Frustrated with the state of UX Research? Here’s what these seven UX Research experts say needs to change
See what these leaders have to say about evolving the UX Research field at the upcoming Advancing Research 2023 conference by Rosenfeld Media.
For an introduction to the Advancing Research 2023 conference and its themes as well as more from these leaders, see the first post and second post in this conference blog post series.
Many UX Researchers are feeling frustrated with the state of UX Research.
You don’t have to look far to find plentiful concerns:
- Lack of UX Research presence “at the table”
- An exclusive world view that suffers from not including everyone’s experience
- Challenges influencing products and organizations
- Barriers of all kinds — organizational, ideological, practical
- And more…
Perhaps you are one of these frustrated researchers, wishing for a different UX research reality.
You may be feeling the stagnation. The frustration. And more.
It can feel lonely, and like there’s no way forward.
That’s why Rosenfeld Media has brought us the Advancing Research 2023 Conference. It’s designed to bring researchers together to do the following (in the words of the conference introduction):
- collaboratively re-assess the state of the practice
- consider the increasingly complex demands being placed upon research teams and leaders, and
- work together to define clear roles, set goals, and establish scalable solutions for achieving them.
At the conference, you’ll connect with plenty of the above, and more. Everything is aimed at moving the field of research forward.
But how? What specifically does the field need to move forward?
Here’s what seven of the conference speakers have said in answer to that question. We interviewed them about what they think is needed to move the field forward, and some key themes emerged:
- Increased business acumen
- More inclusivity
- Expanded actionability of insights
- More critical self-appraisal as a community of researchers
Increased business acumen
UX Researchers need to develop and exercise their business sense to move the field of UX Research forward. Three of our experts noted the criticality of this.
To move the field of UX Research forward, we need to “understand the business ecosystem of the company creating the product or service and the impact of its organizational design on what it creates,” according to Jennifer Fraser.
Mike Oren and Carl Turner called out the value of bridging the gap between business and UX mindsets. According to Mike, it’s important to “learn and blend business strategy frameworks and language into our work.” And Carl Turner said it’s important for researchers to “be able to translate the value of UX Research into terms business leaders understand.”
More inclusivity
More diversity will help UX Research move forward, as three of our speakers compellingly note.
Victor Udoewa has called out the criticality of “decolonizing research, shifting the center and opening up pluriversal ways of doing research.”
Similarly, Mansi Gupta says it’s also important to “look beyond (research) to non-design disciplines to learn from practices, especially those that have been putting minoritized groups at the center of their practice.”
And let’s “champion people who don’t live in the Western world. We have a responsibility to build technology that’s inclusive and ethical for everyone,” Marvin co-founder & CEO Prayag Narula calls out.
Expanded availability of insights
Three of our speakers called out various ways to make our insights more available and increase our influence.
“Balance rigor with pragmatism, demonstrating the value of our craft through the show and tell,” Cara Maritz says.
And Carl Turner indicates that it’s important to “break down barriers between research and other parts of the organization.”
Prayag Narula’s suggestion involves expanding beyond our daily contacts to “connect with your peers in technology and showcase your contributions. It does no good to keep your groundbreaking insights to yourself.”
More critical self-appraisal as a community of researchers
Two of our research expert speakers say it’s valuable to turn our critical eye onto our own field and practices.
Mike Oren implores us to have “no sacred cows,” and Mansi Gupta called out the value of “looking at our current research and design methods with a critical eye.”
Your ideal next steps, based on these observations
These four methods of moving the field of UX Research forward are available to all of us UX Researchers — as individuals and collectively.
Now that you’ve read the opinions of our speakers on how to move the field forward, what will you do?
Attending Advancing Research 2023 is a great place to start. There you’ll have opportunities to explore these ideas as well as many more from these and the other conference speakers and workshop leaders. This way, you can solidify your commitment to advance the field of research through these and other methods.
And it’s important we all take our responsibility to move the field forward seriously. Although it may not feel like it, each of us working in the UX Research field have influence over its evolution (or lack of).
So what are you waiting for? Let’s get to it.
Anne Mamaghani is a User Experience Strategist with decades of UX and leadership experience. She founded Wisdom Driven UX to leverage user experience to drive business results in a variety of industries, on- and off-line.
She’s also a speaker and sought-out mentor on topics of user experience, user experience research, leadership, thriving as a woman in the corporate world, thriving as a parent in the corporate world, mindfulness and personal growth.
