Doing more with more: Lessons from the Front Lines of Democratization
Summary
We've all heard about the trends around democratizing research, but less about how to do it in a sustainable way that fits our unique business models and environments. This session will cover critical considerations and strategies based on experience and case studies around how and when it is is appropriate to consider enabling and empowering non-researchers to gather insights and best practices on how to create process, training, and tools that drive success.
Key Insights
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Organizational readiness is critical for successful democratization of research; it requires a cultural groundswell that values user feedback.
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Separating research into roles: researchers focus on strategic complex studies, while non-researchers handle ad hoc insights and evaluative tests.
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Research operations managers play a key role in governing democratization efforts, managing processes, training, vendor relationships, and repositories.
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Empathic data collection is often the best entry point for non-researchers to contribute meaningfully to user insights.
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Democratization is not about lowering research quality but expanding contribution while researchers maintain best practices and quality assurance.
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Clear process alignment is essential to prevent research being done aimlessly; testing should be purposeful and timed for maximal impact.
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Training and coaching are ongoing necessities; democratization is a gradual process requiring sustained effort and realistic expectations.
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Repurposing insights into design documentation and product experiences can serve as informal but effective reporting for democratized research.
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Combination of push (e.g., Slack updates) and pull (e.g., searchable repositories) strategies best facilitates insight sharing throughout an organization.
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Creating non-researcher coaches within the organization can enhance support and scale of democratization initiatives beyond researchers alone.
Notable Quotes
"You really have to be honest about whether your organization is ready to democratize research."
"Researchers have a lane enforcing best practice, but non-researchers can significantly contribute to creating intelligence."
"Democratization helps free up researchers by shifting ad hoc research to others."
"Empathic data is the most accessible starting point for people who are not trained researchers."
"You need a thoughtful operation managing your democratization program to keep it on track and adaptable."
"Process matters — people should not just do research for the sake of research."
"Training and coaching must be continuous because the ground keeps changing as new methods emerge."
"A combination of push and pull communication strategies usually works best to share insights."
"Reports aren’t always required; findings can be integrated directly into design docs or the product itself."
"Having empathy hours where different people across the org listen to user insights helps build better understanding and skills."
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