PHILIP BURGESS

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader When I first started working in UX research, the process often felt slow and repetitive. Gathering user feedback, analyzing data, and generating insights took weeks, sometimes months. I knew there had to be a better way. That’s when I began exploring agentic AI—intelligent systems that can act autonomously to support and improve UX research workflows. Since then, I’ve seen firsthand how this technology can transform the way we work, maki

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader When I first stepped into a UX research leadership role, I quickly realized that guiding a team through complex projects was far more challenging than I expected. Mistakes happen, but some can slow down progress or even damage the credibility of UX research within an organization. Over time, I learned which pitfalls to watch for and how to steer clear of them. If you lead a UX research team or aspire to, this post will help you avoid com

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Using research effectively can transform how designers and product managers (PMs) make decisions. Yet, many teams struggle to integrate research into their daily workflows. I’ve seen firsthand how coaching can bridge this gap, helping teams not only understand research but also apply it in ways that improve products and user experiences. In this post, I’ll share practical strategies I’ve used to coach designers and PMs to get more value

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader When I first joined a product team, I quickly realized we lacked a clear way to measure how users experienced our product. We relied on gut feelings and anecdotal feedback, which made it hard to know what truly worked or where to improve. Building a UX measurement framework changed everything. It gave us clear data to guide decisions and improve user satisfaction. If you want to create a similar system in your organization, here’s how to

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader When I first started working on user experience (UX) design, I quickly realized that delivering a seamless experience across multiple channels and platforms is one of the toughest challenges. Users expect to switch from a mobile app to a website or even a physical kiosk without feeling lost or confused. But how do you measure if your UX is truly consistent? Over time, I developed a practical approach to evaluate UX consistency that I wan

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader When I first started working in user experience, I was eager to quantify every insight I gathered. It seemed logical: if something is important, it should be measurable. But over time, I realized that not every UX insight fits neatly into a metric. Some insights lose their meaning or even mislead when forced into numbers. This post shares why some UX insights should remain qualitative and how turning them into metrics can sometimes do mo

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Artificial intelligence is reshaping how companies design products and understand users. As a UX researcher, I’ve seen firsthand how AI changes the tools we use and the questions we ask. To stay effective, we must develop new skills that help us work alongside AI, interpret complex data, and design for intelligent systems. Here’s what I’ve learned about the skills UX researchers need in an AI-enabled organization. A UX researcher reviewi

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader When I first started working in UX research, I often felt overwhelmed by the uncertainty that came with interpreting user data. We would gather feedback, run tests, and analyze results, but there was always a lingering question: Are we really understanding what users need? Over time, I realized that the challenge wasn’t just about collecting data quickly—it was about making sense of it in a way that reduces doubt and leads to confident

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader When AI tools deliver insights at lightning speed, it feels like decision-making should become faster too. Yet, I’ve noticed the opposite happening in many cases: quicker AI insights sometimes slow down the actual decisions. This might sound counterintuitive, but the reality is more complex. I want to share what I’ve learned about why faster AI insights don’t always translate into faster decisions and what we can do about it. Faster AI I

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Artificial intelligence research moves fast. Every week, new papers, models, and breakthroughs appear, promising to change how we live and work. But I’ve learned that taking AI research outputs at face value can lead to misunderstandings, misplaced trust, and even setbacks. In this post, I want to share my experience and insights on why it’s crucial to look beyond the headlines and dig deeper into what AI research really means. What happ

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader When I first started writing UX research case studies, I thought the story was simple: show the problem, explain the research, and present the solution. But over time, I realized many case studies miss a crucial part — demonstrating the real impact of the research. This gap often leaves readers wondering if the research made any difference at all. In this post, I want to share what I’ve learned about why most UX research case studies fai

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader When I first started working in the UX field, I often found myself confused by the terms "UX research case study" and "UX design case study." They seemed similar on the surface, but as I gained experience, I realized they serve very different purposes and highlight distinct parts of the product development process. Understanding these differences can help you communicate your work more clearly and showcase your skills effectively. A UX r

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Starting a ResearchOps function can feel overwhelming. When I first faced this challenge, I didn’t have a clear roadmap. I knew research was crucial for product success, but organizing it efficiently was a puzzle. Over time, I learned that building ResearchOps is about creating a system that supports research activities, making them smoother and more impactful. If you’re ready to build your ResearchOps function from scratch, I’ll share p

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader When I first started designing research projects, I often relied on intuition or traditional methods without much reflection on what data could tell me about my approach. Over time, I realized that analytics could be a powerful tool to guide my decisions about which research methods to use next. Using analytics not only saves time and resources but also improves the quality and relevance of research outcomes. In this post, I’ll share how

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Landing a UX research role often means sending out dozens of resumes, each tailored to a specific job description. But rewriting your entire resume for every application can be exhausting and time-consuming. I’ve been there, and I found a way to make this process smarter and more efficient. You can tailor your UX research resume for each role without rewriting it from scratch. Here’s how I do it, step-by-step, so you can spend less time

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader When I first joined a product team as a UX researcher, I quickly realized that not all research efforts were pulling in the same direction. Some projects focused heavily on usability testing, while others prioritized market trends or stakeholder opinions. At first, I thought this diversity was a strength. But soon, I noticed a pattern: when UX research priorities were misaligned, the product suffered in ways that were hard to measure but

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader When I first started designing research studies, I often faced a frustrating challenge: investing weeks or even months recruiting participants only to find that my hypotheses were weak or flawed. This meant wasted time, resources, and sometimes the need to start over. Over time, I discovered a powerful way to avoid this pitfall—using artificial intelligence to stress-test research hypotheses before recruiting anyone. This approach transf

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader When I first started working in UX research, I quickly realized how time-consuming and complex gathering user insights could be. Sorting through mountains of data, conducting interviews, and analyzing feedback often felt overwhelming. That’s when I began exploring AI tools designed to make UX research faster and more effective. If you’re wondering which AI tools can truly help you understand your users better, I’ll share my experience an

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Card sorting is a powerful method for organizing information, improving user experience, and designing intuitive navigation systems. When I first started using card sorting in my projects, I found it challenging to create prompts that would guide participants effectively. That’s when I turned to AI for help. Using AI-generated prompts transformed how I approached card sorting, making the process smoother and more insightful. In this post

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader Tree testing is a powerful method to evaluate the structure of a website or app by testing how easily users can find information. Yet, setting up effective tree tests and analyzing results can be time-consuming and complex. Over the past year, I’ve explored how AI can simplify this process, making tree testing faster and more insightful. In this post, I’ll share the best AI prompts that helped me improve my tree testing workflow, from de