Houston we have a problem: A UX Research guide to delivering bad news
The UX researcher’s utopian week must look something like this: plan a study on Monday, execute it on Tuesday, bottle of Grenache on Wednesday, collate on Thursday, cheers and claps to the outcome on Friday. High value research that reinforce all design and business decisions that originate from our company, no false assumptions, hypotheses validated at every turn, and everything coated in a sheen of glistening positivity.
Alas, the world isn’t that kind is it? Between our false perceptions, the ever-changing consumer landscape, complex human behaviour and an avocado milkshake, sits a researcher whose job is to give us confidence to move forward. Looking to research studies to drive business and design decisions can be nerve-wracking, and some outcomes are definitely harder to swallow than others.
There will be a time where this researcher needs to figure out how to say “Houston, we have a problem” without feeling terrible for letting everyone down, and I’m hoping this article and the several little processes I’ve detailed can inspire a little umbrella of confidence the next time you feel unprepared.
Understand the business objectives
It goes without question that understanding your team’s business objectives is the first thing that needs to be established before conducting any research. It is also a great first step in empathising with them, and showing them that you’re here to help.
Business objectives come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and time-dependencies. We use a simple 5-question template to kickstart the conversation and help us understand these objectives better.
I think of this as the “Marie Kondo” of mapping business objectives. A simple one-pager that allows us to cut through all the noise. The beauty about mapping these out is that assumptions immediately become clear to see.
With business objectives and assumptions, we can form hypotheses, which become the driving force of research endeavours.
I have been peppered with questions in the past, like “what do customers think about the product at this price” or “can we get customers to rank product benefits according to their preference”. While there is nothing wrong with attempting to answer these questions, without taking a step back to understand the big picture, the link between insight and business objective goes missing.
Communicate your intentions clearly
A practice that I’ve been inculcating before diving headfirst into formulating a research plan, is to look through prior research and best practices from within the company or other reputable sources. This is a great way to see if some questions can already be answered without embarking on a new study.
If a research plan is still in order, pitch it to your stakeholders and be transparent about what you intend to find out. The document should have the following:
- Business objectives and background
- Research objectives
- Description of segments / recruitment criteria
- Sample size
- Some questions we want to ask
- Timeline
- Cost
If you do feel that a particular business decision is unrealistic, or that the value proposition hinges upon a costly assumption, show them how you intend to uncover this.
Co-designing a research study with stakeholders and getting them to contribute is an invaluable practice. Everyone is on the same page about what we’re trying to find out, how we’re going to do it, as well as limitations of the study. Even if the eventual findings do not give the team confidence to move forward, at the very least it shows us how to learn and do better next time.
Frame your findings
Once your research findings are in, frame them in a way that is palatable to your stakeholders. You need to be able to deliver bad news like Keanu Reeves, and not Donald Trump.
Spelling out research objectives clearly in a slide, and presenting some background information (business objectives) in reports is a great way to set the tone. Following this up with an executive summary, or using a simple “what’s working well” and “areas for improvement” slide can help summarise findings succinctly, especially when communicating with a large number of stakeholders.
It’s easy to get dragged into a situation where one party feels defensive, but it’s your job to be neutral and strive for the truth. Backing up these findings with verbatim or recordings is a perfect way to illustrate your point!
Throw your recommendations into the hat
This is where I feel the biggest opportunity lies — and that is in showing the team why this isn’t the end of the world, and that there are other opportunities that can spring from this endeavour. I’ve made it a point to follow up every insight with a recommendation in my research reports, no matter how small. It could be a tiny design recommendation, or a big picture business recommendation. The point of research is not just to validate, but to provide alternative thought and uncover new opportunities.
Maybe you don’t feel like “it’s your place” to make these recommendations, but it sure is your role to question fearlessly. The rabbit hole doesn’t stop at just one piece of research, but can extend to multiple phases and pivots, depending on how your initial piece influences business and design directions. In a slide titled “next steps”, you could pitch a spin-off study and all of a sudden, the “bad news” you just delivered is a potential golden goose!
Process is mastery
There are a ton of ways to deliver bad news, but nothing beats having a tight, repeatable process from which new opportunities can spring. It might seem like there are a lot of steps to this, but in time these processes will melt into the fabric of your organisation, and enable the team to make bigger and bolder moves with your research expertise.
Your team will come to appreciate the value you bring to the table, the millions of dollars you make and save the company, and you can go back to popping that bottle of Grenache on Wednesdays!
