Co-Lab Conversations features candid conversations with the best practitioners in the industry.

Each of the panel discussions highlights key ideas around keeping our practice flexible, shaping a team for long-term success, proving our value/impact, and maintaining a mindful, responsible practice.

Topic 1: Levers for Flexibility

Hear what research leaders from Acorns, Hearst, and Wattpad have to say about how the practice of UXR is evolving to adapt to shifting conditions—to “do more with less” in some cases, or to amplify organizational impact in others. They’ll discuss topics such as insight integration across teams, taking a modern approach to democratization, programmatic research, and the role of Research Ops in unlocking flexibility.

Topic 2: The Anatomy of a Team

Leaders from IBM and Zapier will discuss how UXR fits in an organization, at what levels, working with which key stakeholders, and other structural factors like centralized vs decentralized, embedded vs programmatic, and ratios. So many models have come into vogue and faded and research teams are continually questioning and experimenting now more than ever. Join in to discuss what UXR needs to be successful.

Topic 3: From Post-it Notes to Balance Sheets

Hear from business and UXR leaders from JPMorgan Chase, Vanderbilt University, and Ipsos with proven track records, that will help us move the needle on how we think about and demonstrate value and increase the strategic impact of research. They’ll discuss how design and insight professionals can speak the language of business, think commercially, tie research work to bottom-line impact while bringing user value and business value into harmony.

Topic 4: Doing it Right, Doing it Well

How can researchers be flexible and respond to this particular moment in time – with constrained resources, shirting org structures, more democratization, and a greater priority on proving business ROI – while staying true to our values and integrity? Alba Villamil of HmntyCntrd and Jonathan DeFaveri from Headspace speak with dscout’s VP of Research, Julie Norvaisis to discuss how researchers can balance business priorities while maintaining momentum on inclusive research, researcher safety, and handling data responsibly.