5 things I learned while working as a design researcher
Photo by Jo Szczepanska on Unsplash
Author: Shruti Rathi | Turian Labs
I recently completed one year of being a design researcher at Turian labs. This is my first job after graduating as a designer. Throughout this journey, I have worked on multiple projects of noticeable scale encompassing elaborate deliverables. I have intuitively discovered my working style by adapting to the interdisciplinary nature of design research, observing my colleagues, and making the right mistakes. Here are a few things that I have incorporated into my working style.
1. Role of planning-artifacts in smarter project journeys
Building efficient workflows is an iterative process. It is essential to be discerning of the existing workflow, identify gaps, and steadily enhance it to build better practices.
For example, design research projects require the need to record various details from participants. These details translate into deliverables like — Highlight videos, quantitative data pools, participant stories, etc., depending on the type of study and the data collected. Sorting captured data into relevant data sets is typically a herculean task.
Working on multiple projects has given me the foresight to identify the set of deliverables that might be applicable for that particular project. This has manifested into creating relevant Excel sheets, video tagging, highlight notes, etc. to capture details. This repository of information expedites the data-sorting and additionally helps discover hidden patterns and reveal new findings.
2. Say yes to an exciting challenge, always!
“Hey, will you be able to write for the report?” -“Yes!”
“We need to create a persona framework..” -“Yes!”
“Can someone take this up?” - “YES!”
Taking up challenges is the fastest way to upskill oneself. When I began, I decided to say yes to everything that came along my way. At first, I was terrified of taking up responsibility and failing to meet expectations. I learned from mistakes, received feedback from my team, and constantly evaluated myself. Willingness to undertake challenges has helped me upskill, recognize my area of interest, and made me more self-reliant and confident. This has amalgamated into me emerging as a more equipped researcher.
3. Clear communication is paramount
Unclear communication can be misconstrued. Talking to seniors at work can be scary, especially if there has been no progress with the project or the given task. However, not communicating can come off as being uninterested and irresponsible, which is worse. I have learned that “No progress has been made” is also an update through my experience. Relevant and daily updates to the team create reliability and dependability amongst team members. Having clear communication ascertains that the entire team is on the same page which is especially useful in escalating situations.
For example: While conducting user research interviews, we ensure post-interview debriefs to clear all questions/ambiguity the team might have. This saves a lot of back-and-forth communication later on.
4. Conflicts would happen. Deal with them!
Working in a team brings about its own set of obstacles. Every researcher has their own opinions which can lead to clashing ideas. These discussions are necessary but can impede progress and waste valuable time and energy if not kept in check.
I have been observing my seniors deal with project-related differences — it’s so important to be mindful not to dismiss someone’s idea but simultaneously convey the message. Articulation is the key. Here are some ways to do so,
“I think there is some potential in this, let’s flesh it out a little more and we’ll get back to this”
“This is a great framework although I don’t think it fits. Let’s shelf it for now and we’ll circle back to it”
5. Delegating work
Delegating work is an art. It is not just about assigning work. It is about understanding your teammates’ strengths and weaknesses, capitalizing on the strengths and guiding them to overcome their shortcomings. Delegating work is about the proper articulation, liaising with your team members, and being assertive at the same time.
Research is an opportunity to observe, discover and unravel. Over the course of this insightful year I have realised that there is no right or wrong. Research (or anything for that matter) is all about context. I cannot wait to dive deeper and explore further!