Socializing UX Research Insights

Overview

During our initial project kick-off meeting, I observed communication gaps within our group. This highlights the importance of gaining a deeper understanding into of our team’s communication preferences, styles, and methods to ensure inclusivity and foster effective collaboration.

The goal of these coffee chats was to cultivate a relaxed atmosphere for getting to know my teammates and to understand:

  • Their preferred methods of collaborating with team members.

  • Their expectations for this project.

  • Any specific areas they are interested on gaining a deeper understanding of during this project.

  • Whether they perceive any current blind spots.

  • Their favorite team experiences thus far in their careers.

Timeline: 2023

My Role: I lead this initiative as a UX Researcher and Strategist.

Teams Involved: IT stakeholders, executive leaders, UX designers, delivery leads, product managers, engineering teams, sales teams, administrative teams, Brazilian Core team and other cross-functional partners.

Challenge

A need for Research awareness across the company: During my time at Corteva, I encountered the challenge of effectively communicating UX Research insights and updates among cross-functional teams. This emphasized the need for increased education and awareness regarding the impact of UX Research, aiming to enhance companies’ understanding of their users’ experiences and challenges.

Strategy: 1:1 coffee chats and team meetings

  • I conducted casual 1:1 coffee chats with cross-functional team members to gain insights into their preferred communication tools, aside from meetings.

  • Facilitated weekly team alignment meetings where we addressed any issues, questions, or discussions needed.

  • I took the opportunity during these team meetings to gather input from the group on the type of information they would like to receive updates on.

“I aimed to explore a creative method to engage cross-functional teammates while effectively communicating our progress within the Research project and the insights we’ve gathered. After-all, we’re a team, and it’s essential to involve everyone in this exciting journey .”

My Approach

Key Findings

During this particular project, we had to navigate interacting with a global audience. Not only did we have busy stakeholders and team members but I also had to keep several variables in mind:

  • Different time zones

  • Language barriers

  • Diverse information absorption preferences among teams

  • Different processes and methods of working together

    Despite these challenges, we encountered numerous interested teams and individuals eager to receive updates on our Brazil Research, presenting an exciting opportunity for engagement and collaboration.

  • Through my coffee chats and weekly team meetings, I discovered that team members preferred communication via email or easily digestible formats.

  • I also Identified an opportunity for training sessions to better equip our team with strategies for effective communication within a global team and to implement steps to enhance our team processes.

Solution:

  • I created five bi-weekly project updates through executive reporting, and shared tangible insights through via a UX Research Newsletter distributed to stakeholders, engineering and products teams, as well as executive leadership.

  • Furthermore, I created and delivered educational documentation for our Product and IT teams based on the valuable feedback I received during my 1:1 chats, weekly team meetings, and project demos.

Outcome: UX Research Project Newsletter

Based on insights from my coffee chats, I created a deliverable that considered the team's communication needs while updating them on the progress of the research project. Goal: My intention was to help educate our North American team about Brazil and foster a deeper understanding and connection with our Brazil Team.

Breakdown: What’s Included in the Newsletter?

High-Level Summary of the Project and Relevant Links:

  • I wanted to include the project links because I believe in full transparency among the team. If any team member is curious about the progress of the UX Research, they have access to the resources to follow our journey.

Bi-Weekly Research Actives Update & Insight Nuggets:

  • I wanted our cross-functional teams and stakeholders to learn alongside us. That's why it was important to highlight interesting insights that we learned during our demos, team chats, and user interviews. This way, they can also see the ongoing value UX research brings to the team.

  • I also included updates from our bi-weekly meetings to provide transparency on the types of meetings we were having and the value we gained from them. Collaborating with a UX designer was an amazing experience, as we engaged in meaningful conversations and iterated on wireframes that we previously designed.

Upcoming Holidays, Fun Facts, Brazil Team Introductions, Comments & Questions. :

  • Each newsletter included information about upcoming Brazilian or US holidays. If there was a holiday during the week, I mentioned that our timeline might be slightly delayed and assured the team that I would keep them updated.

  • Since this was a global research initiative involving Brazil, I aimed to enrich each newsletter with a piece of : Cultural history, Traditional knowledge and interesting facts about Brazil.

Advancing UX Research Awareness & Its Long-Term Impact on the Team

In addition to crafting the UX Research Insights Newsletter, I leveraged insights from stakeholder and Brazilian Team interviews, demos, and two knowledge transfer sessions with the Brazilian Grower Specialist Team. These activities and information allowed me to create educational documents and tangible deliverables for the team, which can be utilized for future roadmaps or to continue informing iterations of the designs. Furthermore, these resources serve to educate stakeholders and the Product team about our users' needs.

Deliverable:

I developed a visual documentation outlining the journey and role breakdown of a Brazilian team member, specifically the Grower Specialist. This documentation included:

  • The various roles the Grower Specialist interacts with throughout the year.

  • Detailed job responsibilities specific to the role.

  • The steps taken by the Grower Specialist to complete tasks throughout the year.

  • Any significant dates and meetings relevant to their role.

  • Direct quotes from the Grower Specialist regarding their individual and group processes.

How I got here?

  • Before kicking-off the "Brazil Research" initiative, one the product owners noted a substantial gap in his comprehension of the Brazilian team's processes, expressing a willingness to expand his knowledge further {which is amazing}.

My Thought Process:

  • Recognizing this as another area for documentation, I identified it as an opportunity to improve the distribution of UX Research insights across the entire team and beyond, and we received support from our other product owner as well.

  • I aimed to create another educational documentation that was easily scannable, digestible, and visually appealing.

  • In addition to that, I wanted all the research documentation to be stored in one centralized location with universal access. I ensured the team knew where it was stored in our repository, which I created.

Deliverable Example #1 : Brazil Business Rules Educational Map

How I got here?
After a recent product team meeting, team members expressed keen interest in learning more about our research findings.

My Thought Process:

  • It became apparent we had an opportunity to provide educational documentation on our research , and team members welcomed the opportunity to delve deeper into the subject matter.

  • I aimed to create documentation that was easily scannable, digestible, and visually appealing.

Deliverable:

I created visual documentation outlining crucial business rules to be integrated into high-fidelity wireframes. This served as a reference for our development team and provided onboarding materials for new project members

Deliverable Example #2 : Grower Specialist Process Map

Nexts Steps

For Alexandria:

“My next step is always to continue learning from both the successes and areas for improvement in a project. I enjoy integrating these learnings into my research process and toolbox, constantly evolving and refining my methods. I'm eager to apply this approach in my upcoming projects and remain adaptable”.

For The Team:

The team has access to the UX Research repository for this project, which contains all interviews, notes, research plans, and any other documentation related to the research.