UX research is an essential part of UX design. It implies a thorough study of a digital product's target audience by collecting and analyzing data about users, their needs and expectations, their ways of interaction with the product, and the ways the product can be improved and refined to provide the best user experience possible. All these tasks lay on the shoulders of UX researchers – professionals who systematically investigate user behavior and conduct data analysis. Let's discuss which skills are required to become a UX researcher and what responsibilities this job carries, as well as how to start a career as a researcher if you’ve just graduated and don’t have much experience.
Soft and hard skills a UX researcher should have
Since UX researchers' work includes dealing both with user emotions and numerical data, they are required to have a set of soft and hard skills to perform their job effectively.
Soft skills for UX researchers include:
Communication. UX research involves a lot of communication with users, other members of the UX design team and stakeholders. Researchers must be able to communicate clearly and present information in an engaging manner.
Cooperation. Research is a part of a bigger process, where researchers must constantly cooperate with designers, managers and other team members to find mutual solutions and work on major tasks shoulder to shoulder.
Persistence. UX researchers can stumble upon unexpected challenges through the working process, so persistence and problem-solving skills is a must.
Flexibility/Educability. UX design is constantly evolving, so researchers need to be flexible in their approach to work and be able to quickly adapt to new emerging tools, methods and dynamics in order to stay competitive and provide modern up-to-date solutions.
Hard skills for UX researchers include:
Surveys/user interviews. Surveys and user interviews are the most common methods of UX research, so it's a researcher's job to hold insightful conversations with users and analyze obtained data with the help of corresponding tools.
Usability testing. Testing how users interact with the product and finding issues that need to be fixed is the most essential part of UX research. Researchers must know how to operate tools for usability testing and analyze obtained info.
Quantitative research. UX research is largely tied to data analysis, which makes it essential for researchers to be able to work with datasets and analytical tools.
Teamwork tools. To share their research data with the other UX team members, researchers must be familiar with the most commonly used collaboration platforms that help store, organize and share data in various forms.
AI research tools. In the past few years, the popularity of AI-powered tools for research and data analysis is rising, which makes it a new requirement for the researchers to master the work with these tools or at least be able to promptly learn them on demand.
Everyday responsibilities of UX researchers include:
Conducting qualitative research through surveys, interviews and other methods of getting feedback from users;
Conducting analysis of the collected data to find out any issues that need to be improved;
Presenting research findings to the other UX team members to find the best solutions for the product;
Presenting the chosen solutions to the stakeholders;
Proceeding further research process as the product continues to evolve, taking users feedback into consideration.
Tips for starting a career as a UX researcher
Despite the fact that UX design is a relatively young field that has a high demand for new specialists, a novice researcher might stumble upon some difficulties when starting a career. Lack of experience, not enough interesting projects in a portfolio and other factors can make a person doubt their professional potential and lead to various failures at job interviews. This problem is particularly acute for people who studied remotely, since they didn’t have a chance to make acquaintances with UX specialists and learn from their experience in reality. Here are some tips that can be useful in starting a UX researcher’s career.
Learn how to work with at least 1-2 research tools. Pursuing a career in UX research, you should definitely know how to work with at least a couple software tools for research and data analysis. Each company might have its own requirements regarding the knowledge of certain tools, but knowing 1-2 basic programs is what’s needed for the start. On that basis, it will be easier for you to master any other tool that the company requires. Without that, your chances of getting a job are very low, even if you have perfect theoretical knowledge.
Volunteer to take part in UX projects. A great way to gain some experience in UX is through volunteering, since UX teams often search for volunteer participants that will use beta-versions of their product and then take part in user interviews. Volunteering as a participant in such projects is a great way for a novice researcher to see UX work processes from the inside and to learn more by watching professionals do their job. Taking part in such projects will also help you build up ties with people from the UX sphere and potentially find a company you want to apply for a job in.
Get your experience by doing internship at UX companies. Оne of the main issues for people who are searching for a job right after graduation or while studying is that they lack working experience, which often turns HR managers off. One of the best ways to solve this problem is to go through an internship at UX companies. Internships usually last for a couple months, and you can do it while studying. Not only will it give you an insight of what it’s really like to work in a UX team, it will also give you something to mention in the “experience” column of your resume.
Create a good portfolio. Having a portfolio is very important for a UX researcher, since it demonstrates your best projects and your experience to HR managers and clients. In the start of your career it’s okay to fill the portfolio with small projects that you’ve done when studying or doing internship, since you haven’t yet worked on major projects. But make sure that you include only well-done projects that show you in good light as a professional.
Build connections in the UX world. Networking plays a huge role in any professional area. The more UX-related specialists you know personally, the higher chances are for you to get invited to a UX position in a good company or to find trustworthy clients. Communicating with people with similar interests will also help you stay in touch with the trends of the industry, which change constantly. So make sure to track down all the UX events happening in your area and take part in them. Such events can include conferences, meet-ups, talent fairs, IT exhibitions, seminars, etc.
Conclusion
UX researchers play one of the key roles in shaping a high-quality digital product that provides seamless user experience. Apart from affording ground to make a significant impact in the product development, the job of a UX researcher also has positive long-term prospects, like competitive salary and a space for career growth. Studying and working in research is a great way to gain more experience in the UX field as a whole, build more professional connections and join new professional communities.