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The B-side of the Research Impact
Gold
Friday, March 12, 2021 • Advancing Research 2021
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The B-side of the Research Impact
Speakers: Verónica Urzúa and Jorge Montiel
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Summary

In large companies, we are seduced by OKRs, and, in general, growth. And it seems that to be "on the business side" researchers need to speak the same language, have the mindset that, to be strategic, you need to shoot for sales or growth. Although we agree that companies should have profits, for us this is a result, not a purpose. And, speaking of purpose, there is another kind of impact: research provides context and must be able to question the organization and its limits. This is the B-side of research impact.

Key Insights

  • Latin American UX researchers often replicate Silicon Valley models that may not suit their cultural or technological context.

  • The 'Silicon Valley dream' promotes an ideology valuing fast, financially measurable impact, which can limit meaningful, locally relevant research.

  • Emotions such as happiness manifest differently across cultures, challenging the universality of common UX research metrics.

  • Latin cultural values like 'sympathy' (the desire to please) influence survey responses, often skewing data toward overly positive answers.

  • Traditional usability testing, designed in Western contexts, is often uncomfortable and unnatural for Latin participants and needs adaptation.

  • Conversational usability testing, where moderators engage users in dialogue, can yield more authentic feedback in Latin American contexts.

  • There is no single standard for being a 'good UX researcher'; Latin America must define culturally appropriate standards.

  • Research tools and methods are not neutral; they carry embedded cultural assumptions that can undermine local validity.

  • Resistance to global norms and creating 'gaps' or spaces for change can empower Latin researchers to lead innovations.

  • Researchers must critically examine when to adopt and when to transform external techniques or metrics to fit their context.

Notable Quotes

"We were educated to minimize the value of our own practice."

"The Silicon Valley dream is not the reality we are living in Latin America in terms of technology, culture, resources, mindset, and people."

"This ideology acts normalizing what the correct way of doing UX research looks like, while eliminating other possible ways."

"Emotions are not universal at all; emotions and behaviors are constructed by the culture and society where they come from."

"In Latin populations, there’s a cultural ethos named sympathy — the duty and desire to please and be legal."

"Applying techniques without question does not liberate good research outcomes."

"We must be those that the company feels uncomfortable but at the same time necessary."

"Tools and practices are not neutral; they are cross-contextual and situational."

"If we create gaps, that means our space for change is what we want and need to do here in Latin America."

"There are many ways to be a good researcher; Latin researchers should create our standards and fight for them."

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