Summary
Moving the research function out from UX can transform how insights influence product-making in an organization. In this talk, Nalini explains how and why she led this shift for her team at Salesforce, as well as the move’s effect on their work and impact. Nalini will also share lessons learned in the process - “the how to’s” and the “absolutely how not to’s” - that may inspire and guide leaders and individual contributors alike.
Key Insights
-
•
Decoupling research from UX can provide researchers with more agency to frame broader business problems beyond design.
-
•
Identity work is a fundamental challenge when moving research out of UX, requiring careful leadership attention.
-
•
Playing the long game through persistent business case building and internal socialization is essential for organizational change.
-
•
Research teams positioned alongside product management, engineering, and data science gain higher visibility and influence.
-
•
Measuring research impact becomes more complex but broader, shifting from simple metrics like study counts to influence and strategic involvement.
-
•
Research operations functions are crucial infrastructure that enable scalable, efficient research beyond UX.
-
•
Control over budget and headcount advocacy improves significantly when research reports outside UX.
-
•
COVID-19 amplified issues around identity and belonging for team members during organizational transitions.
-
•
In B2B companies like Salesforce, much product decision-making happens before UX, necessitating research involvement earlier in the lifecycle.
-
•
Providing reassurance and support for new research skills helps ease team anxieties during structural changes.
Notable Quotes
"What happens if research does not report into UX? What might happen if we uncouple research from UX?"
"We made this move in January 2020 — our research and insights team moved out of UX but stayed within product organizations."
"Conscious uncoupling is about identity — how one thinks of oneself defines oneself and how others define you."
"I believed we could do more — more for the company, customers, stakeholders, and ourselves if we had more agency."
"Our research practice was perceived largely as design testers, empathy vehicles, and policing functions — a narrow, reactive role."
"After the move, our work had more impact, more visibility, and we're present across the entire product life cycle."
"Research operations is the spine of any successful research and insights group."
"For the first time, I was able to advocate for funding directly for the research function at high executive levels."
"I underestimated how much identity our team tied to UX and how scary that loss felt to many of them."
"Our shift is structural, not because of personalities — it was needed to influence earlier, more business-centric decisions."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"We have a responsibility to help heal communities and build trust so we can do design with intention."
Samuel MartinCo-Design vs Faux-Design: Navigating the Complexities of Sharing Power in Co-Design
March 27, 2026
"We can get quick insights in phases to keep teams engaged and slowly build a complete validity argument."
Chris EngledowlA Mixed Method Approach to Validity to Help Build Trust
April 28, 2023
"There’s no fully accessible scheduling tool for recruiting participants with access needs; much manual effort is involved."
Rebecca ToppsPlanning and conducting remote usability studies for accessibility
September 10, 2020
"A seat at the table versus building the table means setting routines where all the right partners come together regularly."
Frank DuranPartnership Playbook: Lessons Learned in Effective Partnership
January 8, 2024
"Futures thinking is not about predicting the future, but about being smarter about anticipating risks and consequences of our actions today."
Ilana LipsettAnticipating Risk, Regulating Tech: A Playbook for Ethical Technology Governance
December 10, 2021
"Program managers are just expense of routers—what they missed was the how, that secret sauce of EQ."
Indra KlavinsA Design Ops Girl in a Dev Ops World
October 23, 2019
"Louisa Scholar saves us a lot of work by curating the Civic Design library and digital benefits hub."
Bria AlexanderOpening Remarks
November 18, 2022
"The equity pause helps you recognize what biases might be present before making decisions impacting lives."
Noah BondRedefining truth and inclusivity: Navigating data ownership and ethical research in the age of disinformation
March 11, 2025
"Users frequently felt overwhelmed and misunderstood; this was a significant barrier to a positive shopping experience."
Kritika YadavOptimizing AI Conversations: A Case Study on Personalized Shopping Assistance Frameworks
June 10, 2025
