Summary
Want to help make better product decisions? You've got to combine qualitative human insights from user research with data analytics and experimentation. Too often research questions are "sent to the team that can answer them best." Questions about how many users do something goes to analytics, questions about which design might work better goes to user research. But what if you partnered with those other teams to answer the questions together? In this session Marieke will share how, as a qualitative UX researcher she's partnered with analysts to identify high-growth opportunities and gain a deeper understanding of users.
Key Insights
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Combining qualitative research and data science leads to richer, more actionable user insights.
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Early collaboration between UX researchers and data teams helps reconcile conflicting insights.
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Identifying highly engaged users (‘activators’) through data-derived engagement scores focuses research efforts.
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Organizational buy-in and leadership support are critical to integrated user science approaches.
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Curious and thoughtful data partners who understand and care about people are optimal collaborators.
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Using shared language around metrics improves understanding and communication across teams.
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Opportunity solution trees help align research questions and experiments with strategic outcomes.
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Ethical considerations are important when interpreting engagement metrics; more usage isn't always better.
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UX researchers are well-positioned to bridge gaps due to their cross-functional skills and storytelling ability.
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Data literacy among UX researchers doesn't require full expertise but benefits from honesty and collaboration with experts.
Notable Quotes
"If you're a person who studies people, then you're a person who understands data."
"We get stuck answering questions we know we can find answers to, and lose the chance to see the big picture."
"The data teams want the company to be successful just like UX researchers do."
"I shared Brent Turetsky's article to spark curiosity and start collaboration with my data partner."
"Many meetings and doc edits later, he realized interviewing wasn’t for him but deeply respected it."
"We’ve affectionately called our most engaged users activators – those intrigued and motivated by learning."
"It’s not about calling you a UX researcher or product analyst but about understanding how users interact."
"Leadership said discovering more about these most active users is a key priority this year."
"The earliest collaboration helps present a unified case rather than conflicting insights to product managers."
"I have way more power in the insights I gather from interviews than any of the data analysis."
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