The Highest Level of UX Research
Reframe your role and spend your time on what really matters
What does it look like to operate at the highest level of UX Research? Which activities truly matter?"
These are the questions I’ve been noodling on for the past few weeks. It all started with this excellent podcast with Claire Vo, Chief Product and Design Officer at LaunchDarkly, and the founder of ChatPRD. (Side note: if you’re already following Aakash Gupta’s excellent Substack, you should!)
On the podcast, Vo makes some bold predictions about the future of tech teams. She describes how, at LaunchDarkly, she encourages her teams to “operate as if there are no lanes.” Take ego and territory out of the equation, and be okay with others taking on aspects of your role when they need to.
Vo explains this is actually a selfish act. She says:
“If you’re generous in giving out parts of cross-functional work, you can operate at the highest level of your craft.”
She uses the example of UX Designers reviewing padding on a form. “No designer wants their experience, intuition, creativity going into that.” They crave the big, hard problems.
You could equally apply this idea to AI. If you’re generous in letting AI handle some parts of your work, you’ll have more time and headspace to operate at the “highest level of your craft”. (And, in fact, many of your cross-functional team members will be using AI to do their ‘out of lane’ work.)
So let’s follow this throughline for UX Research.
If we’re loosening our grip on some parts of the UX Research role, what exactly are we handing off (to others, or to AI)? So that we can do which activities, as part of the “highest order” of our craft?
Let’s get existential for a moment, shall we?
At its peak, UX research isn't about running studies or compiling decks. It’s about unearthing insights that empower teams to make bold, confident decisions. Great researchers clarify ambiguity, uncover unseen opportunities, and become champions of empathy within the organization.
Here's what the highest level of the UX Research craft looks like:
Empowering product teams to act on previously unknown or overlooked opportunities —including new innovations or essential improvements.
Reducing risk and enabling teams to confidently navigate complex problem spaces, by bringing clarity to areas that were previously murky.
Shaping product strategies—both new and existing—with deep user insights into nuanced emotions, motivations, and behaviors, enabling teams to build solutions that truly resonate.
Cultivating deep user empathy and ‘product intuition’ in teams, so they can make user-centered decisions, even when researchers aren’t in the room.
Notice what's not here? Conducting the research itself. Planning, running studies, synthesizing results, creating reports—these are essential, yes, but they’re stepping stones, not the destination itself.
A perfectly executed research project that doesn't drive action is like a tree falling in the forest, with no one around to hear it…. It might as well not exist.
It’s worth noting that none of these “highest order” activities neatly map to one specific task. Instead, they're achieved through a combination of both big and small efforts.
However, once you reframe the UX Research role in this way, you might change how you prioritize your time and what you’re willing to let others or AI handle.
For example you might:
Let People Who Do Research (PWDRs) like PMs and Designers conduct more lower-priority research studies, so that you can focus on higher-priority ones
Not always jump to conduct a new primary study, and instead triangulate existing research and insights across the business (from Data, Sales, etc.)
Let AI handle initial data synthesis or draft reports so you can focus your energy on storytelling, clarity, and actionable insights.
Invest as much effort in activating insights—like running workshops—as you do in gathering them.
Let your cross-functional partners collaborate on, and even drive the above-mentioned workshops
Revisit previously conducted research if/when it later becomes relevant — and do so with enthusiasm! Yay, teams are interested! Rather than being frustrated they didn’t pay attention earlier
Prioritize time to build relationships with product teams. Not viewing their rituals and meetings as something ‘keeping you’ from your work.
Share ideas and insights early and often, including from outside sources like competitor research
Complete a research project that’s important to the business, even if its not very difficult methodologically
These are just a few ideas, but there's no one-size-fits-all answer. The activities that will meaningfully ladder up to the “highest level work” will depend on your expertise, ambitions, seniority, role, company, and product. They may even vary from month to month, or project to project.
Still, beneath these differences lies a universal truth: the “highest level” of UX Research craft isn't about doing everything—it's about choosing the right things. It's less about quantity and more about meaningful impact.
Challenge: This month, pick one research task you usually do yourself and delegate it to a teammate or AI. Observe how this empowers you to spend more time on high-impact, strategic initiatives.
I love your list of "highest level" and your pyramid that shows how the lower level work is still important as the foundation. Just a great article overall. Looking forward to more!
I love the diagram!