How TruStage's design team operationalized UX research

Episode web page: https://bit.ly/4k9H4fT

Episode summary:

In this episode of Insights Unlocked, design and research leaders from TruStage share how they transformed UX research from an inconsistent, ad-hoc effort into a scalable, trusted practice embedded directly within their design team. Through a creative “cookbook” framework, the team built shared standards, accelerated time to insights, and increased stakeholder confidence—without sacrificing flexibility or creativity.

What you’ll learn

• Why TruStage shifted from siloed research teams to an embedded UX research model
• How a visual “cookbook” system helped standardize research without making it rigid
• The power of shared language and artifacts to build stakeholder trust and buy-in
• How repeatable research “meal plans” enabled faster pivots and better decision-making
• What it takes to scale research volume while improving quality and consistency

Key themes and ideas

From potluck to practice. The TruStage team describes their early research approach as a “potluck”—rich in individual expertise but lacking consistency. By designing a shared system, they moved toward a polished, repeatable research practice that stakeholders could rely on.

The research cookbook framework. Using food metaphors, the team created:

• Recipes for designers and researchers that explain how to run specific studies
• Menus for stakeholders that clearly outline value, effort, and outcomes
• Meal plans that bundle methods together across stages of the product lifecycle

This framework helped align internal teams and external partners around expectations, scope, and impact.

Embedding research into everyday workflows. By building the system directly in Figma and connecting it to their agile tooling, TruStage made research easy to plan, prioritize, and execute—removing friction that previously slowed teams down.

Scaling impact through trust and clarity. Clear artifacts and shared standards made research easier to explain, faster to approve, and more likely to be requested. As a result, the team more than doubled the number of research stories completed year over year and shifted from “selling” research to responding to demand.

Empowering teams through co-creation. Rather than dictating a process from the top down, the team involved designers across experience levels in shaping the system. This created stronger ownership, higher adoption, and a culture where research felt both accessible and fun.

Advice for teams operationalizing research

• Lean into tools your team already loves and uses daily
• Invest time in shared philosophy and language—not just templates
• Co-create systems with the people who will use them
• Treat research operations as an evolving practice, not a one-time deliverable

Resources & links

• TruStage’s website (https://www.trustage.com/)
• Nick Higbee on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-higbee-95540425/)
• Benny Brooks on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebenbrooks/)
• Betsy Drews on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/betsy-drews-4a30256b/)
• Natalie Padilla on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-weiner/)
• Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)
• Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast