The classic way to report findings is to write a report. But writing is hard. Reading a well-written report is also quite hard nowadays, with full schedules and attention spans reduced to Instagram stories and TikTok posts.Researchers who are actively involved in product development do not need this. In fact, this process hurts their ability to convey insights and inspire action. Instead, they should use other methods to inspire action in other teams. This is important, because the researchers—or the people who did the research—will not be doing the work that is implied by the findings.
Present Findings Instead of Sending a Report
A well-prepared presentation is more accessible and scannable than a long, written report. Think of the presentation as a super-condensed version of the hypothetical complete report, giving priority to three to five top findings.
Include how you arrived at the research question, as well as your assumptions and hypotheses. Describe how you picked your method and how you did your recruitment. Then follow up with your three to five insights.
Under each insight, clearly state the problem or highlight. Show evidence that you are not making up your insights.
Then share your recommendations. These recommendations can be as simple as changing the wording on a page or as complex as reforming certain lines of business. Make sure that all of these recommendations are backed by the research material. If you are suggesting something based on your gut—which is fine—make that clear.
For the closing, summarize your findings around your research question, state your next steps, and ask who else might be interested in hearing the presentation. Do not send your presentation and expect them to go through it—go to that group and present in person.
Include Design Suggestions
Should researchers issue design recommendations? This discussion stems from the turf war between elitist designers who think that they are the only ones who could ever design, and researchers who are trying to add their voice to the conversation.
Absolutely, researchers issue design recommendations. The person who had quality contact with users knows more than anyone about the current user experience. So it is perfectly fine to express some of these findings as recommendations.
Some researchers are rightfully hesitant about their own design skills, and they also worry about creating extra work for designers. This is a valid concern and a very thoughtful gesture. However both of these concerns go away if your product has an established design system. You are not expected to produce a production-ready, pixel-perfect sequence of screens; communicating the general idea within the guardrails of the design system will do.
Should researchers always expect the team to pick one of their recommendations? Or implement them right away? No, the researcher proposes starting points. Some of them may be great ideas from the beginning, and some of them could fall apart on first contact. This is how design works, and it is normal.
