​Evangelizing Research: Whose Job Is It?

Hosted by the UX Researchers’ Guild
Moderated by Danielle Green and Jess Vice
View the full video presentation here.
Session 6 – July 26, 2024

Disseminating and socializing research findings is expected of most UX Researchers, but is it really your responsibility to make sure your research findings are driving decisions? At this UX Research Rumble, Jess Vice and Danielle Green from the UX Researchers’ Guild discussed the pros and cons of holding UX Researchers accountable for the impact of their work.

Who’s Responsible for Evangelizing Research Insights?

Danielle kicked off the discussion and advocated that researchers are responsible for how their insights are adopted. At the outset, she clarified that the controversy is not whether researchers should communicate findings to stakeholders, but whether or not researchers should be held accountable in some way.

“The debate is really around whether evangelizing or socializing research findings proactively and convincing your stakeholders that your research findings should be acted upon is part of your job. Said another way, should your performance as a [research] professional be measured based on whether stakeholders adopt your findings or not?,” said Danielle.

Pros of Evangelizing or Socializing Research Insights

Evangelizing or socializing research is a part of many UXR job descriptions, and Danielle advocated that should continue. She summarized four reasons why researchers should be held responsible for convincing others to take action on research findings.

What better success metric?

Being held accountable for the adoption of research findings incentivizes researchers to do impactful work and avoid the “research as a service” dynamic.

How to increase research adoption.

Is it better to do five research projects with minimal adoption or one project with 100% adoption? Her argument stressed that time spent in meetings is valuable if it leads to higher adoption rates of research findings versus conducting multiple projects with minimal adoption, suggesting that fewer projects with greater impact can be more effective.

Team-level performance can address skill issues.

Not everyone can be a master of persuasion and socializing research can be a specialization of a team lead or manager. Danielle noted that not all researchers are naturally persuasive. Instead, she suggested organizations focus on research team-level performance, where some members, like team leads or managers, could take on the role of evangelizing research findings.

You’ll be held accountable anyway.

Whether it is communicated transparently or not, leaders will typically view success in terms of the adoption of research findings (not the amount of good research conducted). The strongest argument presented was that researchers are implicitly judged on the adoption of their findings, especially during times of organizational scrutiny. High visibility from successful evangelization efforts benefits the research team by making their contributions more recognizable within the organization, Danielle concluded.

Cons of Socializing or Championing Research Insights

Jess tackled the negative consequences of holding UX researchers responsible for evangelizing their own research due to the extensive time and energy required. She proposed a specialized role, such as a research evangelist, to handle this task.

“We need research evangelists because we’re not preaching to the converted; first, we must convert…We’re usually at the bottom; we’re not often at the table with high-level decision-makers,” said Jess.

‘But I am le tired.’

Unlike academic research, UXRs are trying to both win people over to the love of research AND get them to consider new data in their upcoming decisions. Individual researchers, especially those with limited support, already have their hands full managing all phases of a research project, from recruiting to analysis. Borrowing from Janelle Ward, Jess argues that adding an impact or adoption metric to measure a researcher’s success, is simply too much.

Consider the org structure.

Researchers are often several tiers away from anyone in a decision-making capacity. Is it right or reasonable to expect them to be able to drive change? Jess pointed out that UX researchers often lack the organizational influence needed to effectively promote their findings. The hierarchical structure of many companies makes it difficult for researchers to reach and impact decision-makers.

Increased cost & time.

Involving more stakeholders in research opens the door for misaligned priorities, rabbit holes, changes of heart, and even more effort on the researcher’s part. Collaborative processes involving multiple stakeholders can be time-consuming and costly. Jess argued that these processes often lead to unproductive discussions about methodology, rather than focusing on the research findings.

Revival meeting feels.

No one wants to be evangelized. How else might we help teams see the value of our work while saving our energy and emotions? Jess challenged the notion that evangelizing is the appropriate approach. She suggested that researchers use their skills in empathy and critical thinking to communicate their findings in a way that resonates with their audience, rather than taking a preachy, evangelistic approach.

Discussions from the Breakout Rooms

Best Way to Communicate the Value of Research

• Researchers must first understand the level of understanding that teams and stakeholders have regarding UX research.
• The challenge is showing value, especially when it doesn’t have a direct output like saving money or avoiding complexity.
• The maturity of the organization plays a significant role in the acceptance of research value.

Strategic Communication and Team Structure

• A strategist at a high level could help align research efforts with organizational goals.
• Aligning incentives is crucial; otherwise, collaboration suffers.
• Team structure and target goals should support integrated collaboration for success.

Champions, rather than Evangelists

• The term “championing” was preferred over “evangelizing.”
• There’s a need for a high-level strategist to align research across the organization.
• Until research is a foundational part of decision-making, researchers must advocate for their own value.
• Partnering with allies in the organization, such as marketing, can help in promoting research findings.

Become the Best Storyteller About Your Work

• Storytelling is a vital skill for researchers to influence others effectively.
• Even if researchers are not naturally persuasive, they should seek coaching to improve their storytelling.
• Effective storytelling can turn research findings into compelling narratives that drive action.

Being Measured on Insight Adoption or Impact

• Measuring the impact of research is challenging, especially when recommendations are not adopted.
• Researchers often need to communicate the risks and trade-offs of decisions, even if they’re not followed.
• The success of research can sometimes be seen in the informed decisions made, even if the recommended actions are not taken.

Research as an Ecosystem

• Research impacts should be considered in a broader, long-term context.
• Spatial and temporal awareness is crucial in understanding the full implications of research findings.
• Communicating these broader impacts can be challenging but is essential for long-term success.

Design Research and UX Research Roles

• UX research often involves usability testing and incremental findings.
• Design research can offer strategic insights and inform product development.
• Both types of research are important and can complement each other.
• Building value through incremental findings can lead to strategic influence over time.

Some Insights Take Time to Make an Impact

• Research findings may not be acted upon immediately but can lead to significant changes in the future.
• Researchers should plant seeds of insights, even if they take time to grow.
• Innovation can arise from past research findings, highlighting the importance of persistence in communicating research value.

Research Findings as a ‘Garden of Insights’

• Viewing research as a garden suggests nurturing insights over time.
• Some findings will yield quick results, while others may take longer to mature.
• This metaphor emphasizes the long-term value of research and the importance of tending to all insights, regardless of immediate impact.

. . .

Danielle: co-founder and President of the Guild; former research and product leader; Professor-Applied Psychology and the Director of Claremont Graduate University’s UX Master’s program.

Jess Vice: an independent UX researcher and strategist; currently the fractional Director of UX at Orca Creative. Jess founded multiple UX teams and mentored UXers one-on-one for more than 10 years.