What are the best ways to enhance your UX research skills as an engineer?

1 Learn the basics

Before embarking on UX research, it’s important to have a solid understanding of the core concepts and methods. To get started, you can read books, blogs, or podcasts that cover the basics of UX research. This includes topics such as defining research goals, choosing the right research methods, recruiting and interviewing participants, analyzing and presenting findings, and measuring the impact of research. A few recommended resources are The User Experience Team of One by Leah Buley, Just Enough Research by Erika Hall, UX Research by Brad Nunnally and David Farkas, User Research for Designers by Steve Portigal, and The User Research Podcast by Andy Budd and Gerry McGovern.

2 Practice on real projects

If you want to sharpen your UX research skills, you should put them into practice on real projects. Consider conducting UX research within your current or past projects, or volunteer for some pro bono or personal projects that interest you. Additionally, you can join online communities or platforms that connect UX researchers with clients or collaborators, such as User Interviews, User Testing, User Zoom, User Crowd, and User Research Rocks.

3 Get feedback and mentorship

In order to further develop your UX research skills, you should seek feedback and mentorship from other UX researchers. Ask for feedback on research plans, questions, reports, or presentations from peers, colleagues, or managers. Additionally, find a mentor who is more experienced in the field to guide you through the process, share their knowledge and tips, and help you tackle any obstacles or doubts. Mentorship is available through UX Research Mentorship, the UXPA Mentorship Program, the IxDA Mentorship Program, UX Coffee Hours, and UX Research and Strategy.

4 Keep learning and exploring

Staying up to date with the latest trends, tools, and techniques in UX research is an essential part of the job. Experimenting with new methods that suit your project needs can be beneficial. Additionally, you should broaden your perspective and knowledge by learning from other disciplines such as psychology, sociology, anthropology, or data science. To stay informed and explore the field of UX research, you can take online courses or workshops, attend webinars or events, read books and blogs, or join online or local groups or communities. Examples include Coursera, Udemy, Skillshare, Interaction Design Foundation, UX Research and Strategy, Mixed Methods, UXinsight, UX Collective, UX Planet, UX Mastery, UX Research Weekly, UX Research Collective, UX Research Slack, or Meetup.