Maximizing the potential of secondary research with Nick Stiles | IBM

The Optimal Path

Nick Stiles, User Researcher at IBM, discusses the power of secondary research, also known as desk research, in making informed decisions, and why it is the “unsung hero” of research.

Nick shares strategies for synthesizing secondary research findings into actionable insights for product teams and emphasizes the importance of storytelling and journalistic techniques in driving research impact.

About Nick:

First trained as an academic psychologist, Nick Stiles is now a passionate user researcher at IBM. With a BA in Psychology and experience in both academic psych labs and the software industry, Nick uses human behavior research to make interactions between people and tools more harmonious. He is driven by a love of learning, collaboration, and making a real-world impact through research.

Connect with Nick:

You can connect with Nick on Linkedin.

Resources:

• Immersion and influence—the work of the modern UX researcher by Nick Stiles
• Think Like a UX Researcher: How to Observe Users, Influence Design, and Shape Business Strategy by David Travis, Philip Hodgson
• How to Write Short: Word Craft for Fast Times by Roy Peter Clark

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See you next time!