By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader User experience (UX) research often generates valuable insights, but connecting those insights directly to business outcomes remains a challenge for many organizations. Without clear key performance indicators (KPIs), UX efforts risk being seen as abstract or disconnected from company goals. This post explains how to build KPIs that link UX research to measurable business impact, helping teams demonstrate the value of their work and guid

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Creating a clear and actionable UX research roadmap every quarter is essential for teams aiming to improve user experience effectively. Without a structured plan, research efforts can become scattered, priorities unclear, and outcomes less impactful. This guide walks you through the process of building a quarterly UX research roadmap that aligns with business goals, addresses user needs, and drives meaningful design decisions. A UX resea

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Aligning research goals with business goals is essential for companies that want to make informed decisions and drive meaningful growth. When research efforts connect directly to what a business aims to achieve, the results become more actionable and valuable. This post explains how to create that alignment clearly and practically. Researcher analyzing data charts to align goals Understand the Business Goals Clearly Before setting resear

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader User experience (UX) research shapes how products and services meet real user needs. When done well, it drives better design decisions, improves satisfaction, and boosts business outcomes. Yet many UX research efforts fall short because they lack a clear foundation. Building a high-impact UX research practice requires focus on five key pillars that guide every step from planning to delivery. This post breaks down those pillars and offers

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Executive leaders face constant pressure to make decisions that drive business success. They rely on clear, reliable information to guide product development, customer experience, and strategic planning. UX research can provide this information, but only if it meets the specific needs of these leaders. Understanding what executive leaders truly want from UX research helps teams deliver insights that influence decisions and create real im

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Ambiguous problem statements often block progress in research projects. When the problem is unclear, teams struggle to focus their efforts, wasting time and resources. Turning vague questions into clear, strategic research objectives is essential for meaningful results. This post explains how to break down unclear problems and build focused research goals that guide effective investigation. Transforming unclear problems into clear resear

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader When every task in UX research seems urgent and important, deciding where to focus can feel overwhelming. Teams often face tight deadlines, multiple stakeholder demands, and a long list of potential research questions. Without clear priorities, research efforts can scatter, wasting time and resources while missing critical insights. This post offers practical strategies to help you prioritize UX research effectively, ensuring your work d

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader User experience (UX) research often gets boxed into the role of a service team that delivers usability tests or user feedback on demand. This limits its potential and undervalues the insights it can provide. To truly benefit from UX research, organizations need to position it as a strategic partner that shapes product direction, business decisions, and customer understanding. This post explores how to shift the perception of UX research

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader User experience (UX) research often struggles to make a real impact on product decisions. Teams collect data, run surveys, and conduct interviews, but the insights rarely translate into meaningful changes. The problem is not the research itself but how the strategy is built and integrated into the product development process. This post explains how to create a UX research strategy that drives clear, actionable decisions and improves your

Philip Burgess – UX Research Leader Exploring AI + UX Research to shape better human experiences Why Strategy Matters in UX Research UX research is more than usability tests and surveys—it’s a strategic function that shapes how organizations understand customers and make decisions. Without a clear strategy, research risks becoming a series of disconnected projects that struggle to influence product direction. A strong UX research strategy ensures that insights are relevant, t

By Philip Burgess - UX Research Leader Why Ethics of AI in UX Research Matters AI is reshaping how we conduct UX research — from automated transcription and sentiment analysis to predictive modeling of user behavior. While these tools bring speed and scale, they also introduce new ethical challenges. UX researchers must ensure that automation doesn’t come at the expense of consent, privacy, or participant trust. Key Ethical Challenges Informed Consent : Are participants fully

Why ROI Matters More Than Ever In an era where AI is accelerating workflows and budgets are under constant scrutiny, UX researchers are being asked the same question more often: what’s the measurable business impact of our work?  Demonstrating the ROI (Return on Investment) of UX research is no longer optional — it’s essential for securing executive buy-in, scaling research programs, and proving strategic value. Traditional ROI Challenges in UX Research Intangible outcomes :

As user expectations accelerate and product cycles compress, traditional research methods are giving way to continuous feedback loops. Here's how to build a research practice that keeps pace with modern product development.

As users seamlessly move between devices and platforms, UX researchers must evolve their strategies to capture insights across the entire user journey. Here's how to build research frameworks that work in our multi-device world.

By Philip Burgess - UX Research Leader AI is no longer a buzzword in UX research—it’s becoming part of the toolkit. From auto-summarizing interviews to clustering survey responses, AI promises speed and efficiency. But here’s the catch: AI should augment human insight, not replace it. The real power lies in combining the scale and speed of AI with the empathy, curiosity, and contextual understanding that only humans bring. AI and UX Research Strategy: Why AI Alone Falls Shor

By Philip Burgess - UX Research Leader When you share research findings with executives, you’re not just presenting data—you’re competing for attention in a world of financial reports, roadmap debates, and urgent fires. A 50-slide deck packed with numbers might check the box, but it won’t spark action. That’s where storytelling as strategy  comes in. Storytelling transforms findings from facts into memorable, influential narratives  that stick with leaders long after the meet

By Philip Burgess - UX Research Leader Every product team needs direction. Just as navigators use the North Star to stay oriented on long journeys, UX researchers need a guiding vision that ensures every study contributes to the bigger picture. Without it, research risks becoming scattered—reacting to requests instead of strategically driving impact. Why a North Star Matters in UX Research Prevents Random Acts of Research Without a guiding vision, teams often jump into ad-hoc

By Philip Burgess - UX Research Leader For many organizations, UX research is synonymous with usability testing. It’s the familiar, tactical method: put a prototype in front of users, observe their struggles, and fix obvious issues. While useful, this narrow focus misses the strategic potential of UX research —to shape product direction, align stakeholders, and reduce risk long before designs hit the screen. It’s time to shift from UX Research Tactics to Strategy Why Staying

By Philip Burgess - UX Research Leader When an organization grows, so does the demand for research. Suddenly, it’s not just a handful of product teams asking for insights—it’s dozens of teams, across multiple regions, each needing reliable evidence to guide design and business decisions. Without structure, research becomes fragmented, inconsistent, and hard to operationalize. Scaling UX research isn’t about doing more studies ; it’s about building systems that ensure quality,

By Philip Burgess - UX Research Leader We’ve all been there: you finish a research project, craft a beautiful report, share it with stakeholders—and then… silence. The findings are appreciated, but they don’t translate into decisions, design changes, or business impact . The truth is: a research report isn’t the end of the work.  It’s the bridge  between evidence and action. To be influential, reports must not only inform  but also inspire and direct . Why Research Reports Of