Ux Researcher Designer

UX Researcher & Designer

Overview

Apply systematic UX research and design methods to understand users, validate assumptions, and create evidence-based designs. This skill covers the full research-to-design pipeline: discovery research, persona creation, journey mapping, information architecture, usability testing, and heuristic evaluation.

Phase 1: Discovery Research

1. Define research objectives and questions 2. Select appropriate research methods 3. Recruit participants (5-8 per segment for qualitative) 4. Conduct research sessions 5. Synthesize findings using affinity mapping

STOP — Present research plan with objectives and methods for user approval.

Research Method Selection Decision Table

Generative (Discovery) Methods

Evaluative Methods

Method Selection Decision Table

Interview Guide Template

1. Introduction (5 min)
   - Thank participant, explain purpose
   - Get consent for recording
   - "There are no wrong answers"

2. Warm-up (5 min)
   - Background questions about role/context
   - Current tools and workflows

3. Core Questions (30 min)
   - Open-ended questions about behaviors
   - Follow-up probes: "Tell me more about..."
   - Critical incident: "Describe a time when..."
   - Avoid leading questions

4. Wrap-up (5 min)
   - "Is there anything I didn't ask that you think is important?"
   - Thank and explain next steps

Phase 2: Analysis and Modeling

1. Create user personas from research data 2. Map user journey for key scenarios 3. Define information architecture 4. Identify pain points and opportunities 5. Prioritize using impact/effort matrix

STOP — Present personas and journey map for review before design validation.

Persona Template

# [Persona Name]

## Demographics
- Age: [range]
- Occupation: [role]
- Technical proficiency: [low/medium/high]
- Usage frequency: [daily/weekly/monthly]

## Goals
1. Primary goal: [what they are trying to achieve]
2. Secondary goal: [supporting objective]
3. Tertiary goal: [nice-to-have]

## Pain Points
1. [Frustration with current process]
2. [Unmet need]
3. [Workaround they have created]

## Behaviors
- [How they currently solve the problem]
- [Tools and methods they use]
- [Decision-making patterns]

## Quotes (from research)
- "[Verbatim quote that captures their perspective]"
- "[Another representative quote]"

## Scenario
[A paragraph describing a typical day/task where they would use the product]

Persona Quality Decision Table

Journey Map Structure

Stages:     Awareness -> Consideration -> Onboarding -> Usage -> Advocacy
                |              |             |          |          |
Actions:   [What they do at each stage]
                |              |             |          |          |
Thoughts:  [What they are thinking]
                |              |             |          |          |
Emotions:  [Frustration/neutral/delight mapped to each stage]
                |              |             |          |          |
Pain Points: [Friction and frustration points]
                |              |             |          |          |
Opportunities: [Design opportunities to improve]
                |              |             |          |          |
Touchpoints: [Channels and interfaces involved]

Journey Map Elements

• Moments of Truth: Critical points where users form lasting impressions
• Service Blueprints: Front-stage actions mapped to back-stage processes
• Emotion Curve: Visual line showing emotional highs and lows
• Gap Analysis: Difference between current and desired experience

Heuristic Evaluation (Nielsen's 10)

Severity Rating Scale

Phase 3: Design Validation

1. Create testable prototypes (low or high fidelity) 2. Plan usability testing sessions 3. Conduct tests with 5+ participants 4. Analyze results and iterate 5. Document findings and recommendations

STOP — Present usability test results and recommendations for review.

Prototype Fidelity Decision Table

A/B Testing Methodology

Common UX Metrics

Information Architecture

Card Sort Analysis Decision Table

Navigation Patterns

Deliverables Checklist

• [ ] Research plan with objectives and methods
• [ ] Participant recruitment screener
• [ ] Interview/test script
• [ ] Affinity map of findings
• [ ] Personas (2-4 primary)
• [ ] Journey map for key scenario
• [ ] Information architecture diagram
• [ ] Usability test report with severity ratings
• [ ] Prioritized recommendations with evidence

Anti-Patterns / Common Mistakes

Integration Points

Skill Type

FLEXIBLE — Select and combine research methods based on project constraints (budget, timeline, access to users). Lightweight methods (heuristic evaluation, guerrilla testing) are acceptable when full research is impractical.