Scaling research through democratization with Reggie Murphy | Zendesk
May 2, 2024
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Reggie Murphy, Senior Director and Head of UX Research at Zendesk, dives into the revolutionary journey of scaling UX research. He discusses how research transformed from a support role to a strategic partner by democratizing practices. Reggie highlights the creation of training programs to empower cross-functional teams, ensuring a customer-centric culture. He also emphasizes the impact of effective feedback and communication strategies, sharing insights on mentoring and the significance of unique leadership routines. Tune in for valuable lessons on innovation and collaboration!
Zendesk transformed its UX research from a tactical function to a strategic partner by embedding research deeper within product teams.
Democratizing research through training and streamlined processes empowers cross-functional teams, fostering a more customer-centric culture and informed decision-making.
Deep dives
The Transformation Journey of Research at Zendesk
Organizational transformations are often likened to a caterpillar evolving into a butterfly, emphasizing the importance of an ongoing journey rather than a mere one-time event. At Zendesk, the focus is on creating high-value impacts not just for the organization but for individual customers as well. The strategy involves democratizing work processes and empowering teams to better serve customer needs through robust research practices. The podcast outlines how this transformation was driven by a commitment to understanding customer experiences and informing product strategy.
Changing Roles and Building Partnerships
When the new lead for UX research joined Zendesk, the existing research team primarily functioned in a tactical capacity, supporting various product lines and reacting to immediate needs. To better serve the organization, the approach shifted towards becoming strategic partners and embedding research deeper within product teams. This involved conducting a comprehensive audit of current research practices, helping the team to focus on identifying the right problems to solve rather than just fix existing products. Strengthening collaborative relationships and regular alignment meetings with design and product leaders became a priority to enhance research impact on decision-making.
Creating a Self-Service Research Model
The podcast discusses the challenges faced in enabling non-researchers within the organization to conduct their own research, which is essential for scaling efforts due to team size constraints. A DIY training program was developed, equipping employees with foundational skills for conducting research, thereby promoting a self-service model. This initiative is complemented by a streamlined research request process that allows cross-functional teams to easily seek guidance or conduct research independently. By establishing these systems, Zendesk aimed to empower employees while ensuring the quality and effectiveness of research conducted across different teams.
Expanding the Scope and Impact of Research
As the research team evolved, a more strategic approach led to valuable insights that greatly influenced product development and decision-making processes. For example, through in-depth analysis, the team shifted the focus from perceived retention issues to recognizing an actual adoption problem, which allowed stakeholders to redefine product roadmaps accordingly. The transformation also fostered an environment where product teams actively sought out research insights, thereby integrating user perspectives into strategic planning. This evolution not only validated the role of researchers as strategic partners but also showcased the significant impact of informed decision-making on the overall company’s objectives.
In this episode of The Optimal Path, Reggie Murphy joins host Ash Oliver to discuss how Zendesk scaled UX research, elevating the practice from a supporting function to a strategic partner to the business.
Reggie shares how he led the development of training programs, automated processes, and ResearchOps to enable cross-functional teams to conduct research independently. Discover how democratizing research creates a more customer-centric culture and how these changes have shifted UX research from a gatekeeping role to a more collaborative, strategic position.
About Reggie:
Reggie Murphy is a seasoned strategic research and insights leader with over 20 years of experience leading teams to understand human behavior and create innovative products and solutions that meet the needs of their users. He has a proven track record of success across various industries, including technology, media, finance, and healthcare. He's currently a Senior Director and Head of UX Research at Zendesk. Prior to his current role, Reggie has built and led research teams at USA TODAY, Facebook, Vanguard, and Twitter.
Connect with Reggie:
You can connect with Reggie on LinkedIn or get mentored by him on ADPList