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
"Current projects mostly focus on collecting complaints rather than understanding the state."
Onur Kocan Ayhan EnsiciUnderstanding the Strategy for Civic Design in a Complex City: Istanbul
November 16, 2022
"Helping your team take risks and stretch is critical even though design ops tend to be risk averse by nature."
Courtney KaplanTaking it to the next level: Career paths in DesignOps
November 8, 2018
"There’s no other theory of change I’ve seen more true in large organizations than requiring dual-level support."
Alison Rand Sarah BrooksScaling Impact with Service Design
March 25, 2021
"We built AI that suggests projects to participants that pre-match what you’re asking for instead of mass blasting everyone."
Benjamin Wiedmaier Annie MayfieldRedefining Toolkits: Unbundling to Create a Perfect Match
March 11, 2025
"Let’s use algorithms to promote sources with scientific integrity and create design patterns that enrich people’s lives."
Mandy DrewWhat Role(s) Can Research Play in Responsible Design?
March 11, 2021
"You want to get really deep in the weeds with one team first, then move into a facilitation role to scale across teams."
Cassandra PiesterDeveloping and Deploying Your Design Operations Strategy
September 24, 2024
"It’s important to create space outside work for people to connect to meaningful activities and communities."
Allison SandersOperating with Purpose
January 8, 2024
"Position research as strategic partners early in the process, not as work to be done at the end of the production line."
Megan Blocker Marieke McCloskey Renee ReidPositioning insight: Structuring teams, roles and careers for a changing research landscape
March 13, 2025
"Learning SQL in a day or two can level up your ability to target research and understand user segmentation."
JP Allen Carrie Boyd Malcolm EvansNavigating the UX Tool Landscape
March 11, 2021
