From AI Principles to Research Ops: Five key takeaways from the UX360 Summit
Last week Ipsos sponsored the UX360 Summit where we had the opportunity to speak about Designing for the Metaverse, host an interactive booth and participate in an expert panel on the Future of UX research.
The conference provided an opportunity for experts in their field to share insights on user experience research. There were some excellent discussions which we turned into a summary of the five critical things to consider when conducting research:
1. User Experience is More Than Just the Interface:
According to Kate Powell Head of UX Research at United Airlines, it’s essential to understand that user experience is not just about the product interface. It’s about the full 360-degree view and how the product fits into that. When conducting research, Powell emphasized the importance of considering the user, their motivation, their context, and their environment.
2. The Importance of Understanding the UX of AI:
Mihaela Vorvoreanu , Director of UX Research and Responsible AI Education at Microsoft highlighted the significance of understanding the user experience of AI. Vorvoreanu explained that to do so, researchers must look beyond the user and consider what can go wrong, who might be harmed and how, and what can be done to mitigate those risks. Microsoft has developed AI principles, including fairness, reliability, safety, privacy, inclusiveness, transparency, and accountability, and a HAX Toolkit to help developers apply those principles.
3. The Need for Ownership and Accountability in Research:
To have the most impact, researchers must apply their research at the foundation level of emerging team and product development. Metaverse Design Principles and Microsoft’s AI Principles are examples of how UX leads the way in defining how products built with emerging tech need to work to deliver good user experiences. Without UX early in the development, there is the potential for harm and a plenty of poor experiences for many users.
4. The Importance of Research Operations (ReOps):
Day two of the conference emphasized the role of Research Operations (ReOps). Raluca Stan argued that ReOps is a strategic role and could complement and elevate research quality, scale, and impact while dealing with budget constraints. Jeffrey Easton outlined a six-step recipe for building successful ReOps: establishing the ReOps mission and vision, finding the suitable maturity model, identifying the gaps, creating objectives and key results, measuring progress, and tracking and communicating success.
5. How to Conduct Research in Low-Maturity Environments:
Dr Flavius Kehr provided recommendations for organizations that still need to build a robust research culture. He suggested forming a researcher guild, speaking the language of the corporation, and making bold recommendations beyond just research insights.
Overall, the UX360 conference highlighted the importance of considering various aspects of user experience when conducting research. Understanding the user, their context, and their environment is crucial, as is assessing the impact of emerging tech and how to ensure accountability and ownership. Moreover, developing a successful ReOps function can help elevate research quality, scale, and impact while dealing with budget constraints.
