As a UX researcher, you can balance traditional and tech-savvy methods by leveraging a mixed approach to data collection. The key is triangulation - using multiple research methods to validate findings. This approach allows you to: - Collect both quantitative and qualitative data - Cross-reference insights from different sources - Ensure comprehensive user understanding Tip: Utilize tools like Notion, Slack, Miro, Figma, and Google Docs to enhance research collaboration and data management. By combining traditional human-centered techniques with advanced digital tools, you'll create a robust, holistic UX research strategy.

Balancing traditional and tech-savvy methods in UX research involves combining the strengths of both approaches to gather comprehensive insights. Traditional methods like interviews and focus groups offer deep, qualitative understanding, capturing emotions and context. Tech-savvy tools like surveys, heatmaps, and analytics provide scalable, quantitative data. To balance these, match methods to research goals. Use traditional techniques for exploring user motivations and tech-savvy tools for measuring behaviors or trends. Integrate findings to uncover patterns and validate insights. This hybrid approach ensures richer data and better-informed design decisions, enhancing the overall user experience.

Considering the accelerated rate of change with (AI) tooling, it’s important not to get caught up by ‘shiny toy syndrome’. On a fundamental level, the triangulation of quantitative and qualitative data from real users remains the most robust, integral form of evidence available to researchers - ‘tech savvy’ will always be a tempting pull, but new tools need to be screened and assessed before their blind adoption. Progress is a constant, but its best placed when it emerges from the other side of practitioner screening and assessment.

Here are some ways I merge traditional UX research with new-age tools: User Interviews: I use AI-Powered transcription and analysis tools like Otter.ai, Fireflies.ai to help automate note-taking, extract themes, and analyze sentiment, making reviewing virtual user interviews easier to process. Usability Testing: I use tools like Maze for testing to get heatmaps, click tracking, and real-time session recordings to capture user behavior while interacting with my prototypes. Focus Groups: I use platforms like Miro and FigJam focus groups to organize remote focus group sessions allowing participants to contribute in real time.