Rosenverse

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

Log in Register

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

Under My (Research) Umbrella: The Benefits and Challenges of Building a Unified Insights Function
Gold
Monday, March 25, 2024 • Advancing Research 2024
Share the love for this talk
Under My (Research) Umbrella: The Benefits and Challenges of Building a Unified Insights Function
Speakers: Andy Warr
Link:

Summary

When research is siloed it can lead to duplicative research of variable quality. In this talk, Andy explores the benefits (and challenges) of having a unified research & insights function, based on his experiences leading teams at Airtable, Instagram, and Dropbox. Further, Andy presents practical strategies to align diverse insight-generating functions, offering guidance even in situations where forming a unified team may not be possible. Through a detailed examination of real-world scenarios and Andy’s professional journey, attendees will gain valuable lessons and recommendations aimed at fostering a cohesive and effective research ecosystem.

Key Insights

  • Research carried out across different departments often duplicates efforts due to lack of awareness and coordination.

  • Variable research quality across teams harms the overall credibility of insights in an organization.

  • Research democratization can be misleading; focusing on enabling customer connection is a better approach.

  • A unified insights function can reduce noise by presenting a coherent voice and improving collaboration between insight-generating teams.

  • At Airtable, separating market research, UX research, strategic research, and research operations under a unified function improved efficiency and quality.

  • Data science teams often remain separate from qualitative research teams, but some companies are pioneering integration of qualitative and quantitative insights.

  • Starting with small collaborations and proving value is critical before scaling a unified insights team.

  • Research reviews facilitated by program managers increase quality, creativity, and learning across research projects.

  • Insight primers synthesize market data, customer problems, and business impact to inform strategy and planning.

  • Insights councils foster cross-functional collaboration, prevent duplication, and build a shared understanding of customer experience.

Notable Quotes

"Does the fact that you can count the change in your pocket make you a mathematician? No, of course not."

"I much prefer customer connection. We are not teaching non researchers how to do research. We are enabling them to connect with customers."

"We have all these different people throwing insights over the wall and it’s great, but it’s too much."

"Research is research. An executive doesn’t care which team conducted it."

"When the product team asked the UX research team to understand the needs of IT decision makers, we pointed them to existing market research."

"Starting small, pick your closest collaborator, provide and prove value before trying to scale."

"We’re not doing this for the good of research. Research is merely a means to an end."

"A research review can increase awareness, improve quality, maintain high standards, provide learning, and promote creativity."

"Insight primers help you identify opportunities, customer problems, and develop strategies."

"Executives will always play a crucial role in whether you have a unified insights team or if you have to collaborate."

Ask the Rosenbot
Iain McMaster
Design and Product: from Frenemy to Harmony
2023 • Design in Product 2023
Gold
Dave Hoffer
UX Job Search AMA #2 with Joanne Weaver and Dave Hoffer
2025 • Rosenfeld Community
Michal Anne Rogondino
Saving Outer Space: The First UX Design System for Our Nation’s Satellites
2024 • Enterprise Experience 2020
Gold
Michelle Bejian Lotia
Rolling Out a Repository: How Zapier Centralizes Insights from Across their Organization
2023 • Advancing Research 2023
Gold
Meghan Hellstern
The Next 100 Years of Civic Design: How Might We Better Rise to Meet the Challenges of Today and Tomorrow?
2021 • Civic Design 2021
Gold
Josh Clark
Sentient Design: New Design Patterns for New Experiences (3rd of 3 seminars)
2025 • Rosenfeld Community
Alana Washington
(Remote) Service Design: A Transformation Case Study
2022 • Design at Scale 2022
Gold
Andrea Gallagher
The Problem Space
2019 • Advancing Research Community
Steve Portigal
War Stories LIVE! Steve Portigal
2020 • Advancing Research 2020
Gold
Laine Riley Prokay
How DesignOps can Drive Inclusive Career Ladders for All
2021 • DesignOps Summit 2021
Gold
Ryan Matthew
DesignOps without Boundaries: Building More with What You Have
2025 • DesignOps Summit 2025
Gold
Adam Thomas
Survival Metrics – Making Change in a Fast, Data-Informed, and Politically Safe Way
2022 • Design in Product 2022
Gold
Llewyn Paine
Day 1 Using AI in UX with Impact
2025 • Designing with AI 2025
Gold
Devon Powers
Imagining Better Futures
2022 • Advancing Research 2022
Gold
Helen Armstrong
Augment the Human. Interrogate the System.
2023 • Enterprise UX 2023
Gold
Sha Hwang
The First Fifty Years of Civic Design
2022 • Civic Design 2022
Gold

More Videos

Nalini Kotamraju

"What happens if research does not report into UX? What might happen if we uncouple research from UX?"

Nalini Kotamraju

Research After UX

March 25, 2024

Dean Broadley

"The end of history illusion is that we think we're done evolving, but we vastly underestimate future change."

Dean Broadley

Not Black Enough to be White

January 8, 2024

Denise Jacobs

"Every day is a chance to check: is this how I want to be? This is a long-haul, marathon effort."

Denise Jacobs Nancy Douyon Renee Reid Lisa Welchman

Interactive Keynote: Social Change by Design

January 8, 2024

Kim Fellman Cohen

"People problems find their way to design ops because we’re known problem solvers and people run to us when morale is low."

Kim Fellman Cohen

Measuring the Designer Experience

October 23, 2019

George Aye

"Design helps build capital and seek comfort, which draws in the most powerful."

George Aye

That Quiet Little Voice: When Design and Ethics Collide

November 16, 2022

Nathan Curtis

"A design system is done not when the style guide is launched, but when it positively impacts customer experience."

Nathan Curtis

Beyond the Toolkit: Spreading a System Across People & Products

June 9, 2016

Greg Petroff

"We are building cross-product research capabilities to curate a holistic understanding of agents across all workflows and touchpoints."

Greg Petroff

The Compass Mission

March 10, 2021

Chloe Amos-Edkins

"We have this collective superpower navigating the breadth and depth of human experience across cultures."

Chloe Amos-Edkins

A Cultural Approach: Research in the Context of Glocalisation

March 27, 2023

Mackenzie Cockram

"Heat maps showed users clicking on areas they thought were clickable but weren’t, resulting in click rage."

Mackenzie Cockram Sara Branco Cunha Ian Franklin

Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Research from Discovery to Live

December 16, 2022