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
"Designers need ritualized systems that allow them to focus on the creative part and freeze the rest of their minds."
Bob BaxleyLeading with Design Operations Past and Present
December 19, 2019
"AI-generated components maintain end-to-end system quality while developers focus on functionality."
Ryan Matthew Alex KurchevBridging Design and Code: AI-Powered Design System Integration
September 11, 2025
"Market researchers are turning to lean methodologies that feel very close to what user researchers do."
Jemma AhmedConvergent Research Techniques in Customer Journey Mapping
March 31, 2020
"There’s this kind of Collective unconscious within teams that formed over the pandemic which is deeper than any other team experience I’ve had."
DesignOps and The Great Talent War of 2021
August 19, 2021
"Making space for subculture to thrive is like letting more air and sunlight in, it creates a healthier environment for everyone."
Spencer L. A. StultzWhy Social Justice Frameworks are Necessary for Successful DEI/JEDI Initiatives
October 4, 2023
"The reason Cloud Code has such product market fit is because it shows what it’s doing, building trust."
Peter Van DijckBuilding impactful AI products for design and product leaders, Part 1: The new product journey
July 16, 2025
"The pale blue dot, that tiny speck in the vast universe, reminds us of our precious, unique responsibility to take care of this planet."
Meghan Hellstern Joanne DongThe Next 100 Years of Civic Design: How Might We Better Rise to Meet the Challenges of Today and Tomorrow?
December 10, 2021
"The more experienced you are, the more satisfied you tend to be with your salary; it can almost be double compared to beginners."
Marc FonteijnFirst Insights from the 2025 Service Design Salary(+) Report
December 4, 2024
"The pandemic is a message from the universe to pause and rethink who we hire and how we train."
Dr. Jamika D. Burge Steve Portigal Alba Villamil Sam LadnerThe Future of Research: Bridging the Gaps
July 29, 2021
