The Real Value of UX Research: Your Audience isn’t just Users - it’s Stakeholders too!

We talk a lot about designing for users, and rightly so. But here’s the uncomfortable truth:

Your research doesn’t matter if it doesn’t move internal teams to act.

That means your real audience isn’t just users—it’s stakeholders too.

Too often, stakeholder alignment is treated like an afterthought. We focus so hard on methodology and rigour that we forget the practical realities of organisations with shifting priorities, complex power dynamics, and decision-makers under pressure.

If your research doesn’t drive decisions, it didn’t land.

Why research often doesn’t stick

Ever heard this one? 

“We did the research, but nothing changed.”

Sometimes that’s due to timing or resourcing, but more often, it’s because insights weren’t framed in a way that resonated with the people who hold the levers of change.

A beautifully designed report that sits unread on SharePoint = no impact. A compelling insight that isn’t tied to business or team priorities = no action.

If stakeholders can’t connect your findings to their reality, they’ll move on.

Research is influence

Researchers aren’t just insight machines—we’re translators, advocates, and facilitators of change.

It’s not enough to surface what users want or struggle with. We need to think strategically about how to embed that knowledge in the decisions teams are making.

Every research project should consider:

• Who needs to be convinced for this to matter?

• What are their goals, blockers, and assumptions?

• What format of insight will land best with them?

• And: how can we make it easy for them to take action?

How to make your insights stick

✅ Involve stakeholders early Don’t just present to stakeholders, partner with them. Co-create research goals. Ask what they want to learn. Understand what success looks like to them and build those needs into your plan.

✅ Tailor your outputs Different stakeholders have different priorities, and your deliverables should reflect that. Here’s what each group is often looking for:

• Product Managers: prioritisation, product-market fit, risk mitigation

• UX Designers: usability, journey friction, behaviour patterns

• Marketers: user motivations, language, value propositions

• Leaders: business impact, strategy alignment, competitive threats

So speak their language. Don’t give everyone the same deck.

✅ Use stories, not just stats Stakeholders are human too. They remember emotion and narrative more than numbers. A powerful user quote or a short clip of someone struggling with your product often lands harder than a perfectly designed chart.

✅ Follow through Don’t drop the deck and walk away. Share it. Repackage it. Turn it into a Slack thread, a quick Loom video, a visual summary, or a bite-sized artefact. Keep the conversation alive, especially once decisions start to form.

Let’s stop measuring research by what we deliver—and start measuring it by what we influence.

Research should shift direction, unlock clarity, or stop wasted effort. That’s the real value.

I’d love to hear from you: How do you make your research land with stakeholders? Let me know your thoughts and experiences.