Usability plays a crucial role in user experience (UX) research. It directly impacts how easily and effectively users can interact with a product or service. When usability is strong, users feel confident, satisfied, and more likely to return. Poor usability, on the other hand, leads to frustration, errors, and abandonment. This post explores what usability means in UX research, highlights its key principles, and offers practical advice to improve it. Understanding Usability

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 Understanding how users organize information is key to designing intuitive websites, apps, and products. Card sorting is a simple yet powerful method to uncover how people group content, helping designers create clear navigation and structure. This post explores different types of card sorting, practical tips, and best practices to get the most from this user research technique. Person organizing cards during a card sorting exercise What

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 UX research is more than a toolkit—it’s a mindset. It’s the discipline that helps teams understand users, reduce risk, and design with empathy. But great research doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built on rigor, clarity, and collaboration. Whether you're scaling a global practice or conducting a single usability test, these best practices will help you deliver insights that matter—and drive decisions that stick. 1. Start with Clear Objec