Work is changing—and research is no exception. Widespread layoffs, hiring contractions, and AI research tools are accelerating the “UX-ification of Research,” a term coined by EPIC President Simon Roberts to characterize the increasingly narrow confinement of research to digital product validation and testing.

Talk about strategic impact needs to go beyond techniques for improving the uptake of insights by product teams. We need to recognize and create new opportunity spaces.

As organizations and employees seek guidance to navigate rapid technological and social change, ethnographers and researchers must reclaim our broader remit—not just as a source of product insights, but as a catalyst for organizational learning. We have the opportunity to inform decision-making across entire ecosystems, including customers, marketing, sales, HR, and executive leadership.

In this interactive session we’ll explore how we can reposition ourselves as architects of organizational learning. Together, we’ll discuss strategies for:

• Positioning our expertise as critical to navigating uncertainty and complexity in the AI era.
• Broadening our value by offering insights across diverse business functions.
• Expanding our roles beyond delivering transactional insights to shaping organizational learning.
• Future-proofing research careers by aligning with an organization’s ability to learn, adapt, and thrive in times of upheaval.

Whether you’re early in your career or a seasoned industry researcher, this discussion will offer practical insights and inspiration for reclaiming our roles in shaping the future of technology, work, and organizational effectiveness.

Speaker

Robin Beers, PhD, is a consultant, advisor, facilitator, future-of-work thought leader and keynote speaker dedicated to transforming organizations by unlocking untapped potential and making business more human. Specializing in navigating uncertainty, Robin partners with leaders to design and implement strategies that drive resilience, adaptability, and impact. Her approach integrates cutting-edge research, organizational systems theory, and design thinking to align culture and business processes with evolving customer and employee expectations. Through consulting, facilitation, and executive coaching, Robin empowers leaders and teams to embrace complexity, foster belonging and high performance, and solve ambiguous problems innovatively.