How to Advocate for UX Research in a Company That Doesn’t Understand It (Yet)

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You don’t need permission to start — just proof that it matters.

🔥 Introduction — Pioneering UX Research Alone

When I first became a UX researcher, I didn’t have a clear roadmap. In fact, I wasn’t even given a title until a year later. There was no dedicated team, limited budget, or existing user experience research—just me. Sadly, UX research was not understood, valued, or even recognized outside our team.

If you’ve ever felt like you were shouting into the void or that your work was invisible, this article is for you. Research doesn’t need permission to be valuable. You shouldn’t have to wait until your company “gets it” — your role is to help them get there.

Here’s how I made UX research visible, valuable, and ultimately unavoidable.

Step 1: Start Small, But Start Now

You don’t need a polished deck or a formal process to start making an impact. You just need to start.

Thankfully, my manager ensured the entire budget went to access a user research platform. With no room for extra tools or training, I used that platform as much as possible. I ran test after test — many of them flawed — but each one helped me build confidence, sharpen my skills, and better understand what good research looked like. It wasn’t perfect, but it was progress.

I was eager to show progress, but my reports were mostly raw data with little context — just charts, quotes, and metrics. I didn’t know how to translate what I saw into meaningful insights.

These weren’t polished reports, but they got attention and, more importantly, got people talking about users.

Your first few studies don’t need to be perfect. They just need to exist. And once they do, you’ll have something to build on.

Step 2: Speak Their Language

Early on, I realized that talking about friction, heuristics, KPI, ROI, and usability didn’t move the needle with leadership. But talking about support tickets or revenue? That got attention.

So, I translated every insight into something the business cared about:

  • “This issue could reduce the number of product returns and save on refunds.”
  • “Fixing this flow could mean fewer support tickets.”
  • “Improving this flow could increase the number of users who successfully convert.”

It’s not about dumbing down research — it’s about connecting the dots between user behavior and business outcomes.

“It’s not just about empathy — it’s about impact.”

Step 3: Build a Repeatable Process

Once I proved that research could help, I knew I needed to scale it. That meant building a lightweight, repeatable process.

I created a few simple templates:

Even if no one asked for them, I shared these after every study and reviewed the findings with the requestor.

Over time, I became the go-to person for understanding user behavior — not because I had the most experience but because I showed up consistently and created a process that stakeholders could refer to when making current and future decisions.

Make It Visual

Step 4: Make It Visual

I learned fast that no one wanted to read a five-page report. But a single screenshot of a user clicking the wrong button? That got attention.

I started using visuals to make insights stick:

  • Video clips from sessions showing confusion and friction
  • Quick journey maps showing pain points
  • Direct quotes from participants
  • Simple visualizations to show data clearly and effectively

Tools like FigJam, Miro, and PowerPoint made it quick to create — but more importantly, they made the insights memorable and shareable.

“Visuals make user pain hard to ignore.”

Step 5: Educate Without Being a Gatekeeper

I used to think I had to “own” research completely. However, the best way to advocate for UX research is to open it up.

I invited PMs and designers into the process by having them observe sessions and leave feedback. I made research documentation open and transparent so anyone could follow along and contribute. After each study, I met with stakeholders to discuss the findings and define the next steps together. I partnered closely with designers to support their work and collaborated across teams to gather additional data and identify the right research solutions.

The result? I wasn’t just running research — I was building a research culture.

Step 6: Track the Wins, or Risk Losing Them

In my first year, I made a mistake: I didn’t track what happened after sharing research. That meant I couldn’t connect insights to improvements — or prove the value research was adding.

Now, I:

  • Coordinate with PMs to know when changes are launched
  • Use FullStory to track post-launch behavior (rage clicks, drop-offs, success rates)
  • Create simple dashboards to monitor performance changes tied to research
  • Get a weekly report highlighting any user issues or behavioral trends

This helps me tell a straightforward story:

“We found this issue, made a change, and here’s what happened.”

Bonus: How I Use AI to Amplify My Research Voice

Being a team of one means juggling it all — but AI has become a force multiplier.

Here’s how I use it:

  • Summarize extended interviews quickly and accurately
  • Draft and refine survey questions or test scripts
  • Turn rough notes into polished, insightful reports

I jokingly say I’ve cloned myself. My AI sidekick? “Bobi Fett.”

When you have to do it all, intelligent automation isn’t a luxury — it’s a survival skill.

Conclusion — Culture Change Starts with You

You don’t need a big title or team to make research matter.

You must show up — with curiosity, clarity, and consistency.

Change doesn’t happen overnight. But if you keep advocating for your users, sharing what you learn, and inviting others into the process, eventually, research will become something no one can imagine working without.

“If you keep showing up for the users, eventually — others will too.”

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