResearch at an inflection point: Adapting to a new era of collaboration, equity, and innovation
March 11, 2025
"We decided not to chase shiny objects because we wanted to stay true to our mission."
Briana ThomasThe Quiet Force: Uncovering Hidden Leadership in High-Impact Design Teams
September 24, 2024
"We shortened the network distance between any two randomly selected government staff involved in COVID response, making collaboration faster and more effective."
Gordon Ross12 Months of COVID-19 Design and Digital Response with the British Columbia Government
December 8, 2021
"There is a world of difference between what a participant says and what they actually do, and AI misses that completely."
Laura KleinHuman vs. machine: Testing AI’s ability to synthesize and analyze research
March 11, 2026
"Designing a metric starts with the goals, not the metric itself."
Alberto FerreiraMaking it Count: Developing a custom digital metric framework that works
October 15, 2021
"The follow-up prompts are incredibly powerful. They help you learn the language of the field."
Louis RosenfeldHow to use the Rosenbot
March 16, 2026
"Researchers must respect participants' ownership of their own narratives and foster intersectional inclusivity."
Noah BondRedefining truth and inclusivity: Navigating data ownership and ethical research in the age of disinformation
March 11, 2025
"That productivity revolution—the idea we don’t need more headcount but better tools—is more aspiration than reality at the moment."
James LangHopeful Futures for UX Research
January 30, 2026
"There’s a big problem with energy measurement — data isn’t standardized yet, but trends can still be spotted."
Amy ParnessScaling Sustainability: Complementary strategies that drive long-term success
May 29, 2025
