Jen Cardello (CapitalOne)– Deliver Undeniable Impact: Establishing a High-Value UX Research Practice

👉 Jen Cardello, Managing VP, Head of Experience Design Research at Capital One, outlines how to build a high-value UX research function that executives trust and product teams rely on: assess and triage the “swamp,” centralize thoughtfully, set a clear research framework and objectives, standardize intake to insights-to-action, use structured democratization, and anchor discovery with Jobs-to-Be-Done. She shares mindsets that make it stick—humble inquiry, pace over perfection, business ownership, and hands-on leadership—and practical tools like rubrics, KPIs, and activation plans that move research from decks to decisions. This talk was presented at Design Leadership Summit 2025, November Edition (https://designleadership.io/), a two-day summit and one full-day workshop packed with incredible, relevant, and thought-provoking content for those practicing leadership at any level. __________ DesignX is one of the fastest-growing global design communities, with members across Canada, the US, and Europe. We intend to bring together all design disciplines at the intersection of business, design, and technology. Find out more at: https://designx.community/