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.
Research Repositories Reconsidered
Summary
In this talk, Michelle Merritt shares her extensive experience working with the Polaris research repository developed alongside Benjamin and Tomer at WeWork. Polaris was recognized as groundbreaking for aggregating diverse types of user research data into a single, interactive system that empowered users to identify patterns across multiple research methodologies and data sources. Michelle emphasizes the importance of detailed, evolving taxonomies to accurately tag physical and digital artifacts, such as distinguishing between types of computers and monitors, to better represent research realities. She also discusses how the repository was more than just a database: it involved a strong human element of curation to maintain institutional memory, provide relevant context, and synthesize findings, ensuring the data remained actionable and trustworthy. Michelle recounts challenges such as the tension between uncovering uncomfortable truths (e.g., employees squatting in conference rooms) and organizational readiness to act on such insights. She compares various tools used over the years, like Quickbase, Airtable, Confluence, and SharePoint, noting their pros and cons regarding integration, scalability, workflow fit, and search effectiveness. The conversation highlights the emerging role titles like research librarian, research curator, or research office manager to capture the synthesis and stewardship work critical to mature research repositories. Michelle also previews her current role at CBRE, focusing on expanding research practices and repositories in real estate, and guests demonstrate how tools like real-time board enable live, distributed collaboration on research artifacts. The session wraps with community discussion about best practices, tool adoption, and organizational challenges in building and scaling effective research repositories.
Key Insights
-
•
Polaris combined multiple user research methods and evidence types into a single interactive repository enabling pattern discovery.
-
•
Taxonomies must be flexible and evolve as new research details emerge, such as differentiating computer types rather than using generic tags.
-
•
Research repositories require a strong human curatorial role to maintain institutional memory and contextualize data.
-
•
Sharing uncomfortable research findings risks negative perception but is crucial for driving organizational improvements.
-
•
Many organizations rely on shared drives or wikis like Confluence, but these tools vary widely in usability and scalability.
-
•
Integrating customer support tickets, survey data, and qualitative user feedback into repositories remains a key challenge.
-
•
Research librarians or curators often act as gatekeepers and synthesizers of data, though the role lacks standardized job titles.
-
•
Tools like Airtable or Quickbase offer searchable databases but struggle to merge diverse datasets or scale across large companies.
-
•
Collaborative digital whiteboards (e.g., real-time board, Mural) facilitate distributed research synthesis but have limits.
-
•
Successful adoption of research repositories depends on embedding curation and synthesis practices into researcher workflows.
Notable Quotes
"Polaris was not just a database but a system involving humans and a strong curatorial role."
"We had to update our taxonomy because 'computer' was too broad; we needed to capture monitors, laptops, and other devices separately."
"People sometimes squatted in conference rooms too long, and sharing that was controversial but necessary to highlight real issues."
"I was probably tormenting Tomer and Benjamin by pushing the edges of Polaris with unusual data like photos of pianos in offices."
"The biggest challenge is not the tool itself but building the research practice around collecting, tagging, and curating evidence."
"Confluence was great because everybody in the company was already using it, making it a natural place to store research."
"Many people keep all their research in shared drives, but without strict naming conventions, it gets harder to find anything."
"I was trained to isolate very specific data points and only assert what was backed by evidence."
"You need a research librarian or curator—someone who can merge various inputs and help synthesize insights."
"Real-time board is amazing for asynchronous collaboration because you can see other people's cursors in real time."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"If you need to cross a dangerous river, you don’t paddle straight into it; you use the opposing force of the river to move forward."
John CutlerOxbows, Rivers, and Estuaries: How to navigate the currents of change (without burning out)
December 3, 2024
"If you’re generating buy-in, don’t forget what it will mean for your difficult stakeholders—they may have external pressures you don’t know about."
Darian DavisLessons from a Toxic Work Relationship
January 8, 2024
"You don’t have to sit through two hours a day; we’ll spend about 15 minutes on setup then you’ll pair up and do the exercise."
Dave GrayGroup Activity: Making Sense of DesignOps
November 7, 2017
"You wanna capture all the mess, but you cannot operate in the mess. Leave a path back to the mess so details and signals remain available."
John CutlerThe Alignment Trap
November 29, 2023
"Diagrams allow us to emotionally hit pause and come back ready to dig further."
Abby CovertStuck? Diagrams Help
October 27, 2022
"Assume positive intent from their point of view — they’re trying to have a good day, not work against you."
Mark InterranteCollaboration Flows in Product Development
June 9, 2017
"The metaverse has not summoned those angels; instead, it has brought in all the good and the bad from the real world."
Devon PowersImagining Better Futures
March 9, 2022
"Your primary function as a research team is to build a culture of research, not just react to project requests."
Prayag NarulaHow to Empower Your Designers to Do Good Research – And Why You Want To
June 10, 2022
"Agents are literally models using tools in a loop—they respond to themselves and the tools in chat-like conversations."
Peter Van DijckHands on AI #3: Claude Code for UX people
October 22, 2025
