How ResearchOps saves time and maximizes impact / Kate Towsey / Episode #189

ResearchOps, it's a real game-changer... To drive home why, let me share a personal story.

I've been producing this podcast for six years now. There are at least 60 steps that need to be completed before a conversation reaches your ears.

Over the years, I've put different systems in place to make the production process run smoother. But here's the interesting part: Today, I spend about the same amount of time on each episode as I did in my first year.

So what's changed, you ask?

Now that I've standardized and documented the entire process, much of the logistical overhead is out of the way. I use that time to focus on our guests and the quality of our conversation -- the magic happens there.

So, what does this have to do with research?

Well, what if we applied a similar approach to research? We all know that there's no service design without research. However, getting the time and resources needed for proper research is tough.

Research is still often seen as an expense to be minimized rather than the investment it truly is—an investment that multiplies the value of your work down the line.

How can we streamline the research process to free up more time for the real magic to happen?

Well, that's where ResearchOps comes in! It's a community of passionate professionals looking into how research can be done smarter and deliver more value. Our guest in this episode, Kate Towsey, is at the forefront of this community.

In our conversation, we discuss how we, as service design professionals, can benefit from the work done by the ResearchOps community and why service design plays a crucial role in making ResearchOps even better—a beautiful self-reinforcing loop.

One important point from my conversation with Kate is that streamlining the research process isn't about doing less research—it's about increasing its quality.

Enjoy the chat, and keep making a positive impact!

~ Marc

--- [ 1. GUIDE ] ---

00:00 Welcome to Episode 189

05:00 Who is Kate

06:30 How I stumbled into Service Design

09:00 Lightning Round

11:00 Intersection Between ResearchOps and Service Design

14:15 What is ResearchOps?

20:45 Importance of a Research Library

27:00 The Secret to Research

32:00 How it impacts adoption

37:00 What's missing with ResearchOps

44:00 Importance of Research Strategy

48:30 Advise when connecting with a ResearchOps

52:00 The Future of ResearchOps

55:30 Resources

--- [ 2. LINKS ] ---

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/katetowsey/
• ResearchOps Community - https://chacha.club/
• http://katetowsey.com/

--- [ 3. CIRCLE ] ---

Join our private community for in-house service design professionals.

⁠https://servicedesignshow.com/circle