You’re transitioning from UX Design to UX Research. What are the most important things to consider?

1 Assess your strengths and gaps

Before you dive into UX research, you need to have a clear idea of what you already know and what you need to learn. UX research is not just about conducting interviews or surveys; it’s also about planning, framing, analyzing, and communicating research. You might have some experience with these aspects from your UX design background, but you might also need to deepen your knowledge and practice your skills. For example, you might be familiar with usability testing, but you might need to learn more about contextual inquiry, ethnography, or card sorting. You might have some intuition about users’ problems, but you might need to develop more empathy and curiosity. You might have some tools for creating wireframes or prototypes, but you might need to explore more tools for collecting and organizing data. To assess your strengths and gaps, you can use a self-assessment tool, such as the UX Research Skills Framework, or ask for feedback from a mentor, a peer, or a manager.

3 Build your portfolio and network

As a UX researcher, you will need to showcase your work and skills to potential employers, clients, or collaborators. A portfolio is a great way to demonstrate your research process, methods, results, and impact, as well as your personal style and vision. A portfolio should include not only the final deliverables, such as reports, presentations, or artifacts, but also the context, objectives, challenges, and learnings of each project. A portfolio should also reflect your personality and passion, and highlight your unique value proposition as a UX researcher. A network is another valuable asset that can help you advance your career and learn from others. A network can include people from different backgrounds, disciplines, industries, or locations, who share your interest in UX research. A network can provide you with opportunities, feedback, support, or inspiration. To build your network, you can attend events, join communities, participate in discussions, or reach out to people online or offline.

4 Keep learning and growing

UX research is a dynamic and evolving field that requires constant learning and growth. As a UX researcher, you will encounter new problems, questions, methods, tools, and trends, and you will need to adapt and improve your skills and knowledge. To keep learning and growing, you need to have a growth mindset, which means that you embrace challenges, seek feedback, learn from mistakes, and celebrate successes. You also need to have a learning plan, which means that you set goals, identify resources, track progress, and evaluate outcomes. You also need to have a learning habit, which means that you dedicate time and energy to learning, and apply what you learn to your work. By keeping learning and growing, you can stay relevant and competitive in the UX research field, and enjoy your journey as a UX researcher.