This document provides tips for successfully delivering user research findings to stakeholders. It discusses potential challenges from stakeholders, such as doubting the research validity or pushing solutions. It recommends understanding stakeholders' goals, communicating the research purpose to build empathy, and focusing on problems not solutions. Specific tips include preparing stakeholders through meetings, sharing research process, tailoring messages, and using visuals to bring results to life without overloading stakeholders. The goal is to get stakeholders on the same page about user challenges before discussing solutions.
2. What UX designers
expect clients to say
during research
readouts:
My assumptions were
incorrect. Let’s follow
our UX team’s
guidance on this.
I never knew that
our users had
those challenges.
Users think
differently to me
and I accept it.
Justyna Belkevic
Stakeholders
Intro
3. VS what really
happens: This can’t be true
because it doesn’t
match my
opinion.
The research must
be flawed because
the findings are
too negative.
I know how to solve it
(proceeds to speak about
solution, which doesn’t
address the problem).
Stakeholders
Justyna Belkevic
Intro
7. Today’s journey
What’s the goal of
research readouts?
Take off
What and who might
pose a challenge?
Turbulence
What can I do to mitigate
those challenges? 5 tips!
Cruising
Bonus material to prepare
you for any situation.
Landing
Justyna Belkevic
Intro
9. Research Readout 101
A great time to present your findings to keep
project’s momentum going is right after the
main user research activities are done.
Invite all major stakeholders from the
client’s side to the meeting. Keep your own
team’s numbers low.
Choose any presentation medium you
prefer. Remember to focus on the problem
and not the solution.
When?
Who?
What?
Take off
Justyna Belkevic
10. What’s the goal?
The goal of user research readouts is to:
Take off
Justyna Belkevic
Are we speaking
about the same
dog?
01 Build user empathy within the
wider team
Have everyone on the same page
about the challenge at hand
Raise the project momentum
through communicating the
research findings
02
03
13. Potential challenging personas
“Why only 5 people per
user group? I am sure it’s
not enough to determine
anything.”
“These findings are too
negative. Do not include
them in the presentation.”
“I know what is the solution here,
and I am going to tell everyone
what to do.”
Confused Chris Nervous Nancy
All-knowing Alex
Justyna Belkevic
Turbulence
15. It’s important to understand why stakeholders
are pushing back on user research and uncover
what business goals and metrics are most
important to them.
Using that, you can then create a research plan
that both mitigates their worries and shows how
research can impact the metrics they care about.
Before presenting research readout
Justyna Belkevic
01. Understand the ‘whys’ of main stakeholders
Cruising
16. 02. Show them what UX design is about
Before presenting research readout
Justyna Belkevic
– Formal & informal meetings – don’t underestimate the
power of 1:1 relationships with stakeholders.
Meetings
Collaboration - Offer to take part in the research (joining video calls, coming
along on ethnographies, debriefing after each session, etc.).
Updates - Give updates, show enthusiasm or invite them to your product
team meeting in which you discuss the research planning.
Rehearsal - Present/share the findings before the big presentation.
Cruising
17. 03. Communicate the right message to the right people
Before/During presenting research readout
Justyna Belkevic
“I love numbers”
“Did you help any
other big brands?”
“I am a visual
person”
Some stakeholders are motivated by
numbers. Include them into your
presentation.
Other stakeholders are motivated by
social proof, so you can demonstrate
how other brands they look up to use
UX techniques.
Others, prefer visual communication. So,
daw out the message. Be flexible - ‘Let me
just show you, it is easier to visualise it.’
Cruising
18. 04. Bring your results to life
During presenting research readout
Justyna Belkevic
Show don’t tell
Use a narrative structure with relatable heros
Don’t try to do too much at once
Use lots of high-quality pictures and videos
01
02
03
04
Cruising
19. During presenting research readout
Justyna Belkevic
We instinctively want to fix problems quickly.
Especially when they are clearly spelt out in a
presentation. However...
Remind everyone that the purpose
of the research readout is not to fix
but to listen.
05. Remind that you aren’t discussing solutions yet
Cruising
20. Secret Tips
Be an effective
communicator
01
Check your emo-
tions at the door
02
Partnership is
key
03
Speak their language -
make it simple
04
Be the connector
05
Don’t take it
personally
06
Cruising
Justyna Belkevic
22. Bonus Tips
● Why are you speaking only to so few people?
● Can I write the questions for you?
● I am afraid that you will find a lot of negative
responses.
Justyna Belkevic
Landing
5 people uncover
85% of insights
I’ll share
interview topics
with you
If the comments
are negative, it
means that your
users care. We
can fix it.
You
23. Thanks!
Now you know how to deliver
successful research readouts. Go and
rock it! (and tell me how it went)
JUSTYNA BELKEVIC
justyna-belkevic
Editor's Notes
Not every stakeholder has the same investment – understanding the ‘whys’ of each stakeholder will help you choose the best methods of sharing and collaborating.
Performing user research on stakeholders by understanding the ‘why’ behind the pushback - It’s important to understand why stakeholders are pushing back on user research and uncover what business goals and metrics most important to them. Using that, you can then create a research plan that both mitigates their worries and shows how research can impact the metrics they care about.
If people don’t understand, draw it - visual communication. Draw out the message. Be flexible - change how you communicate without patronising them. ‘Let me just show you, it is easier to visualise it.’
User behaviours and actions can translate into quantifiable metric (sales metric). Quantitative data does not show the full picture. The future vs moment in time.
There’s no one perfect way of communicating the value of UX to sceptical stakeholders. Some stakeholders are motivated by numbers, forcing you to quantify the benefits. You can do this by sourcing third party data, or running a small test to prove the results.
Other stakeholders are motivated by social proof, so you can demonstrate how other brands they look up to use these techniques. Some stakeholders need to see the effects on the team to really appreciate the value, which is where design sprints come into play.
Much like UX design itself, there’s no one size fits all strategy, so you need to tailor your approach to both the audience and the problem at hand. So the best advice would be to use your design thinking and storytelling abilities to communicate the right message to the right people.
Show don’t tell: Walk your audience through concrete examples from real-life observations — bonus points if you can set up scenarios so that your co-workers can feel the tension/friction/problem for themselves
Use a narrative structure with relatable heros: Make sure your presentations tell a clear story with a beginning, middle, and end.
Don’t try to do too much at once: Remember — you’ve spent weeks, maybe months absorbing all this stuff. If you throw it all at your audience at once, it’ll be too hard for them to isolate and focus on the main points.
Use lots of high-quality pictures and videos: Like the good researcher you are, you took tons of pictures while you were conducting the research. Use them. It will help your audience understand the research process and imagine your users’ lives, motivations, and obstacles.
Remind everyone that the purpose is not to fix but to listen. People usually want to fix problems quickly, but they might not be fixing the root problem. Or maybe you haven’t thought about all different solutions. As a collective not an individual thought.
With every change there is an opportunity to evolve.
Empathise with the end user.