Video: Theme 2 Intro

This video is only accessible to Gold members. Log in or register for a free Gold Trial Account to watch.

Most conference talks are accessible to Gold members, while community videos are generally available to all logged-in members.

Theme 2 Intro

Gold

Wednesday, March 12, 2025 • Advancing Research 2025

Megan Blocker

Director of User Research, DigitalOcean

Summary

The speaker opens by reflecting on the previous day's discussions led by Gem and Robert about the profound shifts in research practices. They stress that research professionals must move beyond traditional methods and embrace transformation to survive and thrive. This includes expanding methodological fluency to integrate insights across disciplines and actively involving participants as contributors rather than passive subjects. The agenda features panelists like Eduardo Gemini discussing the necessity of crowdsourced, evolving research methods; Tuan focusing on intercultural research for business impact; Katie Hanson advocating meta-analysis and experimental research; Amy Booker applying behavioral science to uncover deeper motivations; Amber and Nitty presenting participatory, less extractive methods; Deanna Mitchell demonstrating cultural insights in UX; TAA urging a reconsideration of focus groups; and Ricardo Martins demystifying quantitative methods for qualitative practitioners. The speaker challenges attendees to not merely listen but to engage and adopt at least one new approach, ultimately expanding their influence and the future of research itself.

Key Insights

•

Research methods must evolve from isolated insight generation to integrative, cross-disciplinary collaboration.
•

Participants in research desire to be active contributors, making relational approaches essential.
•

Expanding methodological fluency is critical to effectively collaborate across teams and data sources.
•

Traditional research tools alone are no longer sufficient to meet current organizational challenges.
•

A living, crowdsourced factbook of research methods can help diversify research toolkits beyond conventional techniques.
•

Intercultural research, as emphasized by Tuan, drives significant business impact by addressing diverse user needs.
•

Meta-analysis and literature reviews can deepen actionable insights and complement experimental research.
•

Behavioral science techniques enable uncovering the deeper motivations behind user decisions.
•

Participatory methods foster stakeholder buy-in and reduce extractive research practices.
•

Quantitative and mixed methods approaches can amplify qualitative research impact and should be embraced by qual practitioners.

Notable Quotes

"When the ground shifts beneath us, we get to decide, do we scramble to regain our footing exactly where we stood before? Or do we take a step in a new direction, explore new terrain, and expand the boundaries of what’s possible?"

"If the answer is no, your current toolkit is not enough."

"Knowledge just isn’t created in isolation anymore."

"Participants are not passive anymore. People don’t just want to be studied. They want to be active contributors to the knowledge we create."

"Relational and integrative approaches offer a powerful way forward."

"We need to transform our role as connectors between people, disciplines, and ideas that together make our work richer and more impactful."

"If we want research to thrive, we need to equip ourselves with more tools, not fewer."

"I want you to push yourselves to try one new approach, to challenge one of your assumptions, and to walk away ready to take an action."

"Advanced quantitative methods can amplify our work in ways we didn’t expect, and also show us how to get started."

"This moment is yours to shape. If you step up to it, you won’t just be expanding your toolkit. You’re going to be expanding your influence, your impact, and the future of our profession itself."

Previous video

Surprise me

Next video

Ask the Rosenbot