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The Importance of Evaluative Research

Dr. Nick Fine emphasizes the critical role of evaluative research in driving real value for businesses. He argues that while generative research has its place, the true "needle-moving" value lies in evaluative research. This type of research focuses on assessing existing products and services to provide constant course correction, ultimately leading to better products and increased profitability. Fine suggests that researchers should hone their evaluative skills to remain relevant in an AI-driven world, where generative tasks can be easily automated.

"Evaluative builds better products by providing constant course correction... It's not difficult, but it does get quite nuanced." - Dr. Nick Fine

Play the video to see where that verbatim quote was taken from: 

The Reckoning in UX Research

In the evolving landscape of UX research, Judd Antin provides valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities facing the field. Here are the key takeaways from his discussion:

User-Centered Performance

• Symbolic vs. Genuine Practice: Antin introduces the concept of "user-centered performance," where actions are more about signaling customer obsession rather than making informed decisions. This often results in superficial research efforts that do not drive meaningful change.

"User-centered performance is a term I made up... It refers to customer obsession or a user-centered practice that is symbolic rather than focused on learning." - Judd Antin - ▶ Play the clip where he talks about this: 00:24:19

The Need for Business-Focused Research

• Aligning with Business Goals: Antin stresses the importance of researchers being more profit-focused and aligning their work with business objectives. This involves understanding business metrics and integrating research insights into strategic planning.

"Researchers need to be more profit focused... If we're not helping businesses succeed, what are we doing then?" - Judd Antin - ▶ Play the clip where he talks about this: 00:07:11

Integrating Research into Product Development

• Consistent Engagement: Antin advocates for integrating researchers into the product development process from start to finish. This ensures that research insights are effectively utilised and can drive significant product improvements.

"We need to restructure the way we make products in a way which integrates research much more fully." - Judd Antin - ▶ Play the clip where he talks about this: 00:14:32

The Role of Intuition and Data

• Balancing Intuition with Evidence: Antin highlights the importance of balancing intuition with data-driven insights. While intuition is valuable, it can be biased, and research should be used to validate or challenge gut feelings.

"Intuition is where all of those biases lie... Great insights people expose you to new perspectives." - Judd Antin - ▶ Play the clip where he talks about this: 00:27:23

Recommendations for Researchers and Companies

• Develop Diverse Skills: Researchers should cultivate a diverse set of skills, including qualitative and quantitative methods, to remain relevant and impactful.
• Create Integrated Insights Functions: Companies should aim to integrate various insights disciplines to avoid silos and enhance the impact of research.

"Develop diverse research skills... Create a new version, a different version, an evolution, which is hugely impactful for the business." - Judd Antin - ▶ Play the clip where he talks about this: 00:47:55

Integrating AI in Research Processes

The integration of AI in research processes is a recurring theme in discussions about the future of UX research. Dr. Nick Fine envisions a future where AI tools assist researchers by automating generative tasks, allowing human researchers to focus on evaluative and behavioral insights that AI cannot replicate. This shift requires researchers to adapt and develop new skills to leverage AI effectively.

"AI can do generative research better and faster... But it can't understand the nuances of human behavior." - Dr. Nick Fine

Play the video to see where that verbatim quote was taken from: 

Commoditization and the Future of Research

The Evolution of User Research

• Commoditization of Research: Dave Hora discusses how user research has become more accessible and less resource-intensive over the years. This shift allows for more frequent and agile research processes, integrating seamlessly into product development cycles.

"The cost curve is shifting... the amount of effort that it takes to undertake them is decreasing." - Dave Hora - ▶ Play the clip where he talks about this- 00:03:38

Integrating Research into Product Development

• Aligning with Product Processes: Hora emphasizes the importance of integrating research into the product development process. Researchers should understand the larger sequences of work and align their efforts with product and business strategies.

"Understand the larger sequences of work that your research is one element of... you are going to design your work better." - Dave Hora - ▶ Play the clip where he talks about this: 00:19:13

The Role of Internal and External Loops

• Internal and External Loops: Hora introduces the concept of internal and external loops in organizations. Internal loops involve regular meetings and planning sessions, while external loops involve gathering insights from the market and users. Both are crucial for integrating research insights into decision-making processes.
  • "Internal cycles... are the places where research needs to participate in order to make sure that what we learn from external loops... make it into internal consciousness."
  • Navigating the future of UX research: insights ... - 00:13:12

Recommendations for Researchers

• Participate in Decision-Making: Researchers should actively participate in decision-making processes within their organizations. This involves attending meetings and understanding the cadence of decisions to ensure research insights are actionable and impactful.
  • "Make it part of your responsibility to think about how the organization makes decisions and the cadence of those decisions."
  • Navigating the future of UX research: insights ... - 00:14:25

Actionable Strategies for roles who do research

1. Focus on Evaluative Research: Prioritize evaluative research to provide actionable insights that drive product improvements and business success.
2. Align with Business Goals: Develop a deep understanding of business objectives and ensure that research efforts support strategic priorities.
3. Leverage AI Tools: Embrace AI tools to automate routine tasks and focus on complex, evaluative insights that require human expertise.
4. Integrate into Product Processes: Work closely with product teams to ensure research is integrated into the development process, influencing decisions and outcomes.
5. Develop Diverse Skills: Build a diverse skill set that includes both qualitative and quantitative methods, as well as an understanding of business and product strategies.

By adopting these strategies, UX researchers can navigate the challenges and opportunities of the evolving research landscape, ensuring their work remains impactful and aligned with the needs of their organizations.

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