Summary
Organizations are organic, evolving systems with complex relational dynamics and power structures, both within the system and among its people. These systems are being reshaped by shifts in culture and technology, just as the research function and methodologies are. As researchers take on a more powerful, holistic role as knowledge curators, we must rethink how we communicate and navigate these complexities to drive meaningful change. By considering these changed relational dynamics, we will explore how researchers can center themselves to transform insights into received wisdom that has the power to shape and influence organizational systems at scale.
Key Insights
-
•
User research has become overly focused on transactional, prototype-driven insights limiting broader organizational impact.
-
•
Researchers' core purpose should be to help organizations learn about customers and themselves through systemic feedback loops.
-
•
Gareth Morgan's organizational metaphors reveal how dominant lenses shape what organizations see and ignore.
-
•
The 20th-century 'machine' lens emphasizes breaking problems into parts, efficiency, hierarchy, and control but neglects holistic complexity.
-
•
The 21st-century 'techno-optimist hacker' lens prioritizes rapid innovation and growth but often creates blind spots and social consequences.
-
•
A living systems lens sees organizations as dynamic networks of relationships, encouraging systemic thinking and long-term effects consideration.
-
•
In an era of perpetual upheaval, the essential leadership ability is navigating complex, ambiguous systems through learning and adaptation.
-
•
Researchers must develop consulting, facilitation, and influencing skills to become effective agents of organizational learning.
-
•
Practicing systems thinking can start with small, tactical actions like mapping stakeholders and processes to reveal hidden misalignments.
-
•
Sensemaking is the researcher's superpower to integrate fragmented information, reveal organizational lenses, and drive better decision-making.
Notable Quotes
"Simon Roberts calls this the UX ification of research, which leads to a more transactional focus on informing technology requirements."
"The only thing any of us can control is how quickly we learn and then act based on that learning."
"Researchers make customers visible inside the organization, but also help the organization learn about itself."
"A metaphor is like a flashlight—it shines on some things and keeps others in the dark."
"The machine lens gave us hierarchy, bureaucracy, and a focus on efficiency and control, but it sidelines holistic thinking."
"The techno-optimist hacker lens believes growth is the only metric that matters, enabling disruption but causing blind spots."
"A living systems lens urges us to see wholes, holes, and interdependent relationships in organizations."
"We’re not going back to stability; we’re riding this wave of perpetual upheaval and must learn to surf it."
"Learning is the new knowing, and researchers are catalysts of organizational learning."
"Sensemaking is your superpower as a researcher to amplify your impact beyond user experience mechanics."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"If something isn’t going the way it needs to, a little clarity can go a long way."
Joshua GravesWe Need To Talk: Addressing Unmet Expectations (Part 2 of 3)
April 28, 2025
"Accessibility and inclusivity are not afterthoughts; they must be baked into the design from the start."
Uday GajendarTheme 1: Introduction
June 9, 2021
"Predicting rain doesn’t count. Building an arc does."
Audrey CraneShadow Design–Where Else is Design Happening in Your Organization?
April 20, 2023
"Mirroring content by repeating back what people say helps them understand their own ideas better."
Gina MendoliaTherapists, Coaches, and Grandmas: Techniques for Service Design in Complex Systems
December 3, 2024
"Situational disabilities like glare or temporary injuries affect a large portion of your audience and need to be considered in design."
Sheri Byrne-HaberThe Importance of Accessible Design Systems
January 8, 2024
"Strategy always before tactics. You cannot succeed without a clear strategic framework."
How to Identify and Increase your "Experience Quotient"
June 15, 2018
"We only include products used by more than 50% of our employees in the quarterly survey to keep focus relevant."
Adel Du ToitGet Your CFO To Say: 'Our Strategic Goal is User Obsession'
June 10, 2022
"It’s like showing up to a building and the elevator’s not working, so you have to take the stairs—that’s what happens when my preferred navigation methods don’t work."
Kavana RameshMeaningful inclusion: Practicing accessibility research with confidence
September 24, 2024
"When infrastructure breaks down, it is human infrastructure — communities and organizers — that saves the day."
Tricia WangSpatial Collapse: Designing for Emergent Culture
January 8, 2024
