The theory and practice of making technology accessible to users has undergone revolutionary changes since the advent of the consumer internet. In this talk, I explore what these changes mean for the practice of user experience design and, more specifically, for the role of the research disciplines in creating innovative new technologies. What are the assumptions about the role of research to the creation of technological innovations? How have these assumptions changed over time, and what does that mean for us today? While changes technological changes have transformed expectations around the role of experience design, such changes have resulted in a completely new role for research, one that must be managed in ways that take into account the new landscape of technology-driven products and services.