Summary
More and more researchers with no business or product backgrounds are in product research. In the day-to-day industry practice, we are called to march towards the same goal despite our different ways of knowing, talking, and past experiences. Failing to do so could lead to missing opportunities for innovation, reinventing the wheels, and building products that may pose risks to society. When ‘thought worlds’ collide, what can we do to better understand and support each other? This talk answers the question by taking a closer look at the differences and similarities between research and practice, and offering lessons learned about communication and collaboration within diverse product teams made up of a mix of academic and professional disciplines.
Key Insights
-
•
The research-practice gap exists not just between academia and industry but also among different research layers like academic, applied, and design research.
-
•
Academics focus on advancing knowledge often without immediate practical impact, while industry prioritizes delivering value quickly and actionably.
-
•
Researchers and practitioners frequently fail to engage or communicate on platforms like Twitter, contributing to mutual isolation.
-
•
Translating complex academic findings into accessible, actionable language significantly improves their usability for designers.
-
•
The timing of delivering research resources is crucial; designers seek different information at different phases of the design process.
-
•
Combining research dissemination with marketing strategies and knowing your audience increases the effectiveness of communication.
-
•
Interdisciplinary teams benefit from starting conversations with personal introductions and goals before diving into business discussions.
-
•
Conflict in teams is inevitable but manageable by steering it into constructive debate and fostering psychological safety.
-
•
Self-awareness about how one debates and communicates disagreement improves team dynamics and outcomes.
-
•
Personal identity and relationships deeply influence how one navigates and bridges gaps between different professional and cultural worlds.
Notable Quotes
"My talk is about being misunderstood and navigating an identity crisis."
"What exactly did you observe that makes you say that? What past experience let you think that way?"
"The research-practice gap frustrates me, and I try to bridge it when it makes sense to."
"Science doesn’t just check truth; it has to win hearts and minds."
"Design has to be fast, accessible, actionable, and intuitive, whereas science is often slow and hard to act on."
"If you want to prove someone wrong, you’re actually not seeing the person in front of you."
"Teams with different thought worlds should start with who they are, what their roles are, and their passions inside and outside work."
"Strong teams are self-aware of how they communicate disagreement and interpret others."
"It’s our job to see the person in front of us, and if that means having an uncomfortable conversation, have that conversation."
"As you touch a human soul, be just another human soul."
Dig deeper—ask the Rosenbot:
More Videos
"My research team focused too much on scientific rigor, while design teams improved intuition with reflection and demonstration."
Yoel SumitroActions and Reflections: Bridging the Skills Gap among Researchers
March 9, 2022
"A kickback is a free flowing and life giving gathering that transforms and electrifies throughout the night."
Zariah CameronReDesigning Wellbeing for Equitable Care in the Workplace
September 23, 2024
"Designers have a set of superpowers that give us a unique ability to envision a better future."
Doug PowellDesignOps and the Next Frontier: Leading Through Unpredictable Change
September 11, 2025
"I felt on edge and physically depleted after our interactions."
Darian DavisLessons from a Toxic Work Relationship
January 8, 2024
"Position your discovery work as de-risking investments rather than just fuel for innovation or empathy building."
Mike OrenWhy Pharmaceutical's Research Model Should Replace Design Thinking
March 28, 2023
"One operations person for every ten designers is when you start to feel the pain of coordination."
Jacqui FreyScale is Social Work
March 19, 2020
"Onboarding feels like somebody's holding your hand, even though you're remote, which makes a huge difference."
Kim Holt Emma Wylds Pearl Koppenhaver Maisee XiongA Salesforce Panel Discussion on Values-Driven DesignOps
September 8, 2022
"It can cost up to 200 times more to remediate and retrofit a solution as opposed to designing it correctly in the first place."
Samuel ProulxFrom Standards to Innovation: Why Inclusive Design Wins
September 10, 2025
"Soft skills doesn’t always represent active listening, so we updated to be more specific."
Laine Riley ProkayHow DesignOps can Drive Inclusive Career Ladders for All
September 30, 2021
