Research is a team sport: advancing the work when everyone does the research
Summary
As UX roles evolve amid AI tooling, democratized practices, and shifting org structures, many experienced researchers are spending less time conducting studies—and more time enabling others to do it well. In complex environments like healthcare, the question is no longer whether research should happen continuously, but who does it, when it happens, and how “good” it needs to be to move the work forward. In this lightning talk, James Wieselman Schulman shares how he’s helped build a culture where research isn’t reserved for specialists, but embedded throughout design and delivery. Drawing from service and healthcare design, he explores how cross-functional teams can engage in research responsibly—without lowering standards or losing sight of ethics, rigor, and trust. You’ll hear practical examples of how to: Use research continuously—not just at the start—to shape workshops, prototypes, MVPs, and business decisions; create clear guardrails so non-researchers can conduct meaningful (even if imperfect) research and learn through doing; redefine research ROI around impact, learning velocity, and organizational confidence, not methodological perfection The opportunity isn’t to replace expertise, but to extend it. When expert researchers shift from gatekeepers to coaches, they raise the floor for everyone, protect what makes research human, and ensure empathy remains at the center of the work. This session is for researchers, designers, and leaders navigating the shift from research doer to research enabler. It offers a pragmatic, human-centered view of research—one where five good conversations can be better than none, learning happens through action, and advancing the work matters more than protecting the role.
Key Insights
-
•
Resource constraints require us to involve non-researchers in conducting and experiencing research.
-
•
Democratizing empathy means getting designers, engineers, and product owners closer to real users.
-
•
Palchinsky’s principles—novelty, survivability, and learnability—offer a useful lens for scaling empathy via research.
-
•
Novel experiences with user research can help non-experts develop human-centered mindsets despite imperfect methods.
-
•
Survivability means enabling experimentation that doesn’t threaten project budgets or organizational stability.
-
•
A small amount of imperfect research by partners still yields valuable learning and maintains overall ROI.
-
•
Learnability depends on creating feedback loops where researchers coach and mentor collaborators.
-
•
Repeated practice with scaled research tasks helps non-researchers gain skills without risking critical projects.
-
•
Empathy often emerges more from the experience of doing or observing research than from insights alone.
-
•
Researchers should become organizational thought leaders guiding when and how to involve others in research.
Notable Quotes
"We are asked to produce more and more work with fewer people and smaller teams."
"How might we democratize empathy at scale within our organizations?"
"The goal is not methodological perfection; empathy is the end game."
"Even bad research can be good because it creates learning opportunities."
"Ten interviews is enough to get most of the way to meaningful insights."
"Getting partners involved in research may mean accepting some imperfect interviews."
"Research is something that should happen throughout the process — early and often."
"The most transformative part of research is being involved in the work itself."
"You have to find ways for people to practice so they can learn without destroying projects."
"Researchers can become thought leaders by coaching and mentoring others on empathy and research."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Nobody cares about IA. If they did, they’d be IAs or at this conference."
Sarah BarrettThe "How" of Enterprise Information Architecture
June 6, 2023
"If the ideas aren’t fully baked or there’s no real core thesis, then you’ve kind of missed the point."
Catt SmallCraft a Vision that Actually Gets Shipped
April 30, 2026
"Launching and shipping things is a big deal and shows real impact beyond metrics."
Dave Hoffer Joanne WeaverUX Job Search AMA #2 with Joanne Weaver and Dave Hoffer
April 3, 2025
"Finding qualified participants quickly is really hard to keep up with fast-moving product cycles."
Jane DavisStrategic Shifts and Innovations in User Research: Navigating Challenges and Opportunities
March 11, 2025
"It's all about balance: being aware of AI’s issues while remaining open to its incredible opportunities."
Rachael Dietkus, LCSW Llewyn Paine Nishanshi Shukla David WomackAI: Passionate defenses and reasoned critique [Advancing Research Community Workshop Series]
September 18, 2024
"We keep our playbook in a place where anyone can edit it from the team."
Maria SkaadenPanel Discussion: Methodologies and Work Environments
November 8, 2018
"If you are altering any form of self-expression, you need to be really careful."
Cheryl PlatzDemystifying Multimodal Design: The Design Practice You Didn't Know You're Doing
April 4, 2024
"Every problem is a research problem."
Ron BronsonDesign, Consequences & Everyday Life
November 18, 2022
"Building a great culture means caring for individuals and creating rituals like recognition and shared learning."
Liam ThurstonWhy Your Design Team Is Quitting, And How To Fix It
June 10, 2022
