Everything you need to know about becoming a UX researcher

Isn’t it strange how something can seem amazing to one person, but not so much to the next? It’s like when a friend recommends a movie to you, and you think… what do they see in this? It’s no big deal: You smile, thank them, and move on. Case closed. But for a UX researcher, it’s not so straightforward. 

That’s because websites can be just as subjective as movies: Great for one person, awful for another. The problem is, website visitors aren’t your friends. They won’t smile and pretend to be interested. They’ll click on something else — and when your business depends on them sticking around, it can be a problem. 

UX research is a job that focuses on preventing this. How? They get to know a website’s users inside out so the finished product is way better than a friend’s well-meaning suggestion.

In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into the world of UX research, including what a UX researcher does day-to-day and how you can become one.

What is a UX researcher?

First, a quick recap for those unacquainted with the term UX. 

UX is short for ‘User eXperience.’ What do we mean by this? Well, if you think about design, it’s all about how things look. But the thing is, a website is not an art installation; it’s a thing to be used.

UX design focuses on the look and feel of a website. By feel, we mean what it’s like to be in the driver’s seat. Does it run smoothly? Do pages load quickly? Is it easy to find your way around? And most importantly, does it solve a problem? This is all UX territory.

UX research is part of this process. A UX researcher studies a user’s motivations and behaviors (aka ‘user research’) so they can design experiences that answer their needs, including what they prioritize, how they think, and what they want.

Armed with that information, the designers are far better placed to create something their visitors will love. When it’s done correctly, it can have a huge impact on business.

What is the UX research process?

UX researchers are empathetic individuals who can step into the shoes of another person. They do this by listening and observing, and asking questions that can be turned into actionable steps.

They are able to think critically to understand a problem and then solve it. They’re also good communicators who can share their findings and insights with the wider team in a way that inspires them to create something amazing.

Here are some typical tasks a UX researcher will do:

• Define the research question
• Choose a method
• Recruit participants
• Data collection
• Analysis
• Present the findings

Let’s expand on those.

Define the research question

Every solid study starts with a clear, focused question. UX researchers work with product managers, designers, and other stakeholders to uncover what the team really needs to know. 

Are users struggling with onboarding? Is a new feature actually solving the problem it’s meant to solve? A well-crafted research question helps shape the direction of the study and ensures the insights you gather will be useful, not just interesting.

Choose a method

Once the question’s nailed down, it’s time to pick the right research tool for the job. UX researchers select methods based on the type of insight needed, the stage of the project, and practical factors like time and budget.

For example, if you want to explore user motivations early on, in-depth interviews or diary studies might be a good shout. If you’re testing a near-final design, a remote usability test could give you more actionable feedback.

Recruit participants

Who you talk to matters just as much as what you ask. UX researchers identify and recruit participants that reflect your target audience — whether that’s first-time users, power users, or people who’ve dropped off the map. 

Depending on the study, they might work with specialist recruitment platforms, set up screeners, or tap into existing user communities. The goal is to make sure you’re hearing from the right voices, not just the loudest ones.

Data collection and analysis

Data collection is part of the customer discovery process. During this stage, UX researchers conduct interviews, moderate user discussion studies, and help create surveys amongst other things. They then take all the data from these studies, extract insights, then turn them into actionable recommendations.

UX research and data collection are divided into two subcategories: qualitative research and quantitative research.

Quantitative research gives you the numbers; qualitative research adds the why. Together, they help you spot patterns, test assumptions, and build a clearer picture of your users — and how to design for them.

• Qualitative research consists of interviews, field studies, diary studies, focus groups, usability testing, and generative research (which often encompasses one or more of the former). You can ask participants in-depth, probing questions and receive personal, detailed answers in return. Because of the personal nature of these methods, it’s done on a small scale.

Qualitative research can be split further into three categories: attitudinal (i.e., where you listen to what people say, such as interviews and focus groups; and behavioral (i.e., where you observe users in action).

• Quantitative research is all about the numbers. It’s used to measure user behavior at scale — think surveys, analytics, A/B tests, and heatmaps. With larger sample sizes and structured questions, this method helps you identify patterns, validate assumptions, and uncover trends across your audience.

While it won’t tell you why people behave the way they do, it gives you solid evidence to support decisions. When paired with qualitative insights, you get both the big picture and the human nuance behind it — a powerful combo for smarter, user-centred design.

Insight presentations

UX research is about becoming the world’s leading expert in your target users and their needs, so you can incorporate these insights into the design process and create user-friendly products. 

Once the UX researcher has their insights, they present them back to the product team in an inspiring, engaging way. Customer journey maps and user personas are popular ways to bring the data to life and make the user feel more relatable.

In addition, a UX researcher will often be involved in planning strategies and mapping objectives that touch on every stage of the design process.

Where do UX researchers fit in the product development process?

Think of a website as being like a living, breathing thing — just like its users. It should grow and change with their tastes and needs. The design process reflects this: Once a website goes live, that’s not the end of the job. It should be tested and refined cyclically.

UX researchers touch every part of this process. They might begin with qualitative research to uncover a particular user’s needs. A little later on in the process, they might use quantitative research to test their results. They then might keep an eye on analytics to track performance to guide future iterations.

Nielsen Norman splits the process into four distinct phases, each with its own research approaches. It’s not a strict sequence, but a flexible cycle, and UX researchers play a key role at each step. 

1. Discover

This is the early investigation stage — when you’re trying to understand the problem space and user needs.UX researchers run generative research like user interviews, contextual enquiries, field studies, diary studies, and competitor analysis. The goal is to uncover pain points and goals.

Who they work with: Product managers, designers, and stakeholders to shape the direction of the project.

2. Explore

At this stage, teams begin generating and refining solutions. Researchers help identify which ideas are worth pursuing. They may conduct card sorting, concept testing, and collaborative workshops. These help define information architecture and assess early concepts. They might also create customer journey maps to visualize the process in more detail. 

Who they work with: Designers, content strategists, and engineers to shape features and flows.

3. Test

Now it’s time to validate the designs. UX researchers lead usability testing, A/B testing, and surveys to see how people interact with the product and where they get stuck. Or in other words, they assess usability. 

Who they work with: Designers and developers to tweak designs and improve the user experience.

4. Listen

Post-launch, the research doesn’t stop. Researchers continue to gather insights to guide future iterations.

They monitor analytics, run follow-up surveys, and conduct interviews to understand how the product performs in the real world

Who they work with: Product teams and customer support to identify new opportunities and keep improving.

What’s the difference between UX design and UX research?

UX design and UX research go hand in hand, but they focus on different parts of the puzzle.

UX researchers investigate. Their job is to ask the right questions, spot patterns in the data, and bring back insights that guide product decisions. They help the team build the right thing by making sure it’s grounded in real needs.

UX designers, on the other hand, create. They take those insights and use them to design intuitive experiences. That includes wireframes, prototypes, user flows, and visual layouts. 

TL;DR:

• UX researchers uncover what users need.
• UX designers turn those needs into solutions.
  

What’s the difference between UX research and user research?

The terms are often used interchangeably, and in many contexts, that’s totally fine. But technically, there is a difference.

User research is the broader term. It’s any kind of research focused on understanding users: their behaviors, needs, and so on. It can feed into product development, marketing strategies — anything that involves real people.

UX research is a subset of user research, focused specifically on how users interact with a product or service. It asks questions like:

• Can users navigate this app easily?
• Does this feature solve a real problem?
• What’s getting in the way of a smooth experience?
  

So while all UX research is user research, not all user research is UX research. UX researchers are laser-focused on improving the experience of using a product and ensuring design decisions are grounded in evidence, not guesswork.

Do you really need a UX researcher on your team?

If you want to build products that people genuinely want (not just what you think they want) a UX researcher can make all the difference. They bring the tools and methods to uncover real user needs and challenge assumptions before they turn into expensive mistakes.

Without one, research often falls to whoever has time. That might mean skipping it altogether, or rushing through it without much rigour. A dedicated UX researcher ensures your team makes decisions based on evidence, not guesswork.

They’re especially valuable on complex products, where user needs aren’t blatantly obvious, or when you’re designing for a new audience or market. But even in smaller teams, having someone focused on research — even part-time — helps you stay grounded in what matters most: the user.

How do you become a UX researcher?

Empathetic, critical thinkers are increasingly in-demand in the world of web design — and UX research is an expanding and exciting field. 

There’s no single pathway to becoming a UX researcher. It depends on where you are in your career. Generally speaking, there are four key steps:

1. Learn about UX research
2. Gain basic skills
3. Put together a portfolio to show off these skills
4. Network with others in the user research field

Let’s unpack these in a little more detail.

Learn about UX research

There’s a lot to take in… where do you begin? Reading blogs like this one is a good first step. There are also User researcher tutorials and videos and talks to learn from. 

Take in all you can about not just UX research, but everything that surrounds it — including UX design, types of research, popular research methods, and the key differences between web design and UX roles (they do get a bit blurred).

Meanwhile, job sites can help you find out things like salaries and responsibilities, working environments, and the types of companies that hire UX researchers.

Gain basic skills

If you want to start your career in UX research, you’ll need some foundation-level skills. Books and online resources are a good first stop. Here are some helpful sites to bookmark:

• Nielsen Norman Group
• UX Collective
• UX Mastery
• Inside Design
• UX Planet
• Airtable
• Smashing Magazine
• Interaction Design Foundation
• User Experience Research Professionals Association

As well as bulking up on information, it’s a good idea to get some practical, hands-on advice. There’s nothing quite like rolling your sleeves up and plunging in. 

If you’re already working with designers, ask one of the seniors if you can shadow them for a bit. They might even offer to be your mentor if you ask really nicely.

If you don’t have daily access to the world of design, you can offer your services as a volunteer. These gigs typically won’t pay, but it’s a good way to get some initial bits of work to start building your portfolio. 

You’ll also learn valuable skills on the job — something that future employers will look kindly upon. You can typically find volunteer gigs on job sites. You could also offer your services to a local non-profit.

Create a portfolio

Building a UX researcher portfolio is a must if you want to get your foot in the door. The work you choose should show the following things:

• A challenge you solved with research
• The research process you used to solve that problem
• The tools and techniques you used, and why
• The team you collaborated with
• The outcome

Network with your peers

Networking is a great way to find mentors, learn new skills, and potentially get your foot in the door of a new job. If you’re currently employed, chat to designer coworkers about tagging along to events or sitting in on meetings. You should also be able to find talks and career workshops near you (check Design Research Society and your local career events listings).

Online communities are also great places to network. Check out UX Mastery, Creativepool, and the Web Designer Forum for starters, as well as checking out Twitter, Quora, and Facebook for relevant discussions and groups. 

Why visual thinking matters in UX research

UX research is all about clarity — finding it, sharing it, and building on it. But as you gather more insights, map more journeys, and explore more ideas, things can start to get messy. That’s where visual tools come in.

Diagramming tools like Cacoo help UX researchers organize their thoughts, communicate findings, and collaborate with their teams in real time. Whether you’re sketching out a user journey or creating a stakeholder-friendly report, diagrams make your insights easier to understand and act on.

From affinity maps and personas to flowcharts and wireframes, Cacoo helps you connect the dots in a way that static documents can’t. And because it’s collaborative, everyone stays on the same page — no matter where they are in the process. Give it a try for free today! 

This post was originally published on February 10, 2021, and updated most recently on May 16, 2025.