When I first started working on improving website performance, I focused mainly on design tweaks and A/B testing. But I quickly realized that without understanding how users actually interact with a site, those changes often missed the mark. That’s when I turned to UX research as a foundation for conversion rate optimization (CRO). The results transformed how I approached improving user experiences and boosting conversions. In this post, I want to share how UX research can d

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader When I first started working in user experience, I was thrilled to see positive trends in our metrics. Every report showed growth: higher engagement, better task completion rates, and improved satisfaction scores. It felt like we were on the right path. But over time, I realized that when all metrics improve simultaneously without clear reasons, it often signals a problem rather than success. This phenomenon is called metric inflation,

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader When I first started as a UX researcher, I thought my job was to find answers. I believed that by asking direct questions, I could quickly uncover what users wanted or needed. But I soon realized that the real skill lies in leading with questions —not to get immediate answers, but to guide users into sharing deeper insights. This approach transforms interviews and usability tests from simple Q&A sessions into rich conversations that reve

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Getting a promotion in UX research can feel like a challenging goal. I remember feeling stuck early in my career, wondering what I needed to do to move up. Over time, I discovered that securing a promotion isn’t just about doing your job well; it’s about showing growth, leadership, and impact in ways that matter to your team and company. Here, I’ll share practical strategies that helped me advance in UX research and can help you too. UX

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader When I first started working on UX projects, I often faced tight deadlines that pushed me to choose fast research methods. These quick approaches promised rapid insights, but I quickly learned they came with tradeoffs that affected the quality and depth of the findings. Over time, I found ways to balance speed and reliability, helping me make better design decisions without sacrificing user understanding. In this post, I want to share wh

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader When I first started working in UX research, the methods we relied on felt straightforward: interviews, surveys, usability tests. But as technology and user expectations evolve, so do the ways we understand and improve user experiences. Over the next five years, some research methods will become more important, while others will need to adapt or fade away. I want to share what I see as the most valuable UX research methods that will shap

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader When I first started working with product teams, I noticed a common problem: the way UX research metrics and business KPIs were handled often caused confusion and misalignment. Teams would focus heavily on UX data without connecting it to business goals, or they would chase KPIs without understanding the user experience behind the numbers. This disconnect slows progress and leads to missed opportunities. In this post, I want to share wha

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader When I first encountered Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA), I was struck by how much it reveals about the hidden mental steps experts take during complex tasks. Unlike traditional task analysis, which focuses on observable actions, CTA digs into the thought processes behind decisions. This approach has transformed how I understand expert performance, especially in fields where decisions must be quick, accurate, and based on deep knowledge. C

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader When I first started working in user experience, I often found myself overwhelmed by the wealth of qualitative data collected from interviews, usability tests, and open-ended surveys. These rich stories and observations revealed what users felt and thought, but I struggled to translate them into numbers that could guide design decisions or measure progress. Over time, I learned how to turn those qualitative insights into clear, trackable