Summary
The pros and cons of democratizing user research are heavily debated. Often this is seen as a black and white scenario where we are solely in favour or against it. But what about all the shades of grey we can explore? Depending on the situation there are both benefits and dangers that lie in democratizing our research practice. Kathleen will share her experience with research democratization. Based on this she will show a framework that will help you assess when it is an appropriate tool to further research maturity and when it might derail you.
Key Insights
-
•
Research democratization empowers non-researchers to conduct research but requires careful management to avoid poor quality and misuse.
-
•
Lisa Reichelt warns that research can be misused to prematurely validate ideas, suggesting no research is better than bad research.
-
•
Jared Spool critiques the term democratization, highlighting risks of arrogance in delegating research to others solely for convenience.
-
•
Kathleen proposes a framework based on organizational research maturity and researcher presence to guide when democratization helps or hinders.
-
•
When research maturity and presence are both high, democratization is optional and can build empathy but is not necessary.
-
•
In medium maturity but high researcher presence contexts, democratization helps others learn research by doing, improving early-stage involvement.
-
•
Low researcher presence but high maturity organizations can use democratization to advocate for more research investment.
-
•
In low maturity and low researcher presence situations, democratization can overwhelm lone researchers with administrative burden rather than freeing them.
-
•
Research done by democratized teams may lack coordination, risking duplicated effort and isolated insights.
-
•
Teaching others research skills supports professional growth and confidence but must be balanced with researchers’ hands-on practice needs.
Notable Quotes
"Research democratization is all about empowering people who are not researchers to start doing research themselves."
"If you have to choose between doing bad research or no research at all, you’re better off not doing it — Lisa Reichelt."
"Democratization can be used arrogantly if we just let others do research so we can pick what’s fun for ourselves — Jared Spool."
"Research maturity refers to how research knowledge and impact permeate the organization, not individual skills."
"Involving non-researchers firsthand helps them understand research’s complexity and when to bring in experts."
"Research democratization rarely frees up strategic research time; it often increases facilitation and ops work."
"Sometimes democratized research happens in silence, with little coordination, causing duplicated efforts."
"Allowing others to experience research firsthand can convert them into advocates for hiring more researchers."
"Sharing your skills and teaching others can boost your confidence and professional development."
"Democratization requires different approaches; there’s no one-size-fits-all solution."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Start with the biggest pain points your team is experiencing and find the biggest potential impact."
Gabrielle VerderberDocumentation Your Team Will Actually Use
October 3, 2023
"Having each other's backs is like literal video game hero style slaying constraints."
Jennifer KanyamibwaCreating the Blueprint: Growing and Building Design Teams
November 8, 2018
"Our KSPs do not change year over year because changing them frequently is disruptive for the business direction."
Saara Kamppari-Miller Nicole Bergstrom Shashi JainKey Metrics: Comparing Three Letter Acronym Metrics That Include the Word “Key”
November 13, 2024
"Captions were once an assistive technology for a tiny subset but are now widely used."
Samuel ProulxDesigning beyond caricatures: Embracing real, diverse user needs
December 4, 2024
"It almost feels like cheating because your users are showing and telling you what they need. It's almost too easy."
Catherine DubutBridging Physical and Digital Spaces: Approaches to Retail Service Design
March 18, 2021
"Building Windows is like ordering pizza for a billion people—everyone is your user."
Sam LadnerData Exhaust and Personal Data: Learning from Consumer Products to Enhance Enterprise UX
June 8, 2016
"You may need to operate the prototype on behalf of users whose assistive tech can’t click or interact with clickable prototypes."
Sam ProulxPrototype Reviews, People With Disabilities, and You
December 8, 2021
"Participants want to take ownership of their stories and demand participatory, non-extractive, trauma-informed research methods."
Jemma Ahmed Megan Blocker Eduardo OrtizRedefining the research toolkit: Expanding methodologies for a changing world
March 12, 2025
"We invited BCG’s clients to live with us in multidisciplinary innovation studios for 12 to 18 months."
Kevin BethuneReimagining Design: Unlocking Strategic Innovation
June 8, 2022
Latest Books All books
Dig deeper with the Rosenbot
Why is human curation necessary even when using sophisticated research repository tools?
How can design leaders use reflection and conversation to balance their time, confidence, and enjoyment in leadership responsibilities?
How does adaptability contribute to a team’s ability to thrive in changing environments?