Exploring innovation methodologies in User Experience with Microsoft Research

A UX case study validating the integration of UX research and design (UXRD) to accelerate innovation and streamline the adoption of new technologies, in collaboration with Microsoft Research.

My Role

As the team leader, I delegated tasks, led user interviews, analyzed the interview data and designed the framework.

Team

3 UX Researchers

Tools

Figma
Google Sheet
Google Form

Duration

Apr 2024 - Present

"

"How does Microsoft Research know what technology will benefit humanity and what process is followed to rapidly transfer innovative technologies into MS Product teams? "

Problem

The mission of Microsoft Research (MSR) is to apply Advanced Science like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to transform innovative technologies into Microsoft Products. MSR has traditionally hired core researchers’ and applied scientists’ roles to fulfill its mission. While MSR has excelled in advancing technological capabilities, AI/ML breakthroughs, and strategic partnerships, it has historically placed less emphasis on User Experience Research and Design (UXRD).  This lack of focus on UXRD presents a broader challenge for innovation, as it can slow the innovation process and increase the rate of failure.

Solution

In this research, me and my team conducted a literature review to identify existing barriers to incorporating User Experience Research and Design (UXRD) into the innovation process. Additionally, we conducted semi-structured interviews with stakeholders to gain deeper insights into their perspectives and challenges.

Research Process

Literature Review

Our initial step involved a comprehensive literature review. We analyzed 32 research papers to gain a deeper understanding of innovation processes. This review helped us identify key challenges organizations face when implementing these processes in real-world situations.

As a result, we have outlined our primary focus for the subsequent research phase, which will center on addressing these key questions:

What hampers turning research ideas into impactful products?

How to balance human-centered design with humanities, creativity, technology, and business needs? 

Can diverse teams (researchers, designers, engineers) overcome communication gaps to achieve more?

Could power imbalances & conflicting goals be overcome to foster successful collaborative innovation?

Semi-structured Interview

After getting insights from literature review and came up with research questions. We created a set of common questions and customized a few questions for each specific role to gain insights. We conducted one-hour, semi-structured remote interviews with 8 industry professionals and 2 academic researchers.

Partcipants Demographic

Thematic Analysis

We systematically analyzed data by identifying key points, coding them in a spreadsheet, grouping similar points on FigJam, and deriving insights.

Insights from Interviews

The “Not Invented Here” Syndrome: Companies stuck in their ways (traditional structures) and often reject good ideas because they weren't invented internally.
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"Each project requires us to quickly adapt our management structure and framework, often improvising and adjusting as we go along, which is time consuming."
- P7 Service Designer

Barriers to advocating for User Centric Design: Managers doesn't value user research; limited time and investment; internal biases; prioritize business goals over users experience in the short term.
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“I want our folks to be a part of the hypotheses. I would involve all stakeholders in the whole research process and try to teach and coach them through the process.”
- P4 Product Manager 

Existing Gaps in Leveraging Diverse Teams: While collaboration is a core strength across teams, including UXR, instances of solo efforts with limited communication have occasionally occurred.

"...we really need to break down the walls between designing, engineering and marketing..."
- P3 Research Engineer

Design Concepts

Cute Framework

We designed the CUTE framework with concentration on four distinct stages – Collaboration, User Centralization, Transparency, and Experimentation – each with its own goals to achieve.

01 Collaboration

Collaboration: How could we foster team collaboration?

Goal: Our aim is to foster a culture of teamwork and shared ideas.
‍Challenge: The challenge lies in effectively managing diverse perspectives and ensuring that everyone feels comfortable contributing their ideas.

02 User Centralization

How could we centralize User Involvement?

Goal: Our aim is to foster a culture of teamwork and shared ideas.
‍Challenge: The challenge lies in effectively managing diverse perspectives and ensuring that everyone feels comfortable contributing their ideas.

03 Transparency

How can we make the Decision-Making process more Transparent?

Goal: We aim to democratize decision-making by fostering informed participation from all stakeholders. Additionally, we aim to build trust, involve more stakeholders, and make working together easier.
‍Challenge: The challenge lies in ensuring everyone has a clear understanding of the trade-offs between user needs and technical limitations, as well as the key metrics used to assess the viability of an idea.

04 Experiementation

Experimentation: How could we centralize Experimentation?

Goal: We aim to gather actionable insights through testing to drive business value and maximize return of investment (ROI).
‍Challenge: The challenge lies in choosing the right testing methods to refine your solution and maximize ROI.

Process

Currently, we are developing a comprehensive design system that integrating all tools to enhance the interdepartmental communication.

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