Rosenverse

This video is only accessible to Gold members. Log in or register for a free Gold Trial Account to watch.

Log in Register

Most conference talks are accessible to Gold members, while community videos are generally available to all logged-in members.

Positioning insight: Structuring teams, roles and careers for a changing research landscape
Gold
Thursday, March 13, 2025 • Advancing Research 2025
Share the love for this talk
Positioning insight: Structuring teams, roles and careers for a changing research landscape
Speakers: Megan Blocker , Marieke McCloskey and Renee Reid
Link:

Summary

As the relational dynamics between researchers, participants, and organizations evolve, it’s essential to rethink team structures, roles, learning, and career paths for those working in insights. With expanding methodologies and a shift towards both knowledge curation as well as generation, our discussion explores how to position insight teams for success and empower individuals to thrive in a rapidly changing landscape.

Key Insights

  • Insights are collective 'aha' moments that drive organizational alignment and decision-making.

  • Collaboration across teams is essential to develop meaningful insights that are actionable.

  • Creativity in problem-solving can enhance the effectiveness of insights in a business context.

  • Triangulating data from various sources strengthens the credibility of insights.

  • Ethical considerations in research, such as protecting participant data, are fundamental to the role of a researcher.

  • Educating stakeholders about the value of insights helps to foster an inclusive organizational culture.

  • Using storytelling and real-user testimonials can make data more relatable and impactful.

  • Research roles should evolve from gatekeepers of knowledge to facilitators and coaches in data literacy for other teams.

  • Establishing centralized repositories for insights improves accessibility and ongoing learning within organizations.

  • Researchers should embrace the decentralization of knowledge and work collaboratively to empower stakeholders.

Notable Quotes

"Insight is that aha moment that helps us make decisions that move us forward."

"The more salient you can make insights, the more actionable they are."

"We are doctors, not waiters; we combine data and expertise to generate insights."

"Education is key to ensuring that stakeholders understand what's available and how to use it."

"We need to ensure that ethical practices are upheld at every step of the research process."

"Triangulate your insights beyond just one source to build a holistic perspective."

"Position your research as a strategic partner early on, not just at the end of a production line."

"Every time we do research, we are creating new insights that the company can leverage."

"Video storytelling can create powerful connections between users and the work we do."

"Don't be frustrated by the need to educate; it's part of our role as researchers."

Joseph Williams
Unlocking impact and influence through inclusive hiring in research
2021 • Advancing Research Community
Ian Johnson
Latent Scope: Finding structure in unstructured data
2025 • Designing with AI 2025
Conference
Bassel Deeb
Do More With Less: Equip and Lead Design Orgs Through Adversity
2023 • DesignOps Summit 2023
Gold
Abbey Smalley
Scaling UX Past the Size of Your Team
2024 • Enterprise Experience 2020
Gold
Anna Avrekh
Diversity In and For Design: Building Conscious Diversity in Design and Research
2021 • Design at Scale 2021
Gold
Emily Lessard
RFPs Without Tears: Writing Inclusive RFPS that Don't Scare Away Talent
2021 • Civic Design 2021
Gold
Ned Dwyer
The Intersection of Design and ResearchOps
2024 • DesignOps Summit 2024
Gold
Billy Carlson
Ideation tips for Product Managers
2022 • Design in Product 2022
Gold
Jen Cardello
Curating insight: Strategies for integrating knowledge across research functions
2025 • Advancing Research 2025
Gold
Taiye Akin-Akinyosoye
Amplifying voices and enhancing user research through group interviews
2025 • Advancing Research 2025
Gold
Jess Greco
Creating a Basis for Change: Scaling Design Maturity
2022 • Design at Scale 2022
Gold
Ned Dwyer
The Future of DesignOps is Tool Consolidation
2024 • DesignOps Summit 2024
Gold
Lisa Spitz
Building Trust Through Equitable Research Practices
2022 • Civic Design 2022
Gold
Sam Proulx
Understanding Screen Readers on Mobile: How And Why to Learn from Native Users
2023 • Advancing Research 2023
Gold
Lija Hogan
Doing more with more: Lessons from the Front Lines of Democratization
2022 • Advancing Research 2022
Gold
Maria Giudice
Becoming a Changemaker by Leading with Design
2023 • Advancing Research 2023
Gold

More Videos

Kate Kalcevich

"Accessibility research is part of overall user research."

Kate Kalcevich

Integrating Accessibility in DesignOps

September 23, 2024

Bria Alexander

"We need to see OKRs as a journey, not just a concrete goal."

Bria Alexander Benson Low Natalya Pemberton Stephanie Goldthorpe

OKRs—Helpful or Harmful?

January 20, 2022

Craig Brookes

"If user research is brought in early, you can prevent the mistake of thinking your users want ice cream when they may actually want cookies."

Craig Brookes Andreas Huebner Morgan Quinn

"Just Make it Look Good" and Other Ways We're Misunderstood

June 11, 2021

Josh Clark

"Sentient Scenes can adapt in real-time based on user interaction."

Josh Clark Veronika Kindred

Sentient Scenes and Radically Adaptive Experiences

June 11, 2025

Shipra Kayan

"Our NPS really plummeted as soon as we rebranded, and that really freaked out our executives."

Shipra Kayan

How we Built a VoC (Voice of the Customer) Practice at Upwork from the Ground Up

September 30, 2021

Erin Weigel

"I think it's important to question everything and be willing to learn."

Erin Weigel

Real-world lessons to improve your conversion rates

June 26, 2024

Bria Alexander

"Feedback is data, not personal; it’s about improving processes."

Bria Alexander Laura Gatewood Corey Long Daniel Orbach Laine Prokay Deanna Smith

The Big Question about Resilience: A panel discussion

September 23, 2024

Jacqui Frey

"What if part of our job was to remove the friction in the environment?"

Jacqui Frey

Flow and Superfluidity for Design Orgs

November 7, 2018

Sam Proulx

"When you design for the edges you get the middle for free"

Sam Proulx

Accessibility: An Opportunity to Innovate

November 16, 2022