If you're designing a UX/CX research team, watch this first
In my work as a design leader and consultant, I've had the opportunity to help sculpt many research practices.
What I most often recommend is that companies place UX/CX research teams at a higher “altitude” than individual agile product teams.
What does this mean? It means that dedicated researchers have the opportunity to work across products, not just in support of one product. (In enterprise spaces, “products” are often parts of a funnel or flow, not a full stand-alone SaaS solution.)
When researchers are positioned at the cross-product (or CX) level, there’s more opportunity for them to add unique value. From this vantage point, researchers can focus on end-to-end experiences and identify journey-level needs and gaps—insights that individual product teams aren’t typically set up to discover.
When the team is large enough, I also recommend that researchers work in groups, not as solo contributors sprinkled throughout the company. Collaboration among researchers allows for cross-training and development. It’s also more ethical, since a team is less prone to blind spots and bias than researchers working alone.
So when I came across Jen Cardello’s talk called “Scaling User Research: A Playbook for Transforming Enterprises,” I was thrilled to hear similar advice. Cardello’s presentation is a rich yet concise summary of how to design research teams for the greatest impact. If you haven’t watched it yet, set aside some time to soak it in!
A few key takeaways:
Learn about the space you’ll be serving: What are the teams’ true needs? Conduct a listening tour to find out.
Avoid “peanut buttering” researchers across the organization. Instead, group them into pods for greater impact and growth opportunities.
If you discover that it works for your organization, set a quarterly insights agenda with your internal partners or clients. Collaborate with other types of researchers at the organization (market researchers and data analysts, for example) to craft approaches and projects that meet the comprehensive research needs of the company.
If your organization is eager to “democratize UX research,” equip teams thoughtfully. Set up the scaffolding to ensure that research remains valid, rigorous, and reliable.