How Different Research Lenses Can Result in Different Outcomes

When examining a business problem or new product idea, what are the advantages or disadvantages of hiring a UX researcher (UXR) vs. market researcher (MR)? How are these disciplines different? How are they the same?

Strategies for Avoiding Uncomfortable Situations During UX Research Sessions

Picture yourself in the following scenarios… How might you react if a research participant said something racist, was almost naked from the waist down on Zoom, suddenly burst into tears, or was morally offended by the choice of snacks provided by the research facility?  Or… what if one of your observers started flirting with one … Continue reading “Strategies for Avoiding Uncomfortable Situations During UX Research Sessions”

How to Conduct an Open Card Sort Analysis Using Miro

Open card sort analysis is part science, part art. The raw data will tell you generally how people group and organize items, but luckily, UXers have a little creative license when writing the exact right label for each category. If you’re a visual learner or want to experiment with a different way (other than Excel) … Continue reading “How to Conduct an Open Card Sort Analysis Using Miro”

16 Tips for Conducting 100-Person Focus Groups and Brainstorm Sessions in Zoom

Recently, I co-facilitated four 100-person focus groups and two 100-person brainstorm sessions using Zoom web conferencing software—and learned some important lessons.

Evaluating UX Research Plans & Reports

Need to provide critical feedback on a UX research plan or UX findings report for a colleague? Or maybe you’d like to self-assess your own work and improve your process?

When to Use Which UX Research Deliverable

UX research encompasses all types of research activities: user research, competitive research, stakeholder or subject matter expert interviews, audits, analytics, and other information sources—with the goal of helping organizations understand how to better serve their users. Think beyond the traditional research report! Below is a list of UX research deliverables you can use to help … Continue reading “When to Use Which UX Research Deliverable”

Takeaways from My 2020 QRCA Conference Talk: UX Research Is Not a Synonym for Usability Testing

In January 2020, I spoke at the 2020 QRCA Conference in Austin, Texas. The name of my talk was “UX Research Is Not a Synonym for Usability Testing.” The inspiration for my talk actually came to me immediately while attending the 2019 conference… Sometimes when I introduced myself as a UX researcher to another qualitative … Continue reading “Takeaways from My 2020 QRCA Conference Talk: UX Research Is Not a Synonym for Usability Testing”

28 UX Research Deliverables

If you haven’t guessed by now, I love making lists. And as a maximizer, I’m always looking for new ways to grow as a researcher and strategist—whether it’s new research methods or techniques, reasons to invest in UX, or ways to communicate my research findings. Are you looking for ways to deliver research insights more … Continue reading “28 UX Research Deliverables”

Gain a Bird’s Eye View of the User Experience

Want to understand what the user experience is really like from the perspective of a customer? The data collected from web/app analytics, CES, VOC text analytics, video analytics, and session replays can show us where customer problems lie, but they don’t tell us why. To inform your design decisions with deep, in-context insights, there are … Continue reading “Gain a Bird’s Eye View of the User Experience”

Non-User Research Methods to Add to Your UX Research Toolbox

Surprise! Not all UX research methods include users. There are other ways to inspect or understand the user experience without observing or talking to people. Supplement your user research with the following.