UX Researcher: Career Path

UX research is a growing field that is becoming increasingly important in today's digital age. As more businesses and organizations seek to improve their digital products and services, the demand for UX researchers has been steadily increasing.

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What does the UX Researcher career path entail?

UX Researcher

UX research is a challenging and intellectually stimulating career that requires a range of skills and expertise, including critical thinking, data analysis, and creativity. It offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on people's lives by improving the usability and accessibility of products and services. Finally, the field of UX research is constantly evolving, meaning that there is always something new to learn and explore, making it an exciting and rewarding career path for those interested in human behavior and technology.

Best books to explore the UX Research career path.

A well-written and thorough book can be an amazing path to build deeper understanding and also act as a handbook as you discover the internet's vast resources.

These are our and our experts top picks to get started building career-relevant skills.

The User Experience Team of One

The User Experience Team of One

The User Experience Team of One prescribes a range of approaches that have big impact and take less time and fewer resources than the standard lineup of UX deliverables. Whether you want to cross over into user experience or you're a seasoned practitioner trying to drag your organization forward, this book gives you tools and insight for doing more with less.

Just Enough Research

Just Enough Research

Good research is about asking more and better questions, and thinking critically about the answers. Done well, it will save your team time and money by reducing unknowns and creating a solid foundation to build the right thing, in the most effective way.

Erika Hall distills her experience into a guidebook of trusted research methods you can implement right away, no matter what size team you're on or budget you're working with. Learn how to discover your competitive advantages, spot your own blind spots and biases, understand and harness your findings, and why you should never, ever hold a focus group. You’ll start doing good research faster than you can plan your next pitch.

User Research: Improve Product and Service Design

User Research: Improve Product and Service Design

User experience research, also known as UX research, focuses on understanding user behaviours, needs and motivations through a range of observational techniques, task analysis and other methodologies. User Research is a practical guide that shows readers how to use the vast array of user research methods available. Written by one of the UK's leading UX research professionals, readers can benefit from in-depth knowledge that explores the fundamentals of user research.

UX Research: Practical Techniques for Designing Better Products

UX Research: Practical Techniques for Designing Better Products

One key responsibility of product designers and UX practitioners is to conduct formal and informal research to clarify design decisions and business needs. But there’s often mystery around product research, with the feeling that you need to be a research Zen master to gather anything useful. Fact is, anyone can conduct product research. With this quick reference guide, you’ll learn a common language and set of tools to help you carry out research in an informed and productive manner.

Think Like a UX Researcher

Think Like a UX Researcher

Think Like a UX Researcher will challenge your preconceptions about user experience (UX) research and encourage you to think beyond the obvious. You’ll discover how to plan and conduct UX research, analyze data, persuade teams to take action on the results and build a career in UX. The book will help you take a more strategic view of product design so you can focus on optimizing the user’s experience. UX Researchers, Designers, Project Managers, Scrum Masters, Business Analysts and Marketing Managers will find tools, inspiration and ideas to rejuvenate their thinking, inspire their team and improve their craft.

Building User Research Teams ( Advanced )

Building User Research Teams ( Advanced )

Starting or growing a research team? Upgrade your UX Research and make successful products. Successful products require good decisions. Good decisions need good information. User researchers run robust and repeatable studies to find that information, but they need some tools and support to get started.

Research Practice: Perspectives from UX researchers in a changing field ( Advanced )

Research Practice: Perspectives from UX researchers in a changing field ( Advanced )

While other research books offer standard operating procedures, this book provides something more durable in the real world. It’s a practical field guide that will give you the encouragement to get started, no matter what your background. Research Practice captures the day-to-day of the practice of user research—what it looks like to work with peers and stakeholders, to raise awareness of research, to make tradeoffs, and to build a larger team. This book takes you inside the field of applied user research through the stories and experiences of the people doing the work. Each chapter explores a specific theme:

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Courses to deepen your UX Research skills.

These days, courses are no longer a sequence of videos. They are usually accompanied by projects and a learning community, keeping you accountable and on the path.

Our experts recommend these courses, from free selections to paid programs.

Conduct UX Research and Test Early Concepts

Conduct UX Research and Test Early Concepts

Conduct UX Research and Test Early Concepts is the fourth course in a certificate program that will equip you with the skills you need to apply to entry-level jobs in user experience (UX) design. In this course, you will learn how to plan and conduct a usability study to gather feedback about designs. Then, you will modify your low-fidelity designs based on insights from your research.

UX Research for Beginners

UX Research for Beginners

Welcome to your UX Research for Beginners Course. In the following six tutorials, you'll get a thorough introduction to UX research, from its definition, areas and origins through to the skills you need to build a professional portfolio and become a UX researcher. Each UX research tutorial consists of a video introduction, comprehensive text, interactive quiz and an optional practical task. Let's get started!

User Experience Research and Design Specialization

User Experience Research and Design Specialization

Integrate UX Research and UX Design to create great products through understanding user needs, rapidly generating prototypes, and evaluating design concepts. Learners will gain hands-on experience with taking a product from initial concept, through user research, ideation and refinement, formal analysis, prototyping, and user testing, applying perspectives and methods to ensure a great user experience at every step.

NN/g UX Certification

NN/g UX Certification

Prove that you successfully completed UX training. With a customizable curriculum and flexible schedule, NN/g's UX Certification has helped thousands of professionals build UX skills or start their careers.

Becoming a UX Strategist

Becoming a UX Strategist

As the User Experience profession continues to mature, new and exciting career opportunities are emerging. In this course we’ll explore the developing role of the UX Strategist. We’ll look at how it’s different from other UX roles. We’ll map out who UX Strategists typically work for and collaborate with. We’ll also review emerging standards, skills, and knowledge UX Strategists need to master in order to achieve success.

Get the guidance you need on the UX Researcher career path

There is no better source of accountability and motivation than having a personal mentor. What used to be impossible to find is now just two clicks away! All mentors are vetted & hands-on!

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I look forward to helping you reach your career goals: supporting you in the challenging situations you'll encounter as a UX professional, starting in UX management, broadening your UX research methodology toolkit, strengthening your stakeholder management skills, and developing your UX storytelling and research presentation skills. I have over 20 …

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Hi there! My name is Jeremy, and I am a Principal UX Researcher with a decade of experience in the industry. With a unique blend of expertise in UX research and a strong foundation in Neuroscience, I am passionate about understanding the intricacies of human behavior to design impactful, user-centered …

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With over 20 years of hands-on experience, I have worked in start-up, agile, agency and enterprise orgs. My journey includes: * Establishing UX Research practices from scratch * Growing and maturing a UX Research team * Creation and maintenance of research libraries and insights for retrieval * Deep experience with …

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Hello future mentee! If you are looking for someone who knows about starting a business, corporate UX research, or SAS sales then look no more. I am passionate about innovation, especially in the fields of education and healthcare and have a deep knowledge of new and emerging technologies. If you …

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I'm not your typical UX researcher! I transitioned from the world of finance, armed with a strong work ethic and a thirst for user-centricity. This, coupled with my Master's in Human-Computer Interaction Design, set me on a path to success in the exciting field of UX research. My journey has …

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Hello! I am a HCI/UX researcher passionate about building systems or products that are meaningful to the users. I am a UX Researcher 2 at Microsoft working on Azure products. I completed my Ph.D. in Information Science at the College of Computing and Informatics at Drexel University, Philadelphia. During my …

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Growing into a Senior UX Researcher role pays off – $26,000 up to per year.

Not only is the progression from individual UX Researcher to a Senior role a natural progression, it also makes all the difference in your average salary.

On a global average, Senior UX Researcher receive a $26,000 salary hike over entry-level UX Researchers when they go from individual contributor to senior personnel.

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Related career paths

If you like UX Research careers, you might also be interested in these other career paths.

Get the help you need & advance your career

Pursuing a career in UX research can be a smart choice for those who are passionate about improving user experiences in the digital world. As the demand for UX research continues to grow, this career path offers ample opportunities for personal and professional growth, as well as the chance to make a positive impact on society.