Last year, the landscape of UX research was in flux.
Remember the theory that tech layoffs disproportionately impact UX research compared to other disciplines? 🥹That sparked concerns about the future of our field, and while the data wasn’t strong enough to support or debunk this theory, one clear takeaway from UX researchers and research ops teams is that the internal demand for research has never been higher within most product companies.
This paradox points to a significant trend: democratization.
By enabling non-researchers, or "People Who Do Research" (PWDRs), to participate in UX research, organizations can continue leveraging user insights even with limited resources. Whether seen as a positive shift or a cause for concern, democratization remains a hot topic in our field. Recent reports reveal 62% of researchers across 14 industries globally agree that their company now depends significantly on market research and insights.
To better understand this paradox's evolution, let’s review the key developments in UXR over the past year. Join us as we explore the significant impact of buzzword shaping the future of UX research.
What is democratizing UX research 🤔—And why is it important?
Democratizing UX research makes research (collecting, storing, sharing, and accessing) accessible and possible for anyone within an organization, regardless of their role. It aims to break down traditional barriers and hierarchies, allowing cross-functional teams to contribute to and benefit from user insights. The importance of democratizing UX research stems from its potential to transform how organizations approach user-centered design and decision-making.
Democratization has gained traction in research operations to address common challenges and optimize research efficiency. In the research process, democratization aims to promote collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and a more holistic understanding of users' needs by involving non-researchers, such as product managers, designers, developers, and marketers.
Impact of layoffs and the push for democratization
Layoffs: a sector-wide reassessment
The wave of layoffs across the tech industry has prompted a profound reassessment of research functions. Major players such as Tesla, Amazon, Google, TikTok, Snap, and Microsoft have been notably affected. This period of "reckoning" has had a particularly pronounced impact on larger, established companies.
It’s clear these reductions and the increasing demand for user-centric products has accelerated the adoption of democratization, empowering non-researchers ("citizen researchers") to engage in research activities.
Strategic impact of researchers
While AI and automation can support various tasks, human researchers remain crucial. Rest assured, "AI isn’t going to take your job," as the role of researchers goes beyond just conducting research. Their nuanced understanding and decision-making abilities are essential for organizations adapting to these changes.
Researchers serve as key strategic advisors, providing deep insights and guiding high-stakes decisions that impact the future.
The great democratization debate
Democratization faced scrutiny as some critics blamed it for devaluing research and contributing to industry layoffs. However, advocates of ResearchOps argue for a more nuanced view.
Kyle Soucy, in his article titled: The Problem With Research Democratization That People Aren't Talking About. Kyle points out that "Just because non-researchers (i.e., designers, developers, product managers, marketers, etc.) can learn to conduct research, it doesn't mean they want to." So, even when research teams embrace democratization, they have an uphill battle educating team members and stakeholders who aren't excited about the idea of more work.😤 While democratization offers opportunities to expand research reach, it also presents challenges in maintaining research quality and consistency.
In the year-and-change since, Behzod Sirjani is still arguably one of the strongest voices and advocates for democratization. Through Yet Another Studio, Behzod offers democratization training and resources. He's also given many talks and interviews.
I believe that research is a practice of rigorous curiosity, and the role of researchers in an organization is to help the people they work with make better decisions.
Behzod SirjaniYet Another StudioBehzod argues that democratization is part of a UX researcher's job, and the UXRs should empower teams to gather and share data.
"We have to acknowledge that our role in helping our organizations learn and make better decisions means that we cannot be the ones with all the answers. Instead, we need to identify areas where our organizations need to learn in rigorous and structured ways and actively support that learning."
Erika Hall is another voice for democratization but emphasizes the importance of correctly framing the discussion and processes.
"Don't argue for or against democratization. That's a pernicious framing that tries to make a virtue of lazy thinking. Work towards true, goal-oriented, ethical collaboration with clear roles and responsibilities. Clarity enables efficiency." Erika Hall, Mule Design
In summary, while the push for democratization reflects a broader trend towards more inclusive and responsive research practices, it must be managed thoughtfully to ensure quality and effectiveness.
How UX research democratization works
If you’ve made it this far, it’s possible you’re asking how are we supposed to keep our research practices afloat, much less add value in the face of limited resources in 2024?
UX research democratization completely shifts the traditional research process, empowering a wider range of stakeholders to actively participate and contribute to user research activities.
It's essential to get everyone aligned on goals, questions, and decisions to start with. Only after you do that can you appropriately plan and delegate the work, and socialize the insights that come out of it.
Erika HallMule DesignHere's a high-level overview of how democratizing UX research works:
Cultivating a user-centered culture ❤️ : Democratizing UX research begins with fostering a culture that values user insights and encourages collaboration across teams. Organizations must establish a shared understanding of the importance of user research and the benefits of involving diverse perspectives.
Educating and training non-researchers 👩🏫: To effectively democratize UX research, providing education and training opportunities to non-researchers is crucial. This training helps team members and stakeholders understand the research process, methodologies, and best practices, enabling them to contribute meaningfully and make informed decisions based on user insights.
Defining research roles and responsibilities 🧑💻: Clearly defining the roles and responsibilities of different team members involved in the research process is essential. Research experts are crucial in guiding and supporting non-researchers, ensuring that team members conduct research activities ethically and rigorously.
Collaborative research planning 👫: Democratizing UX research involves non-researchers in the research planning stage. UXRs conduct collaborative sessions to define research goals, select appropriate methodologies, and determine the scope and timeline of research activities.
Sharing research findings and insights 🗂️: Openly sharing research findings and insights across teams is critical to democratizing UX research. Regular communication channels, such as presentations, reports, and workshops, disseminate research findings and encourage discussion and knowledge-sharing among team members.
Iterative and inclusive decision-making ☺️: Democratizing UX research emphasizes the importance of diverse perspectives in the decision-making process. Research insights are considered alongside other factors, such as business goals, technical feasibility, and design considerations, to inform product decisions and prioritize future research initiatives.
Feedback and continuous improvement 🏋️♀️: Democratizing UX research relies on a feedback-driven approach. UXRs must establish regular feedback loops to gather input from all stakeholders involved in the research process, enabling continuous improvement and refinement of research practices.
The level of democratization can vary across organizations and projects. Some organizations may start with small-scale initiatives, gradually increasing involvement over time, while others may adopt a more comprehensive approach from the outset.
The key to democratization is to balance inclusivity and thorough research, leveraging teams' collective knowledge and expertise while upholding ethical standards and maintaining the quality of research insights.
Benefits of democratizing UX research
Democratizing UX research can benefit organizations and teams aiming to involve a broader range of stakeholders in the research process.
Increased access to research insights for cross-functional teams
Democratizing UX research allows cross-functional teams to access and leverage research insights directly. This access facilitates a shared understanding of user needs and challenges, enabling teams to make more informed decisions and design user-centric solutions.
Empowering non-researchers to contribute to the research process
Democratizing UX research empowers non-researchers, such as product managers or designers, to actively participate in research activities. This inclusion fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility for user research, encourages collaboration, and ensures UX teams consider diverse perspectives.
Accelerating research velocity and scalability
Democratizing UX research enables organizations to conduct research activities concurrently with a broader pool of contributors, reducing bottlenecks and accelerating the research process. This collaborative effort enables faster and more scalable research initiatives, gathering insights efficiently and iterating on designs with shorter feedback loops.
Cultivating a user-centric culture across the organization
Democratizing UX research promotes a user-centric culture by involving various stakeholders in the research process. This user-centered mindset cultivates empathy for users and a deeper understanding of their needs, leading to better products and services. It encourages collaboration, breaks down silos, and fosters a sense of shared responsibility for delivering exceptional user experiences.
Challenges of democratizing UX research 😰
Maintaining thorough research and quality
The danger of democratization is that people who are not properly upskilled go off and do research, gathering bad data and coming to inaccurate conclusions, i.e. they know just enough to be dangerous.
Anna LoparevSenior User Experience Researcher at New Relic, Inc.Maintaining thorough research and quality in a democratized approach presents a challenge that requires active oversight to uphold research standards.
With multiple contributors involved, it is crucial to establish clear guidelines, standardize research practices, and conduct thorough quality checks to maintain the integrity and reliability of the research findings.
What do UX research tools have to do with democratization?
Balancing speed and agility with the risk of compromising research validity poses a challenge in democratized UX research. While democratization aims to expedite the research process, there is a potential trade-off between quick turnaround and maintaining research robustness. Striking the right balance involves:
Establishing streamlined workflows.
Leveraging efficient research tools.
Implementing rigorous validation processes to ensure the validity of insights.