Discussion
Summary
In this talk, Kelly, Christian, and Chris explore the unique challenges of conducting UX research and generating insights within large enterprise organizations. They highlight the importance of empathy to bridge cultural divides between tribes such as data and design, as Kelly emphasizes starting with understanding others' perspectives. Christian stresses balancing corporate momentum with addressing critical gaps in knowledge, advising targeting insights that align with business needs and decision-makers’ motivations to maximize impact. Chris illuminates organizational politics where relationships can trump the quality of data or methods, underscoring the value of trust and tailored communication in convincing stakeholders. The panelists also discuss tactical challenges like recruiting participants and executing ethnographic studies in enterprise contexts, advocating for pilot projects and building internal research practices. They recognize the early maturity of enterprise UX and foresee increasing adoption but note that success depends on strategic awareness and PR around insights work. Various practical methods such as intercept interviews, microsurveys, and observation of networked workflows are shared. The conversation includes addressing pitfalls like confirmation bias and bad data, emphasizing data integrity and framing research questions effectively. Together, Kelly, Christian, and Chris provide a nuanced view of how to create meaningful, actionable insights and embed them into large organizations to drive customer-centered product success.
Key Insights
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Empathy is foundational to bridging cultural gaps between different organizational 'tribes' such as design and data teams.
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Both data scientists and designers share a deep commitment to creating awesome customer experiences despite differing toolsets.
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Effective insight work balances leveraging existing corporate momentum with uncovering critical blind spots in knowledge.
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Building trust with senior executives is crucial to successfully influencing decisions with user insights.
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Visualization tailored to how an executive interprets data can turn skepticism into acceptance.
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Enterprise UX research often succeeds by breaking down large organizations into smaller, approachable segments.
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Organizational politics and relationships often outweigh the methodological rigor of insight work in influence.
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Pilot studies and evangelists within companies help overcome fear and budget hesitations around ethnographic research.
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Recruiting ‘impossible’ user groups like data scientists requires strategic high-level buy-in and creative outreach.
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Data quality, understanding research questions, and recognizing confirmation bias are vital to trustworthy analysis.
Notable Quotes
"The core of it is really putting yourself in that other person’s shoes—it’s basic but essential empathy."
"Both tribes really believe in doing awesome for customers, that’s our common ground."
"The weakest insight method might win simply because of the relationship to the power structure."
"Trust is built by showing you’re there to help make them succeed, not just push your agenda."
"Visualizing data in a way executives can interpret is key to shifting from I think to I know."
"Enterprise UX is still nascent—businesses worldwide are just beginning to figure out where UX fits."
"When you look at data without training, confirmation bias makes you just find what you already believe."
"Pilot projects with evangelists inside the company make ethnography manageable and successful."
"Breaking enterprise into small segments lets you apply research methods effectively at scale."
"Building an internal research practice is critical for long-term value and integration of insights."
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