Becoming an Impactful User Researcher | Ruby Pryor (Rex, One of a Kind, Grab)

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Ruby Pryor is the founder of Rex. Rex is a UX research and strategic design consulting firm. Ruby has worked in Design and Customer Experience for a decade across Australia and Asia. Her previous experience includes working for Boston Consulting Group, Grab and Nous Group. She is a recognized global expert, has spoken at UX conferences in 6 countries and has been interviewed on CNA. In our conversation, we discuss:

* Why cultural localization of apps/products is so important

* UX Research’s strategic role within organizations

* The importance of mitigating risk through UX research

* The need to collaborate across teams

Ruby is hosting a new cohort for her Write for Impact course: https://maven.com/rexperience/writingforimpact (Use NIKKI20, which Ruby generously shared, and get a 20% discount)

Some takeaways:

* UX researchers should advocate for deeper localization efforts, ensuring the product experience feels natural and intuitive for users in different regions. For instance, reviewing user flows with regional preferences in mind or conducting localized user research can help prevent alienating non-US users.

* UX researchers should participate in early product strategy discussions to ensure localization and other user-focused decisions are embedded from the start, reducing costly missteps. They should also actively engage with business and strategy teams, framing research insights around risk reduction and business opportunities. Being part of the conversation early can help UX researchers influence decisions like feature prioritization and product launches in new markets.

* Demonstrating the tangible value of UX research can be difficult because it often prevents negative outcomes that aren’t immediately measurable. Document the decisions before and after research to show their impact. Track the changes made after research insights are applied. For example, if a feature that was initially prioritized is deprioritized due to research findings, quantify the potential cost savings in terms of development time and resources to showcase the value of your work.

* UX researchers often limit their collaboration to product teams but should also connect with business operations and strategy departments to align research insights with broader business goals. Seek out opportunities to network and collaborate with stakeholders in business strategy, operations, and marketing. Understanding their goals can help researchers align their findings with broader organizational objectives, increasing the overall impact of UX research.

* A core part of UX research is mitigating risk by identifying potential usability issues before they reach the market, but this impact often goes unnoticed because it prevents problems rather than solves them. Keep a clear record of what decisions would have been made without research insights, and show how research prevented potential errors, resource waste, or user frustration. This can help quantify the “hidden” value of your research efforts.

Where to find Ruby:

* Website: www.rexhq.io and www.rubypryor.com 

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruby-pryor/

* Impact sizing masterclasses: https://www.rexhq.io/masterclasses

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