What I wish I knew starting out as a UX Researcher
Looking back to the time when I started out as a UX researcher, I wish someone had told me more about this role. I ended up learning these from various jobs, projects, mistakes and time in the field. Hopefully, this article makes you think, reflect and make small changes to how you work as a researcher. It doesn't matter where you are in your career journey. Even I have to remind myself to apply these points. It is very easy to move into executor or reactionary mode, in face of deadlines or when the pressure from work is high. Photo by Gabriella Clare Marino on UnsplashUnderstand your goals and responsibilitiesThere is a job description for the role you might end up getting. However, often there’s a lot beyond that you will need to figure out when starting your job. A lot may be very implicit so doing research on the role itself once you join is important.
Be a player, not a victimI was introduced to this video by Fred Kofman recently and found the mind shift really helpful. Do things happen to you or do you have some involvement in it? It helps to be proactive in your career and job. It won’t be like school or higher education where things get handed to you in a neat package. A lot of it is figuring things out for yourself and influencing once you have done that.
Multitask like a UX Researcher - it’s not what you thinkIt’s come to light that multitasking wasn’t as productive as we once thought it was. Yet, there is something to be said on knowing how to stack your time or plan accordingly. Use time when you’re waiting on details or another dependency to get things going.
Apply critical thinking generously and think like a scientistOne of the ways a UX researcher can add value is because we are objective parties in projects. Often we are not measured nor rewarded by confirming what people want to hear. Lean into that and question various aspects of the project such as the assumptions and problem definition.
Good research work isn’t important in itself - impact, reach and styleThis is related to understanding roles and responsibilities. Research isn’t about just doing and writing up the research. It’s about making sure it gets used and implemented. It should be easy to access, understand and be memorable.
Gain good organisation skills and keep using themThis seems basic on the surface. When there are competing research deadlines and tasks which can be energy and focus intense, it is important to be able to manage this well. The sooner you can implement these skills the better.
Always be learning and have a growth mindsetAs one gets older the time and effort spend on improving may plateau. It’s important to ensure that every day you are learning on the job somehow. It may not be obvious but it is important to reflect on this daily.
Review your past projects with stakeholders - what should you start, stop and continue? 👋 We’re trying to improve our content. Please give us one-click feedback.Did you learn something new? 😎 Already knew everything 🗓 Upcoming events[Conference] Magnify Conference - October 5-7 & 12-14 (UK based) [Conference] EPIC - October 11-15 & 18-21 (US based) [Conference] UXinsight Unfolds 2021 - November 11 (Europe based) [Online presentation] UX Research Repository Trips and Tricks: A Panel Discussion - October 20 (US) [Online presentation] WUD World Usability Day 2021 Dallas - November 11 (US) If you liked this post all about UX Research, Product, Design, career, why not share it? |
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