UX Researcher
Expert-level user experience research for product decisions.
Core Competencies
- •Qualitative research methods
- •Quantitative research methods
- •Usability testing
- •Survey design
- •Data synthesis
- •Research operations
- •Stakeholder communication
- •Research ethics
Research Methods
Method Selection Matrix
| Method | Type | Sample | Time | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interviews | Qual | 5-15 | 2-4 weeks | Deep understanding |
| Surveys | Quant | 100+ | 1-2 weeks | Validation at scale |
| Usability Tests | Qual | 5-8 | 1-2 weeks | Design validation |
| Card Sorting | Qual | 15-30 | 1 week | Information arch |
| A/B Testing | Quant | 1000+ | 2-4 weeks | Feature optimization |
| Diary Studies | Qual | 10-20 | 2-4 weeks | Behavior over time |
| Analytics | Quant | All | Ongoing | Behavioral patterns |
| Ethnography | Qual | 5-10 | 4-8 weeks | Contextual understanding |
When to Use What
code
DISCOVERY PHASE ├── Stakeholder interviews ├── Competitive analysis ├── User interviews └── Contextual inquiry DEFINITION PHASE ├── Surveys (quantitative validation) ├── Card sorting └── Persona development DEVELOPMENT PHASE ├── Concept testing ├── Usability testing ├── A/B testing └── Preference testing LAUNCH PHASE ├── Beta testing ├── Launch surveys └── Analytics monitoring POST-LAUNCH ├── Customer feedback ├── NPS surveys ├── Behavioral analytics └── Support ticket analysis
User Interviews
Interview Planning
markdown
# Research Plan: [Study Name] ## Research Questions 1. [What are we trying to learn?] 2. [What are we trying to learn?] ## Hypotheses - [What we think we'll find] ## Methodology - 60-minute semi-structured interviews - Remote via Zoom - Recording with consent ## Participant Criteria **Include:** - [Criterion 1] - [Criterion 2] **Exclude:** - [Criterion 1] ## Sample Size - 8-12 participants - Segment distribution: [breakdown] ## Timeline - Recruiting: [dates] - Sessions: [dates] - Analysis: [dates] - Presentation: [date] ## Team - Lead researcher: [name] - Note-taker: [name] - Observers: [names]
Interview Guide
markdown
# Interview Guide ## Introduction (5 min) "Thank you for joining. I'm [name], a researcher at [company]. We're talking to people about [topic]. There are no right or wrong answers. We'll record this session. Is that okay?" ## Background (5 min) - Tell me about your role at [company]. - How long have you been doing [activity]? ## Current Behavior (15 min) - Walk me through how you currently [task]. - Probe: What tools do you use? - Probe: Who else is involved? - What's the hardest part about [task]? - Tell me about a recent time when [problem]. ## Pain Points (10 min) - What frustrates you most about [process]? - If you could change one thing, what would it be? - What workarounds have you developed? ## Concept Testing (15 min) [if applicable] - [Show concept] What's your first impression? - How would you expect this to work? - What questions do you have? - Would this solve your problem? Why/why not? ## Wrap-up (5 min) - Is there anything else you'd like to share? - Any questions for me? - May we follow up if we have more questions? ## Post-Interview - Thank you email - Compensation processing - Note consolidation
Note-Taking Template
markdown
# Interview Notes Participant: P[#] Date: [date] Researcher: [name] Duration: [time] ## Key Quotes > "[Quote about pain point]" > "[Quote about behavior]" ## Observations - [Body language, hesitations] - [Emotional reactions] ## Pain Points Identified 1. [Pain point] 2. [Pain point] ## Needs Identified 1. [Need] 2. [Need] ## Surprises - [Unexpected finding] ## Follow-up Questions - [Question for next interview]
Usability Testing
Test Plan
markdown
# Usability Test Plan ## Objectives - Measure task completion for [feature] - Identify usability issues - Validate design decisions ## Methodology - Moderated usability testing - Think-aloud protocol - 45-minute sessions ## Participants - 5-8 participants - [Criteria] ## Tasks ### Task 1: [Task Name] **Scenario:** "Imagine you need to [context]..." **Task:** "[Specific action to complete]" **Success Criteria:** - [ ] [Criterion 1] - [ ] [Criterion 2] ### Task 2: [Task Name] **Scenario:** "[Context]" **Task:** "[Action]" **Success Criteria:** - [ ] [Criterion 1] ## Metrics - Task completion rate (target: 80%+) - Time on task (baseline: X seconds) - Error rate - SUS score (target: 70+) - Task-level satisfaction (1-5) ## Materials - [ ] Prototype link - [ ] Task script - [ ] Recording consent - [ ] Pre-test questionnaire - [ ] Post-test questionnaire (SUS)
Severity Rating Scale
| Severity | Description | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Not a problem | None |
| 1 | Cosmetic | Fix if time |
| 2 | Minor | Low priority fix |
| 3 | Major | High priority fix |
| 4 | Catastrophic | Must fix before launch |
Findings Template
markdown
# Finding: [Title] **Severity:** [0-4] **Frequency:** [X/N participants] **Description:** [What happened during testing] **Evidence:** - P1: "[Quote]" - P3: "[Quote]" **Screenshot/Video:** [Link] **Impact:** [Effect on user experience] **Recommendation:** [Suggested fix]
Survey Design
Survey Structure
code
1. SCREENER (2-3 questions) - Qualification criteria - Segment identification 2. CORE QUESTIONS (10-15 questions) - Topic 1: [3-4 questions] - Topic 2: [3-4 questions] - Topic 3: [3-4 questions] 3. DEMOGRAPHICS (3-5 questions) - Role/industry - Company size - Experience level 4. OPEN-ENDED (1-2 questions) - "Anything else to share?"
Question Types
Rating Scales:
code
Likert (Agreement): Strongly disagree → Strongly agree Satisfaction: Very dissatisfied → Very satisfied Frequency: Never → Always Importance: Not important → Very important NPS: 0-10 likelihood to recommend
Best Practices:
- •Use consistent scale direction
- •Include "Not applicable" option
- •Randomize option order where appropriate
- •Limit matrix questions
- •Test on mobile
Sample Size Calculator
code
For 95% confidence, 5% margin of error: Population → Sample Needed 100 → 80 500 → 217 1,000 → 278 5,000 → 357 10,000 → 370 100,000 → 383 1,000,000 → 384
Data Synthesis
Affinity Mapping
code
STEP 1: Individual notes on sticky notes STEP 2: Group similar notes together STEP 3: Name the groups (themes) STEP 4: Identify patterns across groups STEP 5: Prioritize by frequency/impact Theme 1: [Name] Theme 2: [Name] ├── Finding A ├── Finding D ├── Finding B ├── Finding E └── Finding C └── Finding F
Insight Development
code
OBSERVATION → INSIGHT → IMPLICATION Observation: "Users click the help icon frequently on the checkout page" Insight: "Users are confused about shipping options during checkout" Implication: "Redesign shipping section with clearer labels and defaults"
Research Report Structure
markdown
# Research Report: [Study Name] ## Executive Summary - [Key finding 1] - [Key finding 2] - [Key recommendation] ## Background - Research questions - Methodology - Participants ## Key Findings ### Finding 1: [Title] - Evidence - Quotes - Impact ### Finding 2: [Title] ... ## Recommendations | Finding | Recommendation | Priority | Owner | |---------|----------------|----------|-------| | [#1] | [Action] | High | [Team] | ## Appendix - Participant demographics - Full task results - Survey responses
Research Operations
Research Repository
code
research/ ├── 2024/ │ ├── Q1/ │ │ ├── checkout-usability/ │ │ │ ├── plan.md │ │ │ ├── guide.md │ │ │ ├── notes/ │ │ │ ├── recordings/ │ │ │ └── report.md │ │ └── onboarding-interviews/ │ └── Q2/ ├── templates/ ├── participant-database/ └── insights-library/
Participant Management
yaml
participant_criteria: - active_user: true - account_age: ">90 days" - not_contacted: "last 90 days" compensation: - 30_min_interview: $50 - 60_min_interview: $100 - survey: $10 - diary_study: $200 scheduling: - tool: Calendly - buffer: 15 min - max_per_day: 4
Reference Materials
- •
references/research_methods.md- Method deep dives - •
references/survey_design.md- Survey best practices - •
references/synthesis.md- Analysis techniques - •
references/ethics.md- Research ethics guide
Scripts
bash
# Interview transcript analyzer python scripts/transcript_analyzer.py --folder transcripts/ --themes themes.yaml # Survey analyzer python scripts/survey_analyzer.py --responses responses.csv --output report/ # Usability metrics calculator python scripts/usability_metrics.py --results test_results.json # Insight database updater python scripts/insight_db.py --add finding.md