Technology Insiders Program

User Research

Technology Insiders Program

Tasked with establishing a formal user research and design feedback program for the first time at Office Depot, I created the "Technology Insiders Program." This initiative was designed to build a direct line of communication with our customer base, providing invaluable insights to guide product design decisions and ensure user-centered development.

My Role

As the Senior Lead UX Designer, I was responsible for the end-to-end creation and execution of this program. My key contributions included:

Designing the program from scratch, from concept to implementation.
Overcoming initial challenges in identifying the right contacts and recruiting program participants.
Facilitating and running the design feedback series of meetings with participants.
Documenting the entire process to create a repeatable framework for other business units.

The Problem

Upon joining Office Depot, it became clear that there was a lack of a formalized program for gathering consistent user research and design feedback directly from our business customers. Without a structured channel for communication, designers were relying on anecdotal evidence and internal assumptions, which hindered our ability to create truly impactful solutions.

The primary challenge was to establish a sustainable, scalable program that would provide a continuous stream of authentic user insights. A secondary challenge was to convince long-standing account reps, that I had no prior relationships with, to give me access to their customers.

Key Pain Points:

The absence of customer insights meant we had limited evidence to support or defend design choices, which opened the door to subjective debate and slowed alignment

UX isn't user-centric if you're not talking to users. Real insights come from real people, not assumptions.

Account reps often limit access to customers making it difficult to build a robust customer insights program

The Process & My Contribution

Discovery & Research

Starting from the ground up, I leveraged my past experience but knew I needed a broad approach. I cast a wide net—joining multiple team meetings and seeking introductions—to identify the right internal contacts who could help recruit customers. This persistent outreach ensured we built a diverse, engaged group of 'insiders' for the program.

Next, I provided account reps with a clear, easy-to-use template to reach out to their customers, simplifying the introduction process. Once initial contact was made, I gently guided reps to let me take over all communication related to the insiders program. This approach allowed me to manage interactions directly with customers, avoiding delays and ensuring the program ran efficiently without relying on reps as intermediaries.

Engagement & Feedback

Engagement Assets

With the Technology Insiders Program established, I then facilitated a series of design feedback meetings. These sessions were meticulously planned to present our design concepts and prototypes directly to our participants.

Through these meetings, we were able to gather direct, unfiltered feedback and insights that were crucial for validating our design hypotheses and making informed product decisions.

Methodology

Schedule one-hour long calls each week for six weeks
Send meeting agenda out ahead of time so only those interested in the topic would join
Encourage everyone to put cameras on so customers would also engage with each other

Documentation & Framework Creation

Recognizing the value this program brought, I made it a priority to document the entire process. I created a comprehensive guide that detailed every step, from initial recruitment strategies to effective meeting facilitation and data synthesis. This documentation served as a repeatable framework that could be utilized by designers in other business units to launch their own user research programs, democratizing access to customer insights across the organization.

Read framework guide

The Impact

The Technology Insiders Program proved to be an invaluable asset. The feedback and insights we received were well worth the upfront work and directly influenced key design decisions. Most importantly, my contribution extended beyond just one project; by documenting the process, I provided a lasting asset for the organization. This framework empowers other design teams to build their own successful user research programs, ensuring that Office Depot for Business maintains a user-centered approach to innovation for years to come.

Key Take-Aways

Lack of visibility of the core list
The approved product list wasn’t clearly communicated across the system, leading to confusion and inconsistent use.
Unrefined search experience
Search results surfaced an overwhelming mix of items, making it difficult for users to quickly identify what was relevant.
Policy enforcement gaps
Procurement leaders often resorted to manual workarounds to enforce compliance with purchasing policies.
Misaligned goals
End-user buyers prioritized convenience, which conflicted with procurement leaders’ objectives for cost savings and compliance.