Log in or create a free Rosenverse account to watch this video.
Log in Create free account100s of community videos are available to free members. Conference talks are generally available to Gold members.
Summary
Monty Hammontree will share his take on the future of User Experience Research and how that extends out beyond traditional UX researchers to everyone trying to bring the customer to the forefront of decision making—to everyone striving to be customer connected and data-driven. It extends out beyond traditional research roles to everyone involved in the product making process, such as, Designer, Product Managers, and Software Engineers. He believes the heart and soul of the future of user research as a discipline lies not in trying to create a dynamic where, “the few endeavor to learn on behalf of the many but rather lies in expanding the role to focus on empowering the many to learn.”
Key Insights
-
•
Democratization of research allows various team members to engage in user research, shifting from a sole researcher model to a collaborative one.
-
•
Empathy, growth mindset, and diversity are central to cultivating a culture of continuous learning in UX research.
-
•
Effective user research is a team sport, requiring input and collaboration from cross-functional teams of developers, product managers, and content creators.
-
•
Moving away from the term 'user' to 'customer' helps reduce bias and encourages broader inclusion in research.
-
•
Celebrating learning from failures is as important as successes in fostering a culture of innovation.
-
•
Establishing a common language around assumptions and hypotheses allows for clearer communication across teams.
-
•
Creating relatable data from customer insights leads to more meaningful product decisions and design validations.
-
•
Transformational leadership drives the success of UX research within organizations, emphasizing learning over being right.
-
•
Research should not be seen as just a one-way street but as a continuous dialogue with users.
-
•
The impact of UX research on business outcomes requires integrating it deeply into the development process.
Notable Quotes
"I realized not everybody on the call is going to agree with many of the things I have to say."
"We defined UX research as needing to be a team sport that involved all disciplines rather than a model where the few learn on behalf of the many."
"Our mission is to empower everybody to learn; it's not about learning on behalf of the many."
"When you think about turning your superpower internally, applying the same level of empathy becomes more debatable."
"One of the fastest ways to gain influence is to get somebody else promoted."
"It's a sign of flattery for the developers that want to talk to customers; it shows respect for their insights."
"Big data always needs to be complemented with relatable data; people will work harder for people than they will for a number."
"The currency is learning, not about being right."
"In our culture, we've celebrated when people learn something that invalidates their hypotheses."
"The system corrects itself when there's enough good behavior; focus on raising the good rather than stopping the bad."
More Videos
"What do you want your AI to do? What do you want their background to be?"
Noz UrbinaRapid AI-powered UX (RAUX): A framework for empowering human designers
May 1, 2025
"Each first take was the only take, which got pressed on the album."
Jim KalbachJazz Improvisation as a Model for Team Collaboration
June 4, 2019
"We could teach each other's work and we still have a family that we created by actually interacting with each other."
Holly ColeUnderstanding Experiences: When you have to do more than work
November 8, 2018
"Hello, everyone, my name is Jack Behar and I will be leading this session."
Jack BeharHow to Build Prototypes that Behave like an End-Product
December 6, 2022
"You are part of the wonderful reason why they invest in this community so thoroughly."
Bria AlexanderOpening Remarks
October 3, 2023
"The workshops emphasized understanding people and their workflows before jumping to tools."
Erika FlowersAI-Readiness: Preparing NASA for a Data-Driven, Agile Future
June 10, 2025
"Personalization is not just a trend; it’s a necessity."
Kristin SkinnerFive Years of DesignOps
September 29, 2021
"Big ears mean listening to other people more than you're listening to yourself."
Jim KalbachJazz Improvisation as a Model for Team Collaboration
November 6, 2017
"Not everyone needs to be a designer; people can be design thinkers."
Surya VankaUnleashing Swarm Creativity to Solve Enterprise Challenges
June 10, 2021
