Embracing the Power of Research Enablement at Babbel
The Essence of Empowerment Through Education and Enablement
In the evolving landscape of UX research at Babbel, we often bandy about terms like enabling, educating, and empowering — and for good reasons. Each of these terms, while distinct, overlaps significantly in our day-to-day operations, especially as we delve deeper into the democratization of research within the organization.
At Babbel, democratization (yes, the D-word) isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a strategic imperative that enhances our understanding of learner needs and informs our product decisions. Our Research Operations team plays a pivotal role in this by enabling access to vital research resources across the entire organization, educating our team on privacy and ethical standards, and empowering product teams to make informed decisions.
Educating Stakeholders: The Holistic Approach to UXR
Educating stakeholders about the holistic nature of UXR is crucial. It’s not just about speeding up recruitment processes; it’s about ensuring they understand the types of research we can enable (evaluative) and those we cannot (generative).
The risks involved with each decision are weighed carefully, emphasizing that quick, reversible usability studies are different from strategic company decisions that should not be based solely on non-professional research.
Visualizing Interconnectedness and Mitigating Risks
We use specific visual aids to demonstrate the interconnectedness within the research process, underscoring the dangers of setting incorrect research goals or asking the wrong questions. The visualizations help in communicating why merely speeding up recruitment can potentially lead to more significant issues down the line.
Empowering Through Practical Enablement
Our approach goes beyond theory. We’ve structured enablement sessions where product trios — designers, engineers, and product managers — learn about holistic research methods suitable for various inquiries.
We enabled our product designers, referred to as research angels, with essential practical details for evaluative research, including tools and participant recruitment techniques.
Our enablement program includes six sessions spread over one month, with varied audiences attending. Each session lasts between 60 and 90 minutes.
Here is the outline we’ve set for the program:
Creating Alignment and Building a Unified Framework
The complexity of running multiple sessions with diverse attendees is streamlined using a structured framework. This setup serves as a single source of truth, aligning our team on session objectives, attendee roles, and the facilitation process.
This centralization is critical in managing organizational noise and ensuring everyone is on the same page.
An Airtable structure to get you started:
Your categories can be customized, depending on your needs.
Interactive Learning and Continuous Improvement
As we progress through our sessions, we encourage interactive learning, allowing participants to engage directly with tools and set up their studies, guided by our facilitators. This hands-on approach is pivotal in ensuring practical application of the theoretical knowledge.
Our training sessions used quizzes to reinforce earlier material, helping participants apply their knowledge effectively. These quizzes facilitated lively discussions and targeted feedback, pinpointing areas for improvement.
From the fifth session onward, we shifted to a co-creation approach, allowing participants to help design a study using the provided tools. This significant change transformed our training from passive to active and collaborative, enhancing engagement and real-time application of concepts.
The Outcome: A Mentorship-Driven, User-Centered Culture
By investing time and resources into this structured enablement process, we elevate the role of UX researchers to that of mentors and coaches, fostering skill growth across various roles and reinforcing a user-centered mindset throughout the organization.
We designed our program with varied roles in mind — some require less research, others more. Our main goal was not to outsource evaluative research. The key achievement, next to enabling evaluative research to be run by Product Trios, is that we have leveled the knowledge field so everyone can communicate efficiently about research.
Reflecting on Risks
No initiative is without its risks, and our journey towards full democratization of UX research at Babbel has been both challenging and enlightening. Each step has provided us with valuable insights, shaping how we approach user research and its integration into product development.
Democratizing UX research at Babbel brings challenges alongside benefits. Key risks include diminishing the perceived professionalism of UX research, potentially leading to lower quality or biased results. Expanded access can result in privacy and ethics breaches if team members lack proper training. Misuse or overinterpretation of findings could misalign product strategies. Teams with lower UX maturity may experience slowdowns, and a broader spread of research duties might lead to accountability issues, with responsibilities becoming diluted across too many participants.
Ensuring adherence to processes and maintaining clear accountability is crucial to mitigate these risks.
Lessons Learned
Clear Role Definition: The Foundation of Effective Training
A pivotal step in optimizing training outcomes is the crystal-clear definition of roles. This clarity serves as the backbone of the training, ensuring that everyone — from research operations specialists to researchers, and from product trios to those in enabled roles — understands their responsibilities and the expectations placed upon them. This not only enhances the efficiency of the training process but also significantly boosts morale and engagement among the participants.
The Transition of Roles: From Participant to Coach
Post-training, a strategic transition of roles takes place, particularly for researchers. Researchers, having been equipped with new insights and methodologies, assume the role of a coach for evaluative research. This transition is crucial as it empowers researchers to apply their learned skills in guiding their peers through the nuances of evaluative research. Moreover, this shift allows them to dedicate more time and resources to foundational or generative research, areas that are fundamental to innovation and long-term success.
Patience is Key: Long-Term Impact
It’s important to manage expectations regarding the outcomes of these training sessions. The true impact of these sessions, particularly in terms of tangible results and shifts in organizational culture, may not be immediately apparent. Stakeholders must be prepared for a long-term commitment. The fruits of this labor are often realized over years, not months. This long-term perspective is essential for sustaining motivation and continued investment in training programs.
Finale
Democratizing UX research at Babbel has expanded who can participate in our research efforts and enhanced the influence of these insights on our product development. As we refine this approach, the lessons learned will continue to drive innovations in empowering our teams to provide exceptional language learning experiences.
In conclusion, while the technical skills and knowledge imparted during training sessions are crucial, the emotional component — encompassing clear role definitions, the transition of roles, and patience for long-term impact — plays an equally vital role. By addressing these aspects, organizations can significantly enhance the effectiveness of their training programs, leading to sustained growth and innovation.
Appreciations
A huge thank you to Jennifer Dorman, whose leadership kept us aligned and moved us forward. Special thanks also to Polly Radebaugh, Jerley Castro, Giovanna de Gaspari, and Andreas Lehmann for their invaluable work and expertise.
If you would like to discuss further — I’m open for deeper discussions (feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn!).
