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Summary
There has been considerable discussion about impending reckonings and large-scale changes in our field. Our panelists explore what we believe to be the three most important tenets of these changes: The changing power dynamics between researcher and the researched What it means to expand the definition of researcher to include people who do research The convergence of different insight fields Together, let's unpack the possible futures ahead of us and the critical decisions we, as a field, need to make in order to move forward. Attend all of our Advancing Research community workshops Each free virtual workshop is made up of panelists who will share short provocations on engaging ideas to discuss as a group, as well as a leader in our field to moderate. If you're looking for discussions that challenge the status quo and can truly advance research, look no further than our workshop series. (P.S. We’ll be drawing most of our Advancing Research 2025 conference speakers from those who present at upcoming workshops—so tune in for a sneak peek of what's to come from #AR2025!) July 24, 4-5pm EDT Watch Video Theme 1: Democratization Working with it, not against August 7, 11am-12pm EDT Watch Video Theme 2: Collaboration Learning from market research, data science, customer experience, and more August 21, 4-5pm EDT Watch Video Theme 3: Communication Innovative techniques for making your voice heard September 4, 11am-12pm EDT Watch Video Theme 4: Methods Expanding the UXR toolkit beyond interviews September 18, 4-5pm EDT Watch Video Theme 5: Artificial Intelligence Passionate defenses, reasoned critiques, and practical application October 2, 11am-12pm EDT Register Theme 6: Junctures for UXR Possible futures and the critical decisions to move us forward October 16, 4-5pm EDT Watch Video Theme 7: Open Call Propose ideas that don’t match our other workshops’ themes
Key Insights
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The biggest change in UX research is the erosion of traditional expert authority, shifting power toward participants.
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Participant autonomy is critical—researchers must build spaces where participants feel seen, heard, and equal.
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Trauma-informed research practices are essential even in commercial UX to avoid re-traumatizing users.
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Research problem framing must come from the lived experience of participants, not preconceived assumptions.
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Power in research should be reframed as a possibility to share resources and co-create with participants.
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Compensation for participants should be seen as reciprocal exchanges beyond just monetary rewards.
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Local government research benefits from co-design processes that respect diverse educational backgrounds and encourage reflection.
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Researchers are closer to organizational power but often experience emotional tension and lack long-term decision-making authority.
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Scheduling research activities during traditional business hours reinforces power imbalances and excludes frontline workers.
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Sustaining research impact requires preparing community members as co-facilitators and ongoing knowledge transfer.
Notable Quotes
"This is probably the biggest change we are going to see within our working careers."
"Research participants are demanding that we see them as equals rather than vessels to extract knowledge from."
"It’s okay to be vulnerable as a facilitator. It’s okay to say I don’t know so we can have a conversation."
"If you’re designing for everyone, you’re designing for no one at the same time."
"Power framed as possibility opens up what happens when researchers share resources with participants."
"The shame-based notification model in Duolingo can trigger trauma for some users."
"Often frontline staff don’t know how to answer questions about challenges because they lack the language to express their experience."
"There’s a huge inequity in time availability between leadership and frontline workers that impacts research participation."
"Researchers don’t just hold power — they also face harm and tensions within their organizations and relationships."
"Research is an ongoing process; transferring skills to others sustains impact beyond the researcher’s involvement."
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