Making the jump from being a hands-on UX researcher to managing a UX research team changes everything. It is not just a new job title but a shift in how you think, what you focus on, and how you measure success. Instead of producing research yourself, your role becomes about helping your team deliver their best work and shaping the bigger picture. This change can feel overwhelming at first. The skills that made you a great researcher are still important, but now you also need

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader When product owners doubt the value of UX research, teams often face roadblocks that slow progress and reduce product quality. UX research provides critical insights into user needs, behaviors, and pain points. Without it, products risk missing the mark, leading to wasted resources and frustrated users. This post explores common challenges when product owners undervalue UX research and offers practical ways to address them. Team collabor

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Mentoring and coaching junior UX researchers plays a crucial role in shaping the future of user experience design. As the demand for skilled UX professionals grows, organizations must invest in developing new talent who can navigate complex research challenges and deliver meaningful insights. This post explores practical ways to support junior researchers, helping them build confidence, sharpen skills, and contribute effectively to proje

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Creating products that truly meet user needs while keeping pace with fast development cycles remains a challenge for many teams. Agile development has transformed how products are built by emphasizing flexibility and quick iterations. Yet, without integrating user experience (UX) research effectively, teams risk delivering features that miss the mark. Combining Agile with UX research helps teams build better products faster by continuous

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader User experience (UX) research has always been a vital part of designing products that meet user needs. Yet, traditional methods often involve time-consuming data collection and analysis, which can delay insights and decision-making. Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing this landscape by offering faster, more precise ways to understand users and improve their interactions with digital products. This post explores how AI is transformin

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Usability testing is a key step in creating products that people find easy and enjoyable to use. It involves observing real users as they interact with a product to identify problems and areas for improvement. This process helps teams build better designs, reduce errors, and increase user satisfaction. Understanding the different methods of usability testing, the benefits it brings, and the right moments to apply it can transform how pro

User experience (UX) research plays a crucial role in designing products that truly meet users’ needs. Yet, many teams struggle to decide which type of research to conduct at different stages of product development. Two main approaches—formative and summative UX research—serve distinct purposes and offer unique insights. Knowing when and how to use each can save time, reduce costs, and improve product success. This post breaks down the differences between formative and summat

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Creating a product that looks good on paper is one thing. Making sure it works well for real users is another challenge entirely. Usability evaluation methods help bridge this gap by testing how actual people interact with a product. This process reveals issues that designers and developers might miss, ensuring the final product is intuitive, efficient, and satisfying to use. Understanding these methods is essential for anyone involved i

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Understanding how users interact with products is essential for creating effective and intuitive designs. Task analysis and modeling methods offer UX researchers a structured way to break down user activities, identify pain points, and design solutions that fit real user needs. This post explores key task analysis techniques and modeling methods used in UX research, providing practical insights and examples to help you apply them effecti

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader User experience research often focuses on digital interactions, but understanding users requires looking beyond the screen. Ethnographic methods offer a way to observe and engage with people in their natural environments. This approach reveals insights that traditional usability tests or surveys might miss. By exploring how users behave, think, and feel in real-life contexts, UX researchers can design products that truly fit users’ needs

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader User experience (UX) research aims to create products that fit users’ needs and environments. One key to achieving this is understanding the context of use —the conditions and situations in which users interact with a product. Without this insight, designs risk missing the mark, leading to frustration or abandonment. This post explores the main methods UX researchers use to uncover context of use, why they matter, and how they shape bett

By Philip Burgess – UX Research Leader UX research delivers the insights that shape intuitive, impactful products—but even the best...

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Recruiting the right participants for UX research can make or break the success of a project. Without genuine user insights, teams risk building products that miss the mark. Yet, finding and engaging suitable participants often proves difficult. This post explores practical strategies to recruit UX research participants, highlights common challenges, and reviews tools that can simplify the process. User research recruitment form on lapto

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Choosing the right sample size in UX research can make or break your study’s success. Too few participants might lead to unreliable results, while too many can waste time and resources. Finding the balance is essential to gather meaningful insights that truly reflect user behavior and preferences. UX researcher reviewing user data on laptop Why Sample Size Matters in UX Research Sample size affects the accuracy and reliability of your fi

By Philip Burgess – UX Research Leader What It Covers For each key UX method below, you'll find: Definition Usage context  (when to use)...

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader UserZoom has become a key tool for companies aiming to improve their digital experiences. It offers a range of features designed to gather user feedback and analyze behavior, helping teams make informed decisions. This post explores what UserZoom offers, how it benefits organizations, and practical tips for getting the most out of it. UserZoom dashboard showing user experience metrics What Is UserZoom and Why It Matters UserZoom is a pla

By Philip Burgess – UX Research Leader Pros of UserTesting.com Extensive Participant Pool. UserTesting boasts over 1.5 million vetted participants across approximately 40 countries—making it easier to target specific demographics worldwide.  playbookux.com +9Devzery Latest+9Lyssna+9 Broad Testing Capabilities. The platform supports diverse testing methods—usability, A/B, card sorting, tree testing, clickstream tracking—across both moderated (Live Conversations) and unmodera

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Servant Leadership often brings to mind images of someone standing at the front, directing the team with authority. Yet, my experience as a UX Research Manager has taught me that leading from behind can be far more powerful. Embracing the role of a servant leader has reshaped how I guide my team, foster collaboration, and deliver meaningful user insights. This post shares my journey, practical lessons, and the impact of servant leadershi

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader User experience (UX) research shapes how products and services meet real user needs. To design meaningful experiences, understanding users through research is essential. UX research splits into two main approaches: qualitative and quantitative. Each offers unique insights, and mastering both helps create well-rounded, user-centered designs. This post explores key techniques in qualitative and quantitative UX research, showing how to appl

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Design is more than just making things look good. It’s about making products easy to use, intuitive, and enjoyable. The key to achieving this lies in understanding how people think and behave. Cognitive science offers valuable insights into human perception, memory, and decision-making. By applying these insights, designers can create interfaces and experiences that feel natural and reduce user frustration. This post explores some of the