Theme 2 Intro
Summary
In this talk, the speaker reflects on the insight and research community's shared hunger for evolution and improvement, especially in a world unsettled by turmoil and inequity. They emphasize how 2020, despite its challenges, has inspired renewed commitment and bravery to do things differently. The speaker introduces four key presenters: Catherine Andrew, who discusses integrating different research and analytics functions to build cohesive insight teams; a panel exploring trauma-informed practices; Zen, who shares lessons from learning science; and Kathleen, who rethinks the identity of researchers. The talk centers around two unifying themes: introspection with humility—encouraging researchers to first look inward to better serve others—and bravery in challenging conventional wisdom and embracing discomfort for meaningful change. Ultimately, the session aims to energize and inspire the audience to advance both their personal practices and the research field as a whole through shared learning and courageous adaptation.
Key Insights
-
•
The insight community feels it is at a tipping point between recognizing past progress and the vast work still ahead.
-
•
2020’s turmoil sparked renewed bravery and commitment in researchers rather than exhaustion.
-
•
Introspection and humility are critical before effectively amplifying others' stories.
-
•
Bravery includes bucking conventional wisdom and honestly confronting the world as it is.
-
•
Integrating research and analytics functions helps create stronger, unified insight teams.
-
•
Learning from adjacent fields like trauma-informed practices and learning science can advance research methods.
-
•
Redefining the identity of researchers may open new ways to connect and share stories.
-
•
Embracing discomfort in learning fosters personal and field-wide change.
-
•
The collective journey of learning from one another powers advancement in research practices.
-
•
Care, compassion, and open-heartedness are vital qualities in advancing research and sharing truths.
Notable Quotes
"The insight and research community had such a hunger to keep growing and evolving to better amplify the voices of the people we seek to understand."
"We are living in a world that for so many feels like it has been flipped on its head."
"Instead of facing 2020 with exhaustion, folks were looking at it with renewed commitment and bravery."
"How can we teach others about powerful stories without first becoming learned ourselves?"
"Bravery is having the courage to buck conventional wisdom and look at the world for how it is."
"Catherine Andrew will share her experience bringing research and analytics functions together to create integrated insight teams."
"We will learn from trauma-informed practices and learning science to advance how we do things."
"Redefining who researchers are can teach us new ways to share stories."
"At times, this day may feel uncomfortable, but embracing discomfort often leads to change."
"The journey we are on is to change and advance not just practices but the entire research field."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"What a screen reader user does is they don’t start at the top and tab through every single element; they navigate by headings and landmarks."
Sam ProulxEverything You Ever Wanted to Know About Screen Readers
June 11, 2021
"Our sponsor sessions are not sales pitches; they are serious, high content learning opportunities for everyone."
Bria AlexanderOpening Remarks
November 17, 2022
"Keep your LinkedIn profile updated and compelling so you’re findable for passive job opportunities."
Corey Nelson Amy SanteeLayoffs
November 15, 2022
"Designing better enterprises means creating conditions for all parts to work together coherently, like gardening rather than blaming individual plants."
Milan GuentherA Shared Language for Co-Creating Ambitious Endeavours
June 6, 2023
"Recruitment is so difficult, especially in B2B where you need to speak to customers using similar products."
Erin May Roberta Dombrowski Laura Oxenfeld Brooke HintonDistributed, Democratized, Decentralized: Finding a Research Model to Support Your Org
March 10, 2022
"Accessibility is now considered not just a moral necessity and a human right but a business good because accessible products are better and easier for everyone to use."
Sam ProulxUnderstanding Screen Readers on Mobile: How And Why to Learn from Native Users
June 6, 2023
"Adding a senior researcher, Izzy, in field meant we could have more, smaller research tracks and better support for research newbies."
Mujtaba HameedThe new horizon of ethnography: using AI to unlock the full potential of in-person research
March 11, 2026
"When something of massive consequence happens that no one predicted, it usually means we have failed to point our imagination in the right direction."
Ilana LipsettAnticipating Risk, Regulating Tech: A Playbook for Ethical Technology Governance
December 10, 2021
"When we build accessibility into an environment, especially if we do it subtly, it becomes the new normal."
Samuel ProulxFrom Standards to Innovation: Why Inclusive Design Wins
September 10, 2025
Latest Books All books
Dig deeper with the Rosenbot
In what ways can AI tools accelerate value delivery in design operations, and what pitfalls should be avoided?
How does democratized research impact decision quality and team collaboration?
What does a successful healthcare UX career look like in terms of accumulating influence and aligning with clinical/business goals?