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
What is Research Strategy? Join Chris Geison, Senior Research Strategist at Workday (who will also speak on this topic at the upcoming Advancing Research Conference), and a panel of research leaders in discussing and debating what we mean when we say “research strategy,” and its growing importance in the growing and maturing world of user research.
Key Insights
-
•
Many research organizations lack a clear research strategy despite its critical importance.
-
•
Research strategy includes structuring teams and setting priorities aligned to business OKRs.
-
•
Prioritization rubrics should evaluate expected impact, use case, and measurable success criteria.
-
•
Generative or foundational research requires alternative impact measures, such as citations in strategy documents or executive discussions.
-
•
Partnering with sales and marketing teams can accelerate insight gathering and increase research efficiency.
-
•
Bias from customer input via sales relationships can distort product decisions; research must offer broader, representative validation.
-
•
Building C-level relationships for strategic research requires listening, tailoring messages, and demonstrating quick wins.
-
•
Researchers at any organizational level can develop strategic influence by forging strong stakeholder bonds.
-
•
Balancing multiple research buckets—operational, tactical, strategic, exploratory—ensures comprehensive organizational value.
-
•
Long-term investment in research culture and practice amplifies organizational commitment and supports sustainable UX improvements.
Notable Quotes
"I present myself as simply somebody who’s on this journey to figure it out."
"We need to end the reign of features and complexity—too much time making stuff, not enough using it."
"One of the core questions of research strategy is how do you decide what research to do when demand exceeds resources."
"We use a structured rubric that evaluates expected impact and how research will be used to inform decisions."
"Good generative research impacts take years, so we track milestones like citations and executive references."
"By sitting at the table with sales and marketing, we can catch bias and produce more rigorous research."
"For execs, sometimes getting them to be pilot participants makes them feel the product pain and opens them to research."
"Being flexible and spending a lot of time listening are keys to building stakeholder relationships."
"Most people have a marketing or sales strategy, but many research leaders look puzzled when asked about their research strategy."
"If you don’t measure if research is successful, what do we ultimately have to show for it?"
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Ivana will teach you how to scale fast and big from day one through product operations."
Lada GorlenkoTheme 1: Intro
January 8, 2024
"When you build better experiences for people with disabilities, you build better experiences that work for everyone."
Sam ProulxOnline Shopping: Designing an Accessible Experience
November 29, 2023
"For me, ideally one design ops manager per 14 designers is the ratio that works best."
Benjamin RealShowing the Value of DesignOps by Not Having a DesignOps Team
October 21, 2020
"Don’t tell government teams you’re using design thinking—use their language and let them experience it first."
Steve ChaparroBringing Into Alignment Brand, Culture and Space
August 13, 2020
"What I realized is you need to add one word to the climate Venn diagram: specific, what specific work needs doing."
Sara ConklinA UXer’s 12-Month Journey from Climate Concern to Climate Credibility
June 26, 2025
"Each conference theme acts like a mini conference exploring a deep aspect of designing at scale."
Uday GajendarTheme 1: Introduction
June 9, 2021
"Civic design is challenging because it’s about discovering what kind of changes are needed, not just managing change."
Christian BasonInnovating With People: Unleashing the Potential of Civic Design
December 8, 2021
"Critique is an opportunity to build a culture of trust upon grounded reality while developing your craft. - Chris"
Erika Kincaid Brenna Heaps Jessica TsukimuraConnecting the Dots: How to Foster Collaboration and Build a Strong Design Review Culture
June 8, 2022
"Designers often describe what we do as problem solving and that’s fine, but it’s tied to a 19th-century view of design as preparing things to be manufactured."
Hugh DubberlyProblems with Problems: Reconsidering the Frame of Designing as Problem-Solving
June 19, 2019
