How to Become a UX Researcher: the ultimate UXR career guide

[@AonaTalks]

New to UXR and excited about a research career? I have curated a beginner-friendly UXR playlist to help you get started: kzbin.info/aero/PLUA21SVW4Bwi6MQ8VUiKT-VvMy-4Cztqv

[@AonaTalks]

Hey yall! Thank you for entering my giveaway and I am happy to announce that the 2 winners for the 1:1 coaching sessions are @RuthMcDougal and @RenataGegaj who commented below! For those who didn't win but also wanted to sign up for career mentorship sessions, I am launching something new very soon... so stay tuned for my updates on my channel and IG! Best regards, Aona

[@despotized]

Hi Aona! I've been binge-watching your youtube videos like crazy. As a fellow international student, you give me hope that I can also become a UX Researcher like you. Thank you so much for doing this, you've been a great help and a great resource to me. I'd love to see more videos explaining how you do User Interviews and other UX research methods in more detail.

[@tiffany3255]

i’d love to see you go into an example of a at-home UXR project using one of the methods you said. i’m an EE right now trying to pivot into this field. :)

[@ChatgptKorea-vy4pz]

Your approach to explaining things aligns perfectly with the characteristic style of a great UX researcher. Impressive! Greetings from Seoul.

[@inaaracharolia1513]

It might be interesting to see you do reviews or feedback on some of your follower’s portfolios or resumes - I’ve seen other channels like Flux do this for UX Design and it’s super helpful! I love your content by the way - I’m currently a senior preparing for UXR interviews and your videos have been a huge help in easing my nerves 😅

[@kennedyariel6536]

This was so helpful! I am working on my PhD in psychology, and I’m hoping that reading books on UX, listening to podcasts, and watching videos will help me gain enough understanding to land an internship next summer. Do you think this is enough to gain a better understanding of the field?

[@AonaTalks]

Nothing is never enough :P But you are definitely doing the right things so keep it up :) One thing though - enough "understanding" is not what will get you that internship, enough "practice" will. Good luck!

[@kennedyariel6536]

Haha yeah, that’s true :) Well that’s reassuring to hear! And that totally makes sense. I’ll keep looking for ways in my school and daily life to practice. Thank you :)

[@nukiolbartes6279]

0:26 the peak from audio track.. its the amplitude..

[@lauradunn8941]

the best ux video ever! Instead of leaving with anxiety I leaving with healthy confidence and transparent information. than your aona!

[@m1y912]

Thank you for sharing. I would love to learn more about how to communicate effectively in cross-functional teams.

[@anushrevazyan4001]

Hi Aona! So happy that I found this chanel! As an international student who changed several fields of study (and gained interest in UX Research) and three countries (and finally got to US!) I find your videos extremely helpful! Thank you so much for your work! I’d love to see more videos of your personal experience and maybe some special cases that you think might be educational from UXR!

[@mahsabakhshaei6017]

That's a great idea, Aona! Keep up the good work. One topic you might want to talk about would be how we can create time for interview prep while we have a full time job. Thank you!

[@megalaughs89]

That's a good idea. I don't have a full-time job yet. However, I am a student writing my dissertation so I think it will help me as well.

[@isteph0802]

I would love to learn more about stakeholder management - tips and tricks, where we usually fall low and how can we succeed. Especially when it comes to PM relationship and roadmap! Thanks for the great work and inspiration :)

[@amandachloe8987]

Yes I totally agree because I find that often stakeholders are not aware enough about research being just usability studies. And often the value and impact is questioned.

[@isteph0802]

@@amandachloe8987 Totally agreed. From my experience, sometimes user research findings do impact the way stakeholders think about project/products/users, but more frequently, decisions on the roadmap are made and UXRs are not invited at the table... so how can we take a lead and inviting ourselves? :)

[@AonaTalks]

@@amandachloe8987 This has always been a big topic and a constant battle!

[@chloeng7169]

I'd like to learn more about how to engage with stakeholders, involving more team members (other than UXRs) to the research process! :)

[@mrunal8598]

Hello Aona! I come from psychology research background and feel a little lost when it comes to portfolio. This video helped a lot, gave me more confidence. Hope to learn more from you. Joining the UXR fraternity soon.

[@דנהסרגייב]

What a great video! I am actually a teaching assistant at our college in UXR course, I check students project and grade them, and somehow I didn’t think to use the structure of the tasks myself and do some more projects myself! 😆 Thank you! I will do some research now🙏

[@baekhapx133]

Hi Aona, I stumbled upon your channel while researching for UXR and they have been SO incredibly helpful, informative, and reassuring. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us!! 🙏

[@rakshandakulkarni5293]

Hi Aona, I am really liking your content for helping all the UXR's out there and for the career guidance, I have 2 years of internship experience as Innovation Intern and have helped my team with UX activities, now I want to full time transit into UX as researcher or designer (Well I am still confused) and I don't have my graduation in UX or design but engineering. I am learning UX from Interaction design foundation and also had applied in Udemy to learn Adobe Illustrator parallelly I am also giving interviews for UXR and UX Designer and working on making a good portfolio to start my career in UX. I hope I will be able to nail it as you have done! You are quite a inspiration out there :)

[@arnoldmurrayca]

Great video! I’d love to hear more about how UXR can span across different industries and what industries you think would benefit from UXR (such as the companies/organizations you mention in the pro bono section of this video)

[@kellietruesdell4117]

Hi, Aona! I'd love to hear more about how to keep research projects from scope creep, and in what situations it is acceptable to allow the scope to change. As I've been doing projects in grad school I find it important to keep the project goals and team-focused, instead of losing sight of what we initially set out to study.

[@kimberleyg3177]

Great advice! I've watched most of your UXR videos and have found them super helpful :) One thing I'd like to see next is a bit about mentorship and how someone outside of the field might be able to find a mentor to help them get into the UX/tech world.

[@AonaTalks]

Hey Kimberley! I am sorting through the comments here and thought I can quickly answer this question here. Several ways: Find UXR groups or mailing lists on MeetUp and ask if anyone wants to take on a mentee; websites like UX Coffee Hours or ADPlist also have lots of volunteered mentors that you can select and talk to. Ive also found going to conferences is a good way to find mentors. (e.g. the recent UXRConf is a good one!)

[@MeriemRichetti]

Super helpful thank u for sharing your knowledge ❤

[@suddu1016]

Thanks. Currently pursuing a bsc in psychology with marketing minor. I have been considering this path

[@amberdelotsang1440]

Hi Aona! I am super passionate about finding happiness in what one does + work-life balance. I would love to hear about how you de-stress, engage in self-care, and if there are any intentional activities (e.g., gratitude journalism, relishing, celebrating good news, practicing flow, etc.) you do to maintain happiness as someone working in a busy and demanding industry/career.

[@AonaTalks]

OMG this is always the no1 i want to share on my channel! The stress is real and i have a video planned soon. Thank you for calling this out!!

[@lvleo82]

First of all, thank you for this great content! I would like to learn more about how to be a UX Research team of 1. I find myself interviewing for many orgs who are hiring their first UXR.

[@olivia-in-progress17]

Cool tip on the clapping! I am looking into UXR just now after 5+ years as an Executive Assistant. Looking at job descriptions, it is discouraging with the 3-7 years of experience required.. but thanks for your tips!!

[@edithdeng2415]

Learning how to "apply" research practice/methods to current role (that is not in research) to read as experience (to qualify for a job/mentorship/program in research)!

[@Chaos3183]

Thank you very much. This makes me really excited to start looking into career field

[@yuhezhou1332]

Thank you Aona! I'd love to see more contents about step by step usability testing case studies in your next videos!

[@riley8060]

Super helpful! Thanks a lot.

[@vikasshrivastavenigma]

Loved the video , i would love to learn about heuristic evaluation

[@shivamarora3960]

I'd like to know more about quantitative and qualitative research and also looking forward for the recommendation about the online courses

[@exonnkemchor5373]

Hey Aona. Thank you so much for making this video. I’m so glad I stumbled on your LinkedIn a few days ago. I’ve been hooked ever since I come from a background in logo & brand design with my core strengths in brand strategy. People intrigue me, so my interest lie predominantly in UX research as it lets me understand how users experience & interact with brands & products. I want to transition into UXR, so with my background, can you please share the online UX research boot camps that would be perfect for me to begin a career in UX research. Thank you.

[@hellogoodbye4794]

Thanks for your videos Aona! I would like to learn more about how to approach the technical interview. I went through a PM interview process once and was overwhelmed by how much info there is on frameworks for responding to case study questions (CIRCLES method, etc.). Research interviews can demand response to similar hypotheticals, but aspiring UXRs don't have the same types of frameworks for guiding their responses. I would also love to see a mock interview!

[@ATIRA]

Thank you so much for sharing! I'd LOVE to learn more about mixed methods research and how to best prepare and impress your interviewers during a virtual onsite interview.

[@gatornbruno]

Hi Aona! This is actually the most helpful and organized UXR career guideline video I’ve ever watched! Thank you so much💕 And I’d love to learn more about mixed methods user research, especially how quantitative and qualitative methods are combined and blended in UXR:)

[@oju7526]

Hi Aona! I would love to learn more about the product design cycle and how your work fits into it, especially how you manage strict/quick timelines while prioritizing high-quality research.

[@lianabroaddus6155]

Thank you for this informative video!! :) I really appreciated that you gave examples of different ways to approach portfolio creation with no prior experience. I would love for you to do a video on the importance of presentation and storytelling skills, as well as ways to practice!

[@tayhulse]

Hey Aona! So happy to have found your channel. Would love to see a video on stakeholder management :)

[@SimplyShanique]

Hi Aona!! Aspiring UXR here, and your video was amazing and super helpful! I took lots of notes :) I would love to learn a little bit more about interview prep and mixed-methods!

[@AonaTalks]

On the note of mixed-methods - my new video on Survey Science is now LIVE - watch here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYvUn2Ste7V8bJY

[@melissac7803]

this was soooooooo helpfull! what are some ux bootcamps that you recommend? please and thank you!!

[@tamaadhetama5388]

thank you for the knowledge! very clear explanation :D

[@edwinchukwuebuka895]

Thank you so much for this It was very helpful and informative Time to put it all into action❤️

[@JessicaColleenSheehy]

Hi Aona, I just learned about your videos and this is the first one I've watched. It was extremely helpful because I've been debating for months whether to go back to school for a master's degree, or to enroll in a UX Bootcamp instead. I am interested in changing careers to becoming a UXR and it has been difficult to carve out a strategy and figure out how to land your first UXR job. In your future videos, perhaps you could discuss the best online tools and platforms for conducting user research, especially during the pandemic. Thank you Aona, I look forward to more videos!

[@AonaTalks]

Thank you Jessica!! I am glad it addressed your concerns

[@userexperiencedesigner]

Thank you so much for sharing, Aona. I would like to learn more about how to create a portfolio as UXR newbie(essentials, format, key points, etc). Look forward to more amazing videos :)

[@AonaTalks]

Portfolio video is the next one coming soon!

[@yichenwang4738]

Thanks Aona! This tips are so helpful! I would love to learn how to break down a very broad and general research topic into more specific and actionable research questions.

[@AonaTalks]

Ohh this sounds interesting!

[@dalilabonomi]

I'd like to know more about Research Repository :) If you have ever built one, how to start, how to maintain it. Thanks for your videos! I love your content!

[@joy12370]

I would love to hear more about creating a UXR portfolio. There’s a lot of content on KZbin about a UXD portfolio, but not much on UXR. I would love to know what are theses differences, how should you structure it and what will make my portfolio stand out to employers.

[@AonaTalks]

A new video is coming RIGHT UP soon on EXACTLY everything you mentioned here so stay tuned ;)

[@yusjyu]

This is so inspiring Anna! 很幸运看到了你的视频，让我茅塞顿开！请问什么时候还有giveaway能做career consultation呢？期待不已！

[@mustafakarlos1]

Hi Aona, Thank you for sharing. I would love to learn more about how to do research work in a tight timeline, especially when you working in a product company, and also step by step pathway to UXR as a career.

[@wanjingchen4409]

Hi Aona, would it be possible for you to talk about how to do heuristic evaluation? I knew usability heuristics, but not quite sure how can you perform heuristics evaluation😊

[@geehuang9655]

Hi Aona, I would like to know more about how to conduct quality research when you can't do field visits physically. Thanks for all the contents and advice!

[@Fernanda-gz8sh]

I'd like to know more about quantitave research. And Looking forward the recommendations about books and courses

[@heuisukim855]

Same here! I'm trying to decide between a data science and UX master's programs and this would be really helpful!

[@samanthamorris3642]

I would like to see a video on types of research designs/frameworks

[@kristeenah728]

It would be so cool if you can present us a study you have in hand as if you were presenting to an interviewer. That would be so helpful to see what information you provide and your thought processes during the presentation. Thank you so much for your wonderful videos! :)

[@dxsl5640]

Glad to see your video.

[@ginning3578]

Hi Aona, thanks for the amazing content! I come from a background in psychology and business, and I would love to learn more about survey tools used in UXR :)

[@qingranni135]

Portfolio review pls!

[@AonaTalks]

Coming right up!! Im editing it!! Editing takes forever :')

[@jiaxinli3018]

Thanks for sharing! Subscribed six months ago and it's awesome to see how the video quality is getting better and better. I would love to know more about how UXR works with different stakeholders (designers, PM, engineers, etc.), and if this is a question been asked during the interview, what would be the best way to answer it (such as using STAR methods to tell one story, is that enough?)

[@miasarabruch3458]

Hi Aona! I am really excited to see you upcoming English-language videos. I'd love to if you could walk us through some case studies (without violating NDAs), and I second the request for a video on stakeholder management.

[@archanadas7549]

Highly inspiring and insightful

[@widyawirawan5216]

Thank you aonaaa! super helpful

[@rnekdnsksnsb]

Hi Aona! Thank you so much for sharing this content and for all the hard work you put on this channel:) These are some topics I'd love to see here: ✨Career growth paths for UX Researchers ✨Tools for remote UX research ✨A hypothetical research project (the entire process from problem framing, choosing methods, execution, synthesis, brainstorming solutions...) ✨A series on specific UX research methodologies ✨Tips on portfolio and resume structure/content ✨More vlogs/day in the life of a UXR I'd LOVE a 1:1 session with you 🥰 p.s: Sorry if this comment is already posted. I'm dealing with very bad internet connection atm and can't tell if it worked the first time, so I'm trying again.

[@AonaTalks]

OMG thank you for this amazing list!! and the stars aww!

[@AonaTalks]

Hello Renata! I am happy to announce that you have been picked as one of the winners for the Giveaway! :) Would you mind send me an email at [e-mail] so I can ask you a few more questions as well as telling you the next steps? Thank you again for entering my giveaway.

[@rnekdnsksnsb]

@@AonaTalks Aghh soo happy right now 🥳 Yes, email is on the way. Thank you Aona!

[@zoel5834]

Thank you so much for your great content and I gotta say I really like your home set up! In the future video (maybe?), I would like to learn about how you work with project manager before :) how do you take ownership of the process and any challenge and difficulty.

[@dinab7344]

Thank you for this information! I see you and others talk about Qual UXR, but what are the other categories?

[@AonaTalks]

There’s only one other category which is quantitative UXR. But a lot of the UXRs in industry these days are proficient in both qual and quant methods and data analysis so they are often called “mixed methods” researchers. Hope this helps! :)

[@rachel3784]

I’d love to learn more about the daily life of a UX Researcher and how you work together with other teams. Also about how you got your own start in UX research!! Thank you :)

[@AonaTalks]

Hi! These 2 topics have already been covered in past videos :)) week in the life of a UXR: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hoildHiwprdjhac ; how I get started in UXR: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gqrWfodon9ZmY5Y

[@lockafellafitness6958]

OOOOOHHHH NO! I'm so late to the party. Will you be offering the one on one coaching again at any point in the future Aona? Also thank you so much for the amazing content.

[@isgalida]

Well done! Thanks!

[@snehaarvind3190]

Hi! Love your videos. Can you do an in-depth video on conducting interviews? And some resources/books that tell you how to conduct good research interviews. Thank you :)

[@anudhimunasinghe1902]

Hi Aona! Thank you so much for this super informative video, I learned so much!! :) I'd really appreciate a video about conducting heuristic evaluations. Thank you again!! :)

[@jen5917]

Thank you for this comprehensive breakdown Aona! You are amazing(": I would love to learn more about your internship experience at Disney and some of the roles and tasks you undertook as a beginner. Thank you so much!

[@AonaTalks]

Ohhh I like this idea - e.g. what types of research I did as a beginner UXR?

[@FarzanasLaw]

GREAT VIDEO!!!

[@taylorhonda8598]

I'd like to learn more stories about your work. Like what problem you faced, how you scoped the problem and figured out what research methods to use, etc.

[@mohanagiruparajah3815]

Great content! Would be great to hear about stakeholder management especially during shift to virtual research environment!

[@AonaTalks]

Noted!

[@aprilholder7697]

Great video! I would like to see a video on what resources are out there to learn different statistical software that is utilized in UXR. :)

[@AonaTalks]

Hey April! I am not a quant UXR so not sure I am the best person to speak to this. The only tool I've used was SPSS and I learned it in school :P

[@aprilholder7697]

@@AonaTalks Thank you! And this is great information - as I learned SPSS in school many years ago, so it sounds like it may be worth my time to brush up on my skills!

[@AonaTalks]

@@aprilholder7697 Of course! I think what's more important understanding the logic of descriptive/predictive statistics and when to use what vs. understanding what buttons to click on SPSS if that makes sense :)

[@josem7359]

hey Aona, I'd like to see what projects you used to land your first UXR job and also maybe a step by step process for a basic UXR project!

[@wasu05]

Thanks a lot for sharing this Aona. Any future ideas of training newbies in UX Research? With your own projects or anything that would help

[@lolpolice7867]

i literally just finished taking a huge note and finally put my pen down, hit play and she goes 4:33 phew thank god i was taking notes..

[@AonaTalks]

😆

[@Chelsea-xm4gf]

Hi Aona! I'd love to learn about what soft skills UXR needs and maby some tips about how studetns or new graduates could quickly develop those skills. Looking forward to your future videos ❤️

[@tracywang7106]

Love this! I actually bought the universal methods of design book based off one of your videos.. and it's already riddled with post-its! This is all incredibly good content - I would love a topic on remote research software/methods and best practices. I've been looking at all the different companies that are offering platforms to do remote usability tests (and other methods) and would love to see what your preferences are.. or what you think makes a good remote testing platform?

[@AnandaSugirtha]

Where did you take up your UX degree. Could you explain what did they teach in it

[@erikaf.espinoza839]

Thanks so much for your videos! I would like to hear more about implementing UX research within a small design team. We have two designers in our team, so our research and design tasks often overlap.

[@charlielotterman9419]

I'd like to hear more about smart questions to ask at the end of a job interview.

[@AonaTalks]

hehehe great suggestion!

[@AonaTalks]

The video is out! Check here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e4mVnaqZZ6eVa7s

[@charlielotterman9419]

@@AonaTalks omg thanks professor Aona!

[@Кира-в6й]

Hi Aona! I like your contents and you encourage many other aspiring UX researchers. Can you please dive into UX research methods, maybe like one video a week about UX methods?

[@redheights]

I would love to see a video on what your recommended research starter kit would include. What tools are good for a beginner/mid level/senior researcher?

[@AonaTalks]

Could you elaborate what you meant by “tools”? :)

[@naninebalchin4237]

I would love to learn about the differences in UXR between the states and the UK. I want to emigrate, but I think the UK takes more of a specialist route, compared to the states as more of a generalist. I'm a UXR from the UK so happy to talk more!

[@AonaTalks]

not sure I can speak much about the differences since I don't know that much about the situation in the UK :P. but thank you for this question and offering. What do you mean by a specialist?

[@naninebalchin4237]

@@AonaTalks I see a lot of roles in the states and Canada as hybrid, so someone that does both design and research, outside of silicon valley I don't see many straight research roles. Whereas in the UK it's very segmented between research and design roles. Just high level but hope that makes sense!

[@zionchang]

Hi Aona, thank you for the video. I love your honesty in who might and who might not benefit from your content on the channel! I would like to hear your thoughts on how a UX Designer could transition to becoming a UX Researcher and how a differently a UX Design bootcamp grad should prepare to apply to a UX Researcher role, rather than for a UX Designer role! Thanks!

[@alistairweir5529]

Great video! I'd like to see a video on survey/ questionnaire design, what makes them both good and bad. Thanks :)

[@AonaTalks]

Hmm I am not sure I understand this question... these are not 2 mutually exclusive terms. Questionnaire is just a part of the survey process.

[@alistairweir5529]

@@AonaTalks Ahh sorry, my bad for not being clear. I just meant how to write good survey questions, how to get the most out of surveys

[@theyluvglitch5706]

Thank you so much

[@33dovesfreed49]

Hello Aona, thanks for the awesome, free, worthwhile content... I wanted to ask you what other books you've used besides "universal methods of design" if we wanted a more in-depth overview! Thanks!

[@pootieetang]

What are the title of those books? And thanks for such an informative video

[@venetiawan1228]

Hi Aona! Love your talks! I’d love to hear from your experiences how UX design and research differ across products used by users from different cultural backgrounds.

[@arielford9874]

Thank you for this video! I would like to learn about qualitative research strategies that UX researchers use. I am currently in a field that uses quantitative data.

[@mariasailo8414]

Hi Aona! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise. Love your channel. I’d love to know more about community based organizations or any organizations that might require an UX research volunteer.

[@emmaarnaudesign]

Hello Aona, UX Research beginner here from Paris France :D with a background in Research (but not specifically Tech related) + web development. I really appreciate your channel. Currently building the portfolio, I'd like to know if you can tell us more about the "First time user experience evaluation". I have a product in mind (regular user). What would be the main issue to resolve here and the goals (beyond how to improve the experience), like maybe through examples. How do we RECRUIT the users? Because we are expected to justify this process. Does it apply in this specific type of research? Since you mentioned taking people in our circle. That's a lot, and you should get money for helping us! Emma

[@SourouthiN]

Hey, love your videos and content! I'm just trying to break into UX having recently graduated, I would like to know about different and innovative ways to apply UX research in the world, also if and how it can be applied to bigger picture, good causes!

[@xDORKiiE07]

Hi Aona! Saw you post your video link from UXR Conference :) I'm transitioning from OT to UXR and would love to learn from someone like you! Could you do a video on tips for landing a UXR interview?

[@Misfitprime]

I am halfway through my Master's in Applied Psychology with a UX focus. Thus far I have completed a survey research, program evaluation, and advanced study design and statistics, but nothing directly related to UX research. What questions should I be asking of my advisor regarding my intended career path? I would like to perform research on role playing game systems.

[@arielvainer]

Hi Aona! I’d love to hear about how you deal with exploratory research for new products. How you define which are your users? Before creating personas or interviewing people. How do you decide who’s your targeted audience (is it assumptions, surveys, information from stakeholders..) thank you!! 😊

[@ellejohnson2951]

I loved how you provide organized and understandable information! I like your mind hehee... Gonna subscibe now to your channel 🤗

[@AonaTalks]

🥰