Democratising research and design can help organisations create more user-centric products and improve business outcomes. However, it's not always clear how to go about democratising these processes, and this topic is often a source of contention for designers.
The pros & cons
Pros:
More diverse perspectives: By involving a wider range of stakeholders in the research and design process, organisations can gain a more diverse range of perspectives and ideas. This can lead to more innovative and effective products.
More user-centric products: Democratising research and design can help ensure that products are designed with the user in mind. This can lead to products that better meet the needs of users and are more likely to succeed in the market.
Better decision-making: By involving more people in the research and design process, organisations can make more informed decisions based on a broader range of data and insights.
Improved collaboration: Democratising research and design can help break down silos between teams and foster a more collaborative culture in the organisation.
Cons:
Time-consuming: Involving more people in the research and design process can be time-consuming, particularly if not managed effectively. This can lead to longer development cycles and delays in getting products to market.
Lack of expertise: Not everyone has the expertise needed to effectively contribute to the research and design process. This can lead to suboptimal designs or insights that are not actionable.
Difficulty in managing feedback: When involving a wider range of stakeholders, it can be challenging to manage the feedback and ensure that it is actionable and relevant.
Resistance to change: Democratising research and design can require a shift in culture and mindset within the organisation. Some team members may resist this change, leading to tension and conflict within the team.
While democratising research and design can lead to more user-centric products and better decision-making, it can also be time-consuming and require a significant shift in culture and mindset within the organisation. It’s essential to have strong leadership buy-in, effective management of feedback, and a culture of continuous learning and improvement for this approach to be successful.
So, how can we build a culture where research and design can successfully be democratised?
Building a culture where research and design can be democratised requires a deliberate effort and commitment from leadership. Here are some strategies that can help organisations create a culture that supports this approach:
Provide training and resources: To effectively democratise research and design, organisations need to ensure that team members have the necessary skills and resources. Providing training and resources can help team members develop the skills needed to contribute effectively to the research and design process.
Foster collaboration: Democratising research and design requires collaboration across teams and departments. Organisations can foster collaboration by creating cross-functional teams, encouraging open communication, and promoting a culture of sharing and feedback.
Embrace diversity: To create a more inclusive research and design process, organisations should embrace diversity in their teams. This means promoting diversity in hiring practices, creating a safe space for diverse perspectives, and actively seeking out feedback from a diverse range of stakeholders.
Prioritise user feedback: In a culture that supports democratising research and design, user feedback should be a priority. Teams should regularly test their products with users and use feedback to inform the design process.
Lead by example: Finally, leadership must model the behaviours they want to see in their teams. This means being open to feedback, collaborating with team members, and embracing a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
By implementing these strategies, organisations can create a culture that supports democratising research and design. This approach can lead to more user-centric products, better decision-making, and a more collaborative and inclusive workplace.
Useful frameworks & models to help democratise design
Jobs-to-be-Done: This framework is all about focusing on the outcomes that users are trying to achieve. Instead of just looking at product features, teams should concentrate on the job that the user is trying to get done. Jobs-to-be-Done can be a great way to involve everyone on the team in the research process, as it helps to create a shared understanding of user needs and goals. Teams can get away from focusing on superficial product features and instead concentrate on the underlying needs of their users, leading to more user-centric products and a better overall user experience.
Design Thinking: Design Thinking is a powerful approach to problem-solving that emphasises empathy, collaboration, and experimentation. By involving everyone on the team in the design process, organisations can create a more inclusive approach to product development. Design Thinking encourages teams to start with the user's needs and work backward, which can lead to more user-centric products. It also emphasises rapid prototyping and testing, which can help teams to quickly validate assumptions and iterate on their designs.
Lean Startup: The Lean Startup methodology is all about testing and learning. It encourages teams to get products into the hands of users as quickly as possible and gather feedback to iterate on their designs. By involving everyone on the team in the testing process, organisations can create a culture of experimentation and data-driven decision-making. This can help to ensure that products are designed with the user in mind and that the team is constantly learning and improving.
Design Maturity Model: This is a model to help organisations assess their current level of design maturity and identify areas for improvement. It can be a useful way to democratising design, as it provides a roadmap for building a more user-centric design culture. By involving everyone on the team in the process of improving design maturity, organisations can create a shared vision of what a user-centric design culture looks like and work together to achieve that vision.
By using these frameworks and models, organisations can create a more inclusive approach to research and design. They can encourage collaboration and innovation, and ensure that products are designed with the user in mind. Democratising research and design can help create a more engaging and user-friendly product for consumers.
In addition to these frameworks and models, there are other ways to democratising research and design. One way is to create a culture of continuous learning and improvement. This can involve:
setting up regular user testing sessions,
sharing insights and data across teams, and
providing opportunities for team members to learn new skills.
Another way to democratising research and design is to involve stakeholders outside of the immediate product team. This can include customers, business partners, and even employees from other departments. By involving a diverse range of stakeholders in the research and design process, organisations can gain a deeper understanding of user needs and create more user-centric products.
It's also important to create a feedback loop between research and design. This means that insights from user research should inform the design process, and the design should be continually tested and refined based on user feedback. By creating this feedback loop, organisations can ensure that they are creating products that meet the needs of their users and delivering real value.
Final thoughts
Democratising research and design is essential for creating more user-centric products and improving business outcomes. By using frameworks and models, creating a culture of continuous learning and improvement, involving a diverse range of stakeholders, and creating a feedback loop between research and design, organisations can create a more inclusive approach to product development. However, this requires leadership buy-in and a willingness to invest in the resources and training needed to achieve this goal. With the right approach, democratising research and design can help organisations create products that meet the needs of their users and deliver real value.