#160 - Where Design Thinking Went Wrong with Brett Krajewski of Accelerant Research

In 2022, the UX community experienced a series of convulsions: layoffs, reorgs, and reduced budgets. A common thread throughout was accountability: user researchers faced frequent questions about their direct impact on and importance for the business. "Doing" UX research and "being" a design thinker was no longer enough. Today's guest believes these questions present opportunities for UX researchers. Brett Krajewski, VP Research and Growth at Accelerant Research, joins Erin and Carol to share strategies for researchers to stay sharp, stay relevant, and stay valuable. These include balancing business goals with user needs, being more experimental with methods, reframing how we use time for research, and more. Highlights06:30 Justifying UX ROI Amid Economic Challenges12:02 Integrating Insights for Improved UX18:50 Balancing User Needs and Business Goals21:07 Scalable Research in Fortune 500 Companies29:47 Innovative Strategies in Research Planning38:30 Storytelling's Role in Research Impact About Brett Brett Krajewski is the Vice President of Research & Growth at Accelerant Research, where he leads the research and client solutions teams, delivering innovative insights to empower businesses and many fortune 500 companies. With a career spanning both in-house industry roles and consulting/agency leadership, Brett has built and led high-performing, multi-method research teams for Fortune 50 companies. His past roles include Head of Design Research: Customer at Walmart and Lead of Product Research at Lowe’s, where he drove customer-focused innovation and strategy. ResourcesComplete Guide to UX Research MethodologiesOn-Demand Business 101 for Researchers CoursePanel Discussion on the Future of UX Research