Timing: 2023

Scale: 6 months, 2 rounds of in-depth research

The Problem

Low customer interest in upcoming product

As Dell transitioned from traditional data center solutions to cloud and multicloud offerings, the Product team encountered unexpectedly low customer interest in an upcoming solution that has been in the works for over a year. Although it was not openly discussed, the initial version of this product appeared to fall short of meeting customer needs. The whole product team was stressed about having to identify more customers who are willing to try out the initial version of the product.

Increase UX Research visibility

The Product team typically outsourced research to external marketing consultancies instead of utilizing our in-house UX Research team, which has a deeper understanding of our product, technology, and users. Recognizing the need to better identify target customers, I initiated strategic research in the cloud and multicloud domains. This effort aimed to uncover both existing and potential customers' perceptions of this sector and identify the specific customer segments facing challenges that our product seeks to address. By involving the Product team in this process, I aimed to demonstrate that partnering with UX Research is not only cost-effective but also delivers superior results.

The Approach

Building domain knowledge for better research

As Dell shifted focus from from traditional data center solutions to cloud and multicloud solutions, my Product team faced uncertainties about how customers think about multicloud and their potential interest in the solutions. To prepare for a foundational research study in this new domain, I collaborated with an internal Subject Matter Expert to enhance my technical knowledge. This led to several key adjustments about my research approach:

• Participant selection: Screen for the right type of participants to derive the specific insights

  • Our typical research participants, experienced in transitioning from data centers to cloud, often lacked broader business perspective and insight into operational impacts. This research required a different type of participants.

• Interview techniques: Discern what to listen for and clarify nuanced responses

  • Given the complex nature of the domain, terms like “cloud” and “migration” can be used differently across company environments, necessitating careful follow-up for clarity.

  • Recognizing that cloud adoption involves both technological and operational model shifts, I adjusted my questions to better explore changes in processes and skillsets

• Insights analysis: Highlight company-level differences in addition to user-level differences

  • Cloud and multicloud adoption significantly varies across companies, influenced by distinct business objectives and organizational structures. These company-level differences impact the challenges encountered and shape the specific needs of users within these organizations.

During the initial research phases, my findings clarified the varied levels of cloud and multicloud understanding among different customer types. This helped the Product team distinguish between the perceptions of existing Dell customers and those of external customers.

Creating Company Archetypes to help identify Product-Market Fit

Following the initial research, the Product team sought to more thoroughly understand the diverse customer segments within the multicloud domain and the distinct strategies they employ. To address this, I designed a study that profiles various Company Archetypes, examining how differences in organizational context, team dynamics, and culture contribute to unique cloud strategies. In this case, Archetypes for companies function like Personas for users.

In addition, I created detailed case studies of companies representative of various Archetypes. These case studies provide insights into the unique business contexts of each company, their journeys in adopting cloud and multicloud technologies, and the challenges they have encountered. The case studies could potentially help equip the Sales team with the necessary knowledge to accurately categorize customers and engage in more effective, targeted discussions.

By identifying Company Archetypes, the Product team has gained a clear view of the customer segments that the current product serves and uncovered potential new opportunities (Product-Market Fit).

Specifically, our current product primarily serves 'Laggards,' who adopt cloud solutions as extensions of traditional data centers. In contrast, 'Seekers' and 'Leaders'—Archetypes more proficient with advanced cloud technologies—exhibit distinct needs in managing and operating their environments. This distinction has uncovered an opportunity to develop new products specifically designed for these more advanced customer groups.

The Fallout

“Stepping out of my lane”

During a research readout with the Director, facilitated by the Product team I collaborated closely with, I presented just one case study before being interrupted with inquiries about the purpose of the research. I explained the customer contexts we aimed to explore and the reasons for using a case study format. I emphasized the collaborative nature of our efforts, noting the Product team's active involvement in shaping the research questions and participating in the research sessions.

I was then informed by the Director the nature of my research was too strategic for my role - UX Researchers are primarily expected to focus on usability testing, while strategic research initiatives should be exclusively conducted by the Corporate Strategy team.

Basically, I was stepping out of my lane.

After discussing with my peers, manager, and the Product team, I understood the factors that contributed to the initial reaction to my presentation:

• Previous Issues: The Director had previously needed to address complications arising from my earlier research being shared with executive leadership (without my consent or awareness). This likely led to assumed potential problems with this new presentation.

• Timing: The product was close to its public launch, and my presentation was seen either as a critique or a distraction during a crucial delivery phase.

• Communication Gaps: Despite my close work with the Product team's individual contributors who informed the Director of my progress, I neglected to directly establish expectations or align research objectives with the Director.

• Perception of UX

  • Typically, my UX team does not engage in strategic research for identifying product-market fit, making such work unexpected by stakeholders.

  • Within this business area, UX was viewed more as a support to Product, rather than as an equal partner, highlighting a fundamental misalignment.

The Comeback

Incorporating feedback and delivering impact

Audience Adjustment

The Director's critical feedback prompted a shift in the primary audience for my research to the Corporate Strategy team. I engaged with specialists in the multicloud domain within this team, sharing my findings and case studies to enhance their ongoing projects.

For the UX team, I presented the Company Archetypes and case studies, which clarified the variability in company context and its impact on user needs and expectations. Additionally, I refined the screening criteria for future cloud-related research to prevent over-representation of any single customer segment.

Relationship Building

With the product nearing its public launch, establishing trust with the Director was imperative. I focused on addressing immediate tactical research needs to build this relationship. Both my Director and VP played key roles in smoothing interactions and setting clear expectations for the UX team's contributions. Over time, I identified topics of interest to the Director that were outside of plan-of-record product delivery (e.g. DevOps), seizing these as opportunities to advocate for strategic research involvement.

UX Research Visibility

Despite challenges from the Director of Product, the team acknowledged my expertise and professionalism in delivering impactful results. They began to actively seek my input on planned marketing research studies, moving away from solely relying on external consultants. Subsequently, they directly sought my assistance for research on complex technical issues, such as multi-tenancy.

Building the foundation for higher UX visibility

Bridging technical gaps for UX team members

A key challenge preventing the UX team from being seen as an equal partner to Product Management was the limited knowledge in technical domains. This gap typically allowed the Product team to set strategic directions and the Engineering team to define architecture, relegating UX to just executing on predefined design requirements.

To foster more integrated and cohesive product experiences, it is crucial for the UX team to be involved earlier in the product definition process. This necessitates that the team bolsters their technical understanding to actively contribute to and shape product strategy. For a detailed example of how I helped the team enhance their technical knowledge, see the linked case study.

Operationalize Company Archetypes research

To alter the perception among stakeholders that the UX team solely focuses on product-specific usability tests rather than strategic research, I collaborated with several colleagues to operationalize the Company Archetype research by document our research methodologies, key learnings, pitfalls, and recommendations.

This resource is intended to extend beyond mere research execution, providing a framework for strategic engagement and insight sharing. It covers building technical knowledge in new domains, identifying key stakeholders with the right level of influence, and fostering trust with partners and allies to effectively share insights.