Summary
Everyone is talking about democratization of research–distribution of research across teams. That's not new. The conversation has shifted from whether to democratize, to how, and how much. In this panel we'll talk about different approaches to holding on, and letting go, to UXR in an org. We'll cover: Pros and cons of different approaches Lessons learned the hard way How to think about a model that works for your org And more!
Key Insights
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Effective democratization requires initial structured support and training for teams
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Balancing reactive and proactive research approaches enhances collaboration
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Understanding and addressing recruitment challenges is crucial in B2B environments
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Centralized researchers can act as enablers for product teams conducting research
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Building trust within teams facilitates better adoption of research practices
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Utilizing tools that provide a seamless experience aids democratized research efforts
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Involving designers and product managers in research early improves outcomes
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Regular workshops and training can sustain stakeholder interest in research methodologies
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Scalable processes and templates help maintain research quality across teams
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Feedback loops and iterative improvements are essential for refining research strategies.
Notable Quotes
"The idea of having distributed decentralized research only really started to kick into gear in the last few months."
"Recruitment is so difficult, especially where a B2B product."
"I need to write a business case to hire someone to cover the recruitment pain point."
"I think part of what we're saying when we say do research is talk to customers."
"Everyone's sort of on a spectrum with all of this."
"Expectations matter—having research as part of career advancement is a huge incentive."
"We want to build ongoing benchmarking from this to create lasting insights."
"Finding tools that are easy means they don't generate huge blockers for stakeholders."
"Building trust with the team means figuring out what questions they have."
"I think my role is shifting more to research coaching as we develop these practices."
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