Rosenverse

This video is only accessible to Gold members. Log in or register for a free Gold Trial Account to watch.

Log in Register

Most conference talks are accessible to Gold members, while community videos are generally available to all logged-in members.

Inviting the Whole Org to Come See For Yourself
Gold
Monday, March 30, 2020 • Advancing Research 2020
Share the love for this talk
Inviting the Whole Org to Come See For Yourself
Speakers: Jesse Zolna

Summary

So all of a sudden, everyone at your company is interested in going into the field, meeting with clients, and “building empathy.” What could possibly go wrong? At ADP we created a program of ethnographic (lite) research designed to harness this excitement for exploratory research, enable anyone in the org to participate in conducting research, and help stakeholders think outside of their own product or screens. Secretly, our program was carefully designed to also teach our partners what it means to do Research: listen thoughtfully, analyze holistically, and truly understand client feedback before jumping to solutions.

Key Insights

  • Democratizing research helps build a culture of empathy within organizations.

  • Engaging non-researchers allows for a more holistic understanding of users.

  • The 'Come See for Yourself' program enhances collaboration between researchers and non-researchers.

  • Structured planning is crucial to avoid assumptions and ensure effective research.

  • Multiple data points are necessary for accurate client understanding.

  • Non-researchers need training to transition effectively into research roles.

  • Empathy training significantly improves the quality of user interviews.

  • Reflection and synthesis sessions are essential for deriving insights from research data.

  • Research methodologies can be taught incrementally through involvement in phases.

  • Encouraging exploration and curiosity among stakeholders leads to better product development.

Notable Quotes

"My mission is to understand the user at a holistic level."

"Democratizing research has two parts: getting folks involved and upskilling non-researchers."

"We don't jump directly into site visits; we break down the research process deliberately."

"Encouraging everyone in your organization to do research is better than flying blind."

"The excitement for research is a good problem to have."

"This type of research exists, and here's how you can do it and act upon it."

"Listening is different than having a conversation; we need to check our assumptions."

"Each interview session is its own independent bit of data."

"We focus on facts rather than interpretation during synthesis sessions."

"It's important to discuss multiple ways to solve one problem, not just one right answer."

More Videos

Llewyn Paine

"User recordings are arguably your most valuable asset."

Llewyn Paine

[Demo] Deploying AI doppelgangers to de-identify user research recordings

June 5, 2024

Kit Unger

"Designers need to think beyond pixel perfection to add value to overall product strategy."

Kit Unger Jackie Ho Veevi Rosenstein Vasileios Xanthopoulos

Theme 2: Discussion

January 8, 2024

George Abraham

"If you make a change, the developer just has to switch to a different branch to see the new version."

George Abraham Stefan Ivanov

Design Systems To-Go: Indigo.Design Overview and Exploring the Developer Workflow (Part 3)

October 1, 2021

Mohammad Hossein Jarrahi

"Context is not a container; it's a dynamic construct that shapes human experiences."

Mohammad Hossein Jarrahi

Contextuality problem: Exploring the Benefits of Qualitative and Quantitative Research

January 20, 2023

Joerg Beringer

"With this tool, even non-experts can create rich, detailed user personas and journey maps."

Joerg Beringer Thomas Geis

Scaling User Research with AI: Continuous Discovery of User Needs in Minutes

June 10, 2025

Shelby Switzer

"We have to socialize the resources we create for them to become useful."

Shelby Switzer

Making Space for Community Knowledge-sharing in a Distributed World

December 10, 2021

Jen Crim

"ServiceNow values diverse perspectives in decision-making processes to enhance creativity and collaboration. "

Jen Crim Jess Quittner Saritha Kattekola Alex Karr Gurbani Pahwa

Culture, DIBS & Recruiting

June 11, 2021

Vicky Teinaki

"I came from a design agency background and felt under-equipped."

Vicky Teinaki Michele Marut Tim Parmee

Short Take #3: UX/Product Lessons from Your Industry Peers

December 6, 2022

Magdalena Zadara

"You need to relax and open your mind to the specific challenges of your locality."

Magdalena Zadara

Zero Hour: How to Get Far Quickly When Starting Your Digital Service Unit Late

November 16, 2022