About this Event
Event Details
Join us for our June NUX Leeds event, where we’re excited to welcome two fantastic speakers (the second speaker soon to be announced).
Come learn, make new user-centred design friends, have some food and drink 🍻 (it’s on us!), and learn something new!
Talk: From Bottleneck to Partner: Scaling Research Beyond a Team of One.
Synopsis
This talk is a personal reflection on what I learned scaling UX research from a team of one into a growing international practice across the UK, France, and Spain. Rather than focusing on frameworks or “perfect” research operations, it explores the human side of scaling research: learning to let go of ego, adapting to fast-moving product environments, and figuring out how to stay valuable when product teams don’t slow down for research.
Through stories, lessons learned, and honest reflections, I’ll share how my view of research evolved from protecting process and outputs to building partnerships, trust, and systems that could scale beyond a single individual contributor. The talk covers the tension between rigour and speed, the reality of compromise in delivery-focused organisations, and how collaboration, visibility, and softer influence skills became just as important as research craft itself.
This session is aimed at researchers, designers, and product practitioners navigating growth, influence, and operational pressure inside modern product teams. It’s not a blueprint for scaling research “correctly” — it’s a reflection on what changed for me personally, what I got wrong, and the lessons I think are worth sharing with others trying to grow their impact without burning out or becoming a bottleneck.
You’ll learn:
• Lessons learned scaling research practice as an individual contributor
• How ego, identity, and perfectionism can hold research teams back • Practical ways to build trust and partnership within fast-moving product teams
• Why influence, collaboration, and visibility matter as much as research quality
• How to create systems and ways of working that scale beyond a single person
About Jonah M
Jonah is a UX Researcher at Once for All, specialising in user insight, product strategy, and research operations within Construction SaaS. With over 9 years of experience across consultancy, agency, startup and SaaS environments. Jonah’s work increasingly focuses on service improvement, helping teams understand end-to-end journeys, pain points and opportunities across products and services
They are speaking about the realities of scaling research from an individual contributor perspective, sharing lessons learned around influence, partnership, and building systems that allow research to grow beyond a single person.
📍Venue
Genio.
Department, 4 The Blvd, Leeds LS10 1PZ.
To enter the office, head to the elevators in the far right corner of the lobby. Take the lift to the first floor, then turn left and follow the corridor to the end. There will also be someone there to help direct you if needed.
Networking & Refreshments
After the talk, stay for a chance to network with fellow UX professionals while enjoying free pizza and drinks, kindly provided by our sponsors, Ideasmiths 🍕 🍻.
Our Sponsors
Ideasmiths
Ideasmiths are a diverse collective of individuals with extensive experience working on digital products. They're user researchers, interaction designers, strategists, and coaches who thrive working in multidisciplinary agile teams.
Tickets
🎫 This event is free to attend, but spaces are limited – secure your spot now!
We look forward to seeing you there! 🙌
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Department Leeds Dock, 4 The Boulevard, Leeds, United Kingdom
GBP 0.00
