By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Research today moves faster than ever, and artificial intelligence plays a key role in helping scholars, scientists, and students manage data, analyze results, and generate insights. Choosing the right AI tools can save time, improve accuracy, and open new possibilities in research. This post highlights some of the best AI tools available in 2025 that are worth using for various research tasks. Researcher working with AI software on lapt

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader User experience (UX) research is essential for creating products that truly meet user needs. Recently, artificial intelligence (AI) tools have become popular for speeding up data analysis and generating insights. While AI offers clear benefits, relying too heavily on it in UX research can lead to serious pitfalls. This post explores why depending too much on AI can harm the quality of UX research and what researchers should keep in mind

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader User experience (UX) research relies on clear, accurate insights to shape products that truly meet user needs. As artificial intelligence (AI) tools become more common in UX research, they offer powerful ways to analyze data and uncover patterns. Yet, AI can also introduce errors that reduce the quality of research findings. Avoiding these mistakes is essential to maintain trust in your UX insights and build better user experiences. This

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader User experience (UX) researchers face growing challenges as AI tools become part of their daily workflow. Crafting effective AI prompts can unlock powerful insights, speed up analysis, and improve design decisions. Yet, many UX researchers struggle to write prompts that deliver clear, relevant, and actionable results. Mastering the right AI prompt frameworks can transform how you gather and interpret user data. This post explores 10 esse

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader The rise of artificial intelligence has transformed many fields, including user experience (UX) research. AI tools can analyze large datasets, identify patterns, and even generate user insights faster than ever before. Yet, despite these advances, the future of UX research depends heavily on human skills that AI cannot replicate. Understanding why these skills remain essential helps UX professionals prepare for a future where technology

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader User experience (UX) design is evolving rapidly, and one of the biggest questions today is how much of this work will be done by artificial intelligence. Agentic AI, which can act independently to complete tasks, is advancing quickly. Some experts predict that it could replace up to 50% of UX tasks in the near future. This shift will change how designers work and what skills they need. Let’s explore what this means for UX design and how

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader User experience (UX) research is essential for creating products that truly meet user needs. With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), many UX research tasks are evolving. AI tools can now handle data collection, analysis, and pattern recognition faster than ever. Yet, some parts of UX research still require human insight, empathy, and creativity. This post explores which UX research tasks AI will automate and which ones will remain

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader User experience (UX) research has always been a vital part of designing products that truly meet user needs. As technology advances, the methods and tools used in UX research evolve as well. Artificial intelligence (AI) is set to change the way UX researchers gather, analyze, and apply data by 2026 and beyond. This transformation will make research faster, more accurate, and more insightful, ultimately improving how products connect with

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Cognitive walkthroughs offer a powerful way to evaluate how users interact with a product or system. They focus on understanding the user's thought process as they complete tasks, helping designers spot usability problems early. This method is especially useful for improving software interfaces, websites, and other interactive systems where user experience matters. Person conducting a cognitive walkthrough on a digital interface What Is

When designing a product or interface, identifying usability problems early can save time and resources. One effective method to find these issues is heuristic evaluation. This technique involves experts reviewing a product against established usability principles to spot problems that might confuse or frustrate users. Understanding heuristic evaluations helps teams improve user experience before launching or updating a product. Expert conducting heuristic evaluation on a web

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Preference testing plays a crucial role in understanding what people like and why they make certain choices. Whether you are developing a product, designing a website, or creating content, knowing your audience’s preferences helps you make better decisions. This post explores what preference testing is, how it works, and practical ways to apply it effectively. Person choosing between two product samples What Is Preference Testing? Prefer

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Card sorting is a simple yet powerful technique used to organize information in a way that makes sense to users. It helps designers, developers, and researchers understand how people group and label content, which improves website navigation, app menus, and overall user experience. This post explores what card sorting is, how it works, and practical ways to use it effectively. Cards sorted into categories on a wooden table What Is Card S

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Understanding how users navigate complex information is a challenge for many designers and researchers. One effective method to evaluate this is the Tree Test . This technique helps uncover how easily people find information within a website or app’s structure. If you want to improve your site’s navigation or organize content more clearly, a Tree Test offers valuable insights. Diagram showing a website's navigation tree structure What Is

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Cultural probes offer a unique way to explore people's lives, thoughts, and environments. They provide rich, personal insights that traditional research methods often miss. This post explains what cultural probes are, how they work, and why they matter for designers, researchers, and anyone interested in understanding human behavior. A notebook with handwritten notes and sketches from a cultural probe activity What Are Cultural Probes? C

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Eye-tracking technology reveals where and how people look at visual information. This insight helps understand attention, perception, and decision-making in ways that words alone cannot explain. Whether used in research, design, or healthcare, eye-tracking offers a window into human behavior by capturing eye movements with precision. Eye-tracking device capturing eye movements How Eye-Tracking Works Eye-tracking systems use cameras and i

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Imagine testing a new product or feature without building the full technology behind it. This is exactly what Wizard-of-Oz testing allows teams to do. It offers a way to explore user reactions and gather feedback early in the design process by simulating functionality with human intervention behind the scenes. Wizard-of-Oz testing is a valuable method for product designers, developers, and user experience researchers who want to validate

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader User experience (UX) design shapes how people interact with websites, apps, and digital products. But how do designers know which version of a design works best? A/B testing provides a clear answer by comparing two versions of a design to see which performs better. This method helps UX researchers make decisions based on real user behavior instead of assumptions. Comparing two webpage designs in A/B testing What Is A/B Testing in UX? A/B

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Unmoderated usability testing has become a powerful tool for product teams aiming to understand how real users interact with their products. Unlike traditional moderated sessions, this approach allows users to complete tasks independently, providing authentic insights into user behavior. This post explores how unmoderated usability testing can improve product development by offering practical benefits, real-world examples, and tips for e

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Understanding how users interact with a product is essential for creating intuitive and effective designs. Moderated usability testing offers a direct way to observe users, gather feedback, and uncover issues that might otherwise remain hidden. This method involves a facilitator guiding participants through tasks while observing their behavior and reactions in real time. The insights gained can lead to meaningful improvements that enhanc

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Understanding your customers’ experiences is key to improving products, services, and overall satisfaction. One of the most practical ways to gain this understanding is through journey mapping workshops. These workshops bring teams together to visualize the customer’s path, identify pain points, and find opportunities for improvement. This post explores how to run effective journey mapping workshops that lead to meaningful results. Journ