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
"Consistency is so important that sometimes even consistency in failure works if it means I only have to learn the workaround once."
Sam ProulxOnline Shopping: Designing an Accessible Experience
June 7, 2023
"The career path shows when someone is ready for promotion, but additional training may be needed to support leadership transitions."
Ignacio MartinezFair and Effective Designer Evaluation
September 25, 2024
"We needed to revise our plan; we couldn’t just keep adding talented folks and hope everything falls into place."
Sarah Kinkade Mariana Ortiz-ReyesDesign Management Models in the Face of Transformation
June 8, 2022
"Psychological warmth and physical warmth activate the same part of the brain, the insula."
Daniel GloydWarming the User Experience: Lessons from America's first and most radical human-centered designers
May 9, 2024
"Journalists like me are in the business of interrogating reality to get at the truth."
Patrick BoehlerFishing for Real Needs: Reimagining Journalism Needs with AI
June 10, 2025
"How do you build in the context of what you specifically need rather than having tools drive the research process? That’s the future."
Andy Barraclough Betsy NelsonFrom Costly Complexity to Efficient Insights: Why UX Teams Are Switching To Voxpopme
September 23, 2024
"User-centered design methods can be used at every stage of policy making, from intention setting to evaluation."
Alexandra SchmidtWhy Ethics Can't Save Tech
November 18, 2022
"You can’t lead without being a lifelong learner because when your company stops learning, it dies."
Louis RosenfeldDiscussion: What Operations can teach DesignOps
November 6, 2017
"Carbon is just the starting point for what can be imagined. We're hired for our expertise to adapt, not just follow directions."
Mitchell BernsteinOrganizing Chaos: How IBM is Defining Design Systems with Sketch for an Ever-Changing AI Landscape
September 29, 2021
