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CASE #1

Democratizing UX Research: From Bottlenecks to Speed Dating

👤 My role: ResearchOps 
🏢 Company: Yandex Ads ↗
📈 Key result: Slashed research time from 7 days to 1 day while scaling research capabilities
🏷️ Tags: #ResearchOps, #DemocratizingResearch

Situation

I was responsible for supporting five product teams simultaneously (comprising 6 Product Managers, 4 UX Designers, and 2 Marketers). This created a significant bottleneck in our research pipeline, with even simple hypothesis testing taking 2-3 weeks to complete due to the growing queue of requests. The backlog was impacting product development timelines and limiting the teams’ ability to make data-informed decisions quickly.

Task

My objective was to reduce the waiting time for simple research requests while maintaining research quality. I needed to create a solution that would:

  • Decrease the time required for testing basic hypotheses
  • Empower non-researchers to conduct certain types of research independently
  • Preserve my capacity for more complex research initiatives
  • Foster a more user-centric culture across all product teams

Action

I implemented a democratized approach to UX research through a method called “UX Speed Dating”:

  1. Methodology Development
    • Researched best practices for rapid user testing methodologies
    • Designed a structured format where 4-6 users would be interviewed in 15-20 minute sessions
    • Created templates and guidelines that non-researchers could follow
  2. Pilot Launch
    • Developed an application form for teams interested in participating
    • Conducted one-on-one training sessions with product managers and designers
    • Facilitated the first speed dating session as a demonstration
    • Gathered immediate feedback from participants to identify improvement areas
  3. Refinement Process
    • Consulted with colleagues who had experience with similar methods
    • Improved the recruitment process based on initial challenges
    • Enhanced session facilitation procedures to ensure consistent quality
    • Documented technical setup requirements (cameras, audio, meeting tools)
  4. Integration and Scaling
    • Embedded UX Speed Dating into the existing product development workflow
    • Created a support system where I would provide guidance without directly conducting sessions
    • Established quality standards and review processes to maintain research integrity

Result

The implementation of UX Speed Dating transformed our approach to UX research at Yandex Ads:

  1. Reduced Time-to-Insight: Decreased the time for testing simple hypotheses from a minimum of 7 days to just 1 day, accelerating product decision-making
  2. Democratized Research Capability: Successfully trained 15+ team members from various disciplines to conduct their own UX research sessions
  3. Increased Research Volume: More product hypotheses were tested in shorter timeframes, enabling teams to validate ideas faster and with greater confidence
  4. Reduced Research Backlog: The queue for complex studies decreased significantly as simple hypotheses were efficiently handled through speed dating
  5. Enhanced Product Development Culture: Fostered a more user-centric mindset across all teams by directly connecting product creators with users

Reflection

Implementing this initiative taught me several valuable lessons:

  • My tech guide to run UX speed dating in Zoom.
  • Empowerment vs. Control: Initially, I was concerned about maintaining research quality if non-researchers conducted sessions. I learned that with proper training and structure, democratizing research can actually enhance the overall quality of insights by increasing volume and diversity.
  • Methodology Adaptation: While traditional research methods have their place, adapting methodologies to fit organizational constraints can yield significant benefits. The key was finding the right balance between rigor and practicality.
  • Change Management: Introducing new processes requires thoughtful change management. The pilot approach allowed teams to experience the benefits directly, creating natural advocates for the new methodology.
  • Scaling Challenges: As more teams adopted UX Speed Dating, I needed to develop scalable training materials and quality assurance processes. This evolution from hands-on facilitation to enabling others was a crucial growth area.

Conclusion

This initiative demonstrates how innovative thinking and adaptability can overcome resource constraints in UX research. By democratizing the process and lowering the entry barrier, we not only reduced research bottlenecks but also cultivated a culture of user-centric thinking across multiple teams.

The UX Speed Dating methodology continues to evolve at Yandex Ads, with ongoing improvements based on team feedback and changing product needs. The success of this approach has reinforced my belief that effective UX research is not just about the methods used, but about creating systems that make user insights accessible and actionable for everyone involved in product development.

This experience highlighted that the true value of a UX researcher extends beyond conducting research to building research capability within an organization—transforming UX research from a specialized service to an integrated part of the product development culture.

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