Scaling research through democratization with Reggie Murphy | Zendesk

In this episode of The Optimal Path, Reggie Murphy joins host Ash Oliver to discuss how Zendesk scaled UX research, elevating the practice from a supporting function to a strategic partner to the business.

Reggie shares how he led the development of training programs, automated processes, and ResearchOps to enable cross-functional teams to conduct research independently. Discover how democratizing research creates a more customer-centric culture and how these changes have shifted UX research from a gatekeeping role to a more collaborative, strategic position.

About Reggie:

Reggie Murphy is a seasoned strategic research and insights leader with over 20 years of experience leading teams to understand human behavior and create innovative products and solutions that meet the needs of their users. He has a proven track record of success across various industries, including technology, media, finance, and healthcare. He's currently a Senior Director and Head of UX Research at Zendesk. Prior to his current role, Reggie has built and led research teams at USA TODAY, Facebook, Vanguard, and Twitter.

Connect with Reggie:

You can connect with Reggie on LinkedIn or get mentored by him on ADPList

Resources:

• Democratize Research: Elevate UX Research Practice
• How our product design framework guides UX research by Jen Cardello
• Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Malone Scott
• The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth by Amy C. Edmondson
• How to get stakeholder buy-in: From skeptic to research advocate by Maze
• UX Leadership Playbook: Democratizing Research to Deliver Impact at Scale

Follow Maze on Social Media:

• X: @mazedesignHQ
• Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign

To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast.

See you next time!