LARGE SCALE FIELD RESEARCH | ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENTS | 2026
iConnections Global Alts: Research at Scale
Research built for speed, scale, and better product decisions
ROLE
UX Research
TIMELINE
2025, 2026
SCOPE
Mixed-method
research strategy
RESEARCH BUILT TO ADAPT
When product teams are moving quickly, user research needs to adapt without losing rigor and depth.
The approach should fit the questions, the situation, and the decisions the team needs to make.
Mixed-method UX research can combine quick activities with in-depth user interviews and product testing, helping teams spot patterns faster, understand what is behind them, and make clearer decisions about what to focus on.
At iConnections, I applied this model to the Global Alts, turning major international alternative investor events into pop-up research labs where we could study thousands of fund managers and allocators within a matter of days.
RESEARCH BENEFITS
This research model made it possible to combine breadth, depth, and product evaluation within days.
We could explore underlying behaviors through user interviews, see whether patterns appeared across a much larger group, iterate on concepts, and put emerging product ideas in front of users.
At iConnections Global Alts, UX research examined where the product created real value, what drove disengagement, what users needed to rely on the platform, and where product investment could have the greatest impact.
DESIGNING THE RESEARCH LAB
The research lab is designed as a flexible space where multiple studies could run in parallel, with different formats for interviews, product testing, and rapid feedback.
The setup made it possible to match each participant to the right activity while keeping the research experience simple and efficient.
1. Multi-station research architecture
iConnections had a dedicated product pavilion where we created the research lab for different types of learning: user interviews, card sorting activities, and usabilitiy testing. The principle was simple: design the environment around the research question and the participant's available time.
2. Activities designed for short participation windows
A participant that only has 10 minutes available simply can't be compressed into a 45-minute interview. I designed card sorting activities that allowed participants to rapidly make choices, rank priorities, or map workflows, then used targeted follow-up questions to understand the reasoning behind those decisions. This gave us both sides of the evidence:
- What patterns are emerging across participants?
- Why are people making those choices?
3. Flexible research participation
Research was matched to attendees relevance, role, and available time. Participants with more time could join deeper interviews or product testing, while others could contribute through shorter, focused activities or rapid feedback. This increased research coverage while keeping participation lightweight and relevant.
4. Team collaboration
Research at this scale required clear roles across research, product, design, customer teams, and event operations. I defined how teams supported facilitation, recruiting, observation, and logistics, while research maintained ownership of study design, evidence capture, and synthesis. Daily debriefs across teams helped surface and triangulate emerging patterns, identify gaps, and determine what needed to change. The result was a model where more people could contribute to research and learn together, while maintaining rigor and quality.
RESEARCH THAT SHAPES PRODUCT DIRECTION
This research model is designed for moments when the opportunity to learn is bigger than a traditional study can capture.
It can adapat across conferences, field studies, customer events, launches, and other compressed research environments. At iConnections' Global Alts, that meant turning a few days of access into a large-scale research program.
The broader value is a research system that helps organizations see beyond individual requests, connect patterns across the business, challenge assumptions early, and make better decisions about where to place product investment.