Log in or create a free Rosenverse account to watch this video.
Log in Create free account100s of community videos are available to free members. Conference talks are generally available to Gold members.
This video is featured in the DesignOps amazing talks playlist and 1 more.
Summary
Kate Towsey is an independent strategist, coach, advisor, and author of the acclaimed book Research That Scales. For more than a decade, she has been at the forefront of ResearchOps. And now, you can learn directly from her during this upcoming Ask Me Anything (AMA), hosted by Rosenfeld Media. Watch Kate Towsey answer questions about research operations, user research, and how to build scalable research practices.
Key Insights
-
•
Research ops existed for decades in large tech companies before the term was coined.
-
•
Research is about creating and sharing knowledge, which cannot be owned but should flow smoothly within organizations.
-
•
Culture and trust in the source of knowledge are essential for research adoption and impact.
-
•
Research ops should build infrastructure and systems that enable diverse teams to create and consume knowledge effectively.
-
•
Transitioning from reactive processes to strategic systems requires intentional time to slow down and prioritize.
-
•
Operations work always includes 'keeping the lights on' tasks alongside strategic initiatives.
-
•
In legacy or traditional organizations, collaboration with departments like legal, procurement, and HR is crucial to build research ops infrastructure.
-
•
For solo or small research teams, dedicating time to create knowledge assets and community visibility scales individual impact.
-
•
Research ops challenges vary by sector mainly due to culture and bureaucratic procurement, not due to fundamentally different practices.
-
•
People transition into full-time research ops roles by gradually adding operational responsibilities and reframing their skills while seeking supportive environments.
Notable Quotes
"Some people have been doing research ops a lot longer than the term has existed."
"Knowledge belongs with everyone — you can own the infrastructure but not the knowledge itself."
"People don’t learn when they’re rushed, stressed, or don’t trust the source of knowledge."
"You have to slow down to go fast."
"You can’t do everything on your own — build bridges with legal, procurement, HR, and stakeholders."
"Strategy should be a living thing that you water at least once a quarter."
"Keeping the lights on work is never exciting, but it’s essential to prevent complaints and keep systems running."
"Scaling research impact is not just about systems but also about scaling the value of your work across the organization."
"Research ops is the most punk thing you can do in the experience design space."
"Adoption is crucial — it’s a social system, so start by building community around the problem."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"A couple of sketches I made in 15 minutes helped engineers decide on a data model that positively impacted the user experience."
Catt SmallMoving from Execution to Strategy as a Designer
December 6, 2022
"A hackathon with designers, developers, business and architects can accelerate UI coded component delivery."
Sabrina Mach Nina WainwrightHow to Design Your Design Operating Model
September 29, 2021
"Emergence is when thousands of independent fish create a school with its own identity and behavior."
This Game is Never Done: Design Leadership Techniques from the Video Game World
November 6, 2017
"Hot Studio’s Maria is considered one of the founding members of design operations."
Alison Rand Sarah BrooksScaling Impact with Service Design (Videoconference)
March 25, 2021
"You need to develop designers’ understanding of business language to prepare them for seats at the executive table."
Catherine CourageThe Enterprise UX Journey: Lessons From the Voyage & The Opportunity Ahead
May 13, 2015
"You don’t have to sit through two hours of gray, it’s just about 15 minutes of setup then you’re released to the wild with an exercise."
Group Activity: Making Sense of DesignOps
November 7, 2017
"If you’re human, you’re creative, and everyone in proximity of design has a creative opinion."
Wendy JohanssonAn Education on Design Education for Orgs
June 10, 2021
"Even though we are a virtual community, we are still a community obligated to treat each other with kindness and respect."
Bria AlexanderOpening Remarks
March 29, 2023
"Stakeholders often have strong opinions; our job is to back decisions with solid, evidence-based data."
Mackenzie Cockram Sara Branco Cunha Ian FranklinIntegrating Qualitative and Quantitative Research from Discovery to Live
December 16, 2022