From Insights to Action: Turning Research Reports into Strategic Influence

Philip Burgess
Sep 23
2 min read

By Philip Burgess - UX Research Leader

We’ve all been there: you finish a research project, craft a beautiful report, share it with stakeholders—and then… silence. The findings are appreciated, but they don’t translate into decisions, design changes, or business impact.

The truth is: a research report isn’t the end of the work. It’s the bridge between evidence and action. To be influential, reports must not only inform but also inspire and direct.

Why Research Reports Often Fail to Influence

Too much data, not enough direction → Stakeholders drown in details without knowing what to do next.
Findings ≠ recommendations → Reports stop at describing problems, without prescribing solutions.
Lack of audience alignment → Reports written for everyone often resonate with no one.
No follow-through → Insights are shared once but never reinforced in product or business conversations.

Best Practices: Moving From Insights to Action

1. Lead With the “So What?”

Don’t bury the lede. Start with 3–5 big takeaways and why they matter. Pair each with an explicit recommendation and expected outcome.

👉 Example:

Insight: “Users abandon checkout at the payment step.”
Recommendation: “Reduce payment form fields by 40%.”
Impact: “Expected increase in completed checkouts by 15%.”

2. Visualize the Impact

Dashboards, before/after mockups, or even a one-slide decision package can be more powerful than 30 pages of findings. Stakeholders remember visuals + numbers far more than text alone.

3. Tailor for Your Audience

Executives: Want decisions and business impact.
Designers: Need usability details and examples.
Engineers: Require clarity on problem severity and frequency.

One report doesn’t have to serve all—consider a core report with tailored one-pagers for each group.

4. Connect Insights to KPIs

Frame your findings in terms of metrics leadership already cares about (conversion, CSAT, retention, cost reduction). This creates a direct line from research → product → business outcomes.

5. Keep Insights Alive

The first presentation is just the start. Reuse findings in:

Sprint planning discussions
Roadmap reviews
Design critiques
Slack “insight of the week” posts

Repetition keeps user needs front and center.

How to Get Better at Turning Insights into Action

Practice the “What → So What → Now What” framework.
Use storytelling techniques (personas, journey maps, highlight reels).
Ask stakeholders early: “What decisions are you hoping this research will help you make?”
Build relationships: Strategic influence grows from trust, not just deliverables.

Resources to Explore

Nielsen Norman Group – Communicating UX Research
MeasuringU – Reporting UX Metrics
IDEO U – Storytelling for Impact

Final Thought

Research is only as valuable as the decisions it influences. By shifting from reporting findings to shaping outcomes, UX Researchers move from observers to strategic partners in product and business growth.

✨ Don’t just report the insights. Drive the action.