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
"Vivo Pulse helps with rapid iterations, while Vivo Pro validates signals with real users."
Gillian Salerno-Rebic Mark MicheliRedefining Speed and Scale: How Accenture’s GrowthOS Uses AI-Simulated Insights to Reduce Risk and Accelerate Innovation
June 10, 2025
"The Slack channel is the fastest way to get help, whether you’re virtual or in person."
Bria Alexander Louis RosenfeldOpening Remarks Day 1
March 25, 2024
"Systems thinking requires constant engagement with stakeholders; working in isolation will not lead to successful outcomes."
Sheryl CababaExpanding Your Design Lens with Systems Thinking
February 23, 2023
"Analytics and research should work closely to explain what is happening and why it is."
Renee BouwensLanding Product Impact: Aligning Research as a Foundational Driver for Delivering the World’s Best Products
December 15, 2023
"Please put your dropdown or your personal agenda in your local time zone so there’s no ambiguity."
Bria AlexanderOpening Remarks
October 4, 2023
"Daring leaders must care for and be connected to the people they lead."
Etienne FangThe Power of Care: From Human-Centered Research to Humanity-Centered Leadership
March 10, 2021
"I get bored super easily; that’s why I’m super into the AI stuff right now."
Greg PetroffExit Interview #1: Greg Petroff: From Silicon Valley Executive to Sonoma County Possibilitarian
September 24, 2025
"Sometimes business context points us to a direction where we no longer have the safety of our identity constructs."
Aletheia DelivreNew Shapes and Emerging Identities for Design Ops
September 11, 2025
"You will not be missing out on much if you don’t snag the digital swag bag."
Louis Rosenfeld Bria AlexanderOpening Remarks
March 27, 2023
Latest Books All books
Dig deeper with the Rosenbot
What role does education about AI’s limitations play in responsible UX according to Steve Krug?
How does involving more senior researchers in the field improve research outcomes when AI handles transcript processing?
How do multiple perspectives in a story affect the way researchers analyze and present findings?