The Problem Space is where we go to learn about our users’ problems so we can design and develop meaningful and profitable solutions to solve these problems. It’s also where we go to learn about our companies, our employees/coworkers, and ourselves, so we can create the best organizational conditions for success.
Should we end research projects?
What's on my mind
Are research projects an outdated model?
Collaboration between product and research is an ongoing discussion, which often centers on the distinction (and the debate) between research as a tool and research as a role.
The good news: research as a tool is valued in organizations. The not-so-good news: research as a role is still struggling to find its best manifestation.
What can researchers—professionals who have made research their occupation and built their careers around this role—do to thrive in organizations?
Should researchers focus on operations instead? Is continuous research the way of the future?
My latest article for Dovetail dives into these questions, and covers:
- the importance of clear definitions
- how and when ops-first research could work
- the concept of shared project ownership and a product-led approach
In essence: we need to ponder the circumstances under which we are comfortable with research as a discipline evolving.
What are you willing to consider?
Brouwer tabs I can't seem to close
This week I've been reading fascinating nuggets on coffee badging, hiring horror stories, and the health benefits of napping at/during work.
What is coffee badging? "Coffee badging involves employees going into the office building briefly, usually to grab a coffee or socialize with co-workers, before leaving again. A person engages in this trend, as they feel taken advantage of for being forced to undertake an expensive and time-consuming commute to and from the office. Once there, they swipe their work badge, linger around to get noticed, and duck out as soon as possible." (Forbes)
Hiring Horror Stories 3-Part Miniseries. Amy Santee and Laura Klein present a 3-part Hiring Horror Stories series "featuring some of the worst experiences of job seekers and hiring managers who narrowly escaped the shadowy realm of interviewing and hiring and lived to tell the tale." (Amy Santee)
Taking more naps could change your brain size. "...how naps impact our brains and why we should take more of them -- even while we're at the office." (CNN video)
The Problem Space
by Janelle Ward
The Problem Space is where we go to learn about our users’ problems so we can design and develop meaningful and profitable solutions to solve these problems. It’s also where we go to learn about our companies, our employees/coworkers, and ourselves, so we can create the best organizational conditions for success.
What's on my mind In this final newsletter of the year, I want to reflect a bit on my writing journey and talk about what's to come in 2024. When I announced the weekly newsletter writing challenge in January, I mentioned that someone had told me: Just write! Write weekly, for an entire year, and you’ll find your way. Some newsletters might bomb. Others might resonate. And in the process, you’ll figure out your winning format. How did it turn out? Let's start with the numbers. From late...
What's on my mind I remember my first UX research interview. I was coming straight from academia and had no on-the-job experience in applied research. The hiring manager told me I needed to show the artifacts that resulted from my research. As a pivoting academic at the time, this sounded very mysterious. What did I create with my research? What was the product that resulted from my insights? I’d never thought about it like that. I had to show the artifacts because the perception, according...
What's on my mind There's a crisis in tech roles - from product to research to design. All of these skills are essential, but how these skills are deployed in an organization - as roles, as parts of roles, and as complimentary with other skills and roles - are all part of a growing conversation. photo by Brendan Church I jumped in with a recent post, written in a moment of reflection on what I've been hearing from coaching clients, people in my network, and seen passing by on LinkedIn: The...