How to gain executive backing for design and research activities
A panel of industry execs at the recent UXDX conference in New York weighed in on how we can get exec backing for design and research activities.
We discussed the role of UX research, the importance of qualitative and quantitative data, and how to demonstrate the value of design to non-design senior leaders.
The panelists were:
Rima Campbell, VP, User Experience & Strategy at UserTesting
Ryan Leffel, Head of Design at Priceline
Fahad Osmani, VP of Product Design at Capital One
The consensus of the panel was that design-led activities are under pressure...that personnel and budgets are being cut.
To counter this movement, the panel suggested:
Research and design become partners with execs on what matters most to the company
Speak the language of execs when describing the impact of design and research
Connect research and design activities to the numeric outcomes/OKRs the execs are focused on
Define the problem they are working on with numbers
Define the success of their efforts with numbers
Explain that failing in the research phase is much cheaper than failing when a product goes live. If nobody uses a product or service, that's something we could have learned sooner.
Focus on the most important paths a customer can get stuck on. Maybe improving login efficiency is more important than uploading a profile photo?
Learn to explain that each connection to customers is chance to learn even if if the product being tested doesn't succeed...the team still learns.
Each of the panelists had an interesting take on the topic that I’ve summarized below.
Rima Campbell, VP, User Experience & Strategy at UserTesting
Rima discussed the current trend of companies trying to transform into software companies and the challenges they face in doing so effectively. She highlighted that many companies struggle because they are not built around user needs, leading to wasted projects and engineering time. She noted that UX research is often undervalued and its budgets are being cut because UX researchers are not effectively communicating their value to executives.
To improve executive perception of UX research, Rima emphasized the importance of tying UX work to business KPIs and speaking the executive language. She suggested measuring the performance of design through metrics like task success completion and the combination of behavioral and attitudinal data. She also acknowledged that while executives prefer hard data, qualitative insights are crucial for understanding user behavior.
Rima pointed out that companies sometimes over-rely on A/B testing without understanding the underlying reasons for user behavior. She stressed that combining qualitative and quantitative research provides a deeper point of view.
In addressing conflicts between business KPIs and user needs, Rima suggested that having established credibility with executives allows for more meaningful conversations about aligning business goals with user experience.
Overall, Rima advocated for a balanced approach to UX research, integrating both qualitative and quantitative data, and emphasized the need for UX professionals to better communicate their value to business leaders.
Fahad Osmani, VP of Product Design at Capital One
Fahad emphasized the importance of defining problems and success metrics with numbers. He advocated for engaging in conversations about the most valuable tasks that align with company goals, rather than optimizing any task indiscriminately.
He addressed the challenge of regaining executive trust after a failed research initiative by emphasizing that every project yields valuable insights, even if it doesn’t validate the initial hypothesis.
Regarding the conflict between business KPIs and user needs, he proposed viewing unaddressed user pain points as opportunities to be integrated into business goals. He stressed the importance of engaging in discussions when OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) are being formed to ensure user needs are represented.
Fahad also emphasized the need for qualitative insights alongside quantitative data. He shared that understanding human behavior through qualitative research can complement and enrich quantitative findings, making it crucial for a comprehensive understanding of user experience.
He suggested measuring the performance of design through metrics like time to value where the ultimate goal is getting the user to the value they want faster.
Overall, he highlighted the importance of aligning design efforts with business goals, using both qualitative and quantitative data, in order to effectively communicate the value of design to executives.
Ryan Leffel, Head of Design at Priceline
Ryan emphasized that showing the value of design is more effective than just talking about it. He highlighted the necessity of being creative and flexible to achieve results faster.
He addressed the issue of over-reliance on quantitative data, suggesting that while data is crucial, understanding the context and asking the right questions are equally important.
He pointed out that data-driven decisions are only as good as the questions posed. Ryan also mentioned the risk of misinterpreting data without understanding its deeper implications. He remarked, “You may be data-driven, but are you data informed?”
Regarding the conflict between business KPIs and user needs, Ryan stressed the importance of asking the right questions to align business goals with user experience. He suggested that design and research teams can help executives choose the problems that need solving.
Overall, Ryan underscored the importance of balancing quantitative and qualitative insights, failing fast and learning from it, and ensuring that user experience aligns with business objectives through effective questioning and understanding.
Thank you to Rima Campbell of UserTesting, Ryan Leffel of Priceline and Fahad Osmani of Capital One for sharing their insights on this important topic with the audience. It was an honor and a privilege to be on stage with them.
Jim coaches Product Management organizations in startups, growth stage companies and Fortune 100s.
He's a Silicon Valley founder with over two decades of experience including an IPO ($450 million) and a buyout ($168 million). These days, he coaches Product leaders and teams to find product-market fit and accelerate growth across a variety of industries and business models.
Jim graduated from Stanford University with a BS in Computer Science and currently lectures at University of California, Berkeley in Product Management.
