Tools, Intro Courses, Practices for UX Researchers

Tools 

UX Research is a craft which requires the use of a variety of tools to maximize its value. The most common tools for UX Researchers are the following:

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• SurveyMonkey: A powerful survey tool for creating, managing and conducting surveys with large amounts of data.

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• Voxpopme: A video-based platform designed to capture and share opinions and feedback instantly.

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• Qualtrics: A comprehensive survey platform enabling researchers to measure important user data and gather insights.

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• HotJar: A website heat mapping tool which gives an understanding of user experience.

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• User Testing Tool: A platform to conveniently and affordably test websites, applications, product prototypes and more.

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Intro Courses

Although tools are a crucial part of UX Research, it’s equally important to understand the theoretical and practical aspects of the craft.

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Intro courses typically cover topics such as:

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• Understanding human behaviour 

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• Designing effective research plans 

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• Succeeding in interviews with users 

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• User personas development

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• Understanding user journey 

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• Analyzing user data

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These topics prepare students for more advanced areas of UX Research. 

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Practices

After understanding UX research theory and getting familiar with the most popular tools, it’s important to practice the discipline to ensure that all of the concepts are applied correctly.

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The main practices for UX Research are: 

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• Environmental observation, 

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• User interview and questionnaire design, 

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• Benchmarking,

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• Participatory design,

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• A/B testing.

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These practices should be adapted to the client's demands but never lost sight of the fact that the goal should always be to identify user needs and design solutions that meet them.

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Designers that help 

Designers play a key role in helping researchers synthesize, interpret, and communicate user data. Having an experienced designer with knowledge of user-centered design trends can be a great asset. These designers help to 

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• Capture user feedback and turn it into actionable design decisions 

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• Create experiences which are tailored to user needs 

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• Translate research data into user personas and user stories 

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• Create interactive design components 

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• Develop prototypes and test them with users. 

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Designers help research teams to visualise and present their results in a way that’s both informative and accessible to stakeholders.