By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader and AI Strategist When I first dove into the world of designing user experiences, I quickly realized it’s more than just making things look pretty. It’s about crafting meaningful interactions that resonate with users and drive real business outcomes. Whether you’re leading a team or shaping strategy, mastering the fundamentals is essential to building scalable, effective UX research practices that empower data-driven decisions. Let’s exp

In the fast-paced world of digital products, understanding your users is not just helpful - it’s essential. I’ve seen firsthand how the right tools can transform UX research from a guessing game into a strategic powerhouse. When you have the right resources, you can uncover deep insights, validate assumptions, and ultimately design experiences that resonate. But with so many options out there, which tools truly stand out? Let’s explore some of the best UX research tools that

The only constant in the world of UX is change. As we look ahead to 2025, several key trends are emerging that will shape the future of UX research. In this post, we'll explore the most significant of these trends and what they mean for UX professionals. Embracing Change in UX Research Change is inevitable in the world of user experience. As we move forward, it's essential to stay informed about the trends that will impact our work. Understanding these trends can help us adap

By Philip Burgess The Power of UX Research: A Guide for 2025 UX Research is the systematic study of users, their behaviors, needs, and motivations to improve product design and usability. It employs various research methods and techniques that gather insights through qualitative, quantitative, or mixed approaches to inform and optimize user experience design throughout product development. Key Aspects of UX Research The main purpose, and power of UX Research, is to understan

When I first encountered affinity mapping, I was struck by its simplicity and power. It’s a method that turns chaos into clarity, helping teams uncover patterns in user data that might otherwise remain hidden. If you’re looking to elevate your UX research and strategy, mastering affinity mapping is a game-changer. It’s not just about organizing notes on a wall; it’s about unlocking insights that drive smarter design decisions and measurable business value. Let’s dive into how

By Philip Burgess - UX Research Leader Finding the balance between business goals, time, and user understanding. 💬 Introduction: The Art of Choosing the Right Method One of the most common questions I hear from teams is, “What’s the right research method for this project?” It’s a fair question — but there’s rarely a single right answer.Choosing the right UX research method is part science, part art. It depends on what you need to know , how quickly you need to know it , and

By Philip Burgess - UX Research Leader By Philip Burgess – UX Research Leader 📧 phil@philipburgess.net  | 🌐 www.philipburgess.net Understanding the Foundation: What Is UX Research Card Sorting? Card sorting has been a cornerstone of UX research and information architecture (IA) for decades. It’s a deceptively simple method—participants group related concepts or “cards” into categories that make sense to them.The outcome?A clearer understanding of how users mentally organize

By Philip Burgess - UX Research Leader When it comes to building a user experience that truly resonates, the tools we choose can make all the difference. Over the years, I’ve seen firsthand how the right UX research platforms can transform raw data into actionable insights. These platforms are not just about collecting information; they are about empowering teams to make smarter, data-driven decisions that elevate the entire product journey. So, what makes a UX research platf

When I first dove into the world of user experience, I quickly realized it’s more than just making things look pretty. It’s about crafting meaningful interactions that resonate with users and drive real business outcomes. If you’re aiming to lead advanced UX research and strategy, understanding the core user experience principles is non-negotiable. These principles guide us in creating products and services that are not only usable but also delightful and effective. Let’s exp

By Philip Burgess - UX Research Leader Diary studies are one of the most underutilized but powerful methods in the UX researcher’s toolkit. They give us a window into users’ real lives—capturing behaviors, thoughts, and emotions as they unfold naturally over time. Unlike lab studies or one-off interviews, diary studies help uncover longitudinal patterns  and contextual insights  that are easy to miss in snapshot research. What Are Diary Studies? A diary study asks participant

# Building a Strong UX Research Foundation: The Essential Steps By Philip Burgess - UX Research Leader 1. The Business Case Defines the “Why” The business case sets the stage for our research. It answers essential questions: Why are we doing this research? What business decision or risk does it support? Example Customer service calls about claims submissions have increased by 30%, costing $250K per quarter. We need to understand what’s driving this friction to reduce costs a

By Philip Burgess - UX Research Leader At the heart of UX research lies a simple but powerful method: the user interview . Whether you’re exploring unmet needs, validating assumptions, or uncovering motivations, user interviews give researchers a direct line to the people behind the data. But like any method, user interviews are most effective when used with intention. Let’s explore what they are, when to use them, and the best practices that make them impactful. What Are Use

By Philip Burgess - UX Research Leader UX research is not only about what users do  but also about what they believe, prefer, and expect . While behavioral analytics reveals the actions people take, attitudinal analytics  uncovers the perceptions that drive those actions. Together, they give researchers the full picture: behavior explains the what , and attitudes explain the why . What Is Attitudinal Analytics? Attitudinal analytics is the structured measurement of user belie

By Philip Burgess - UX Research Leader In UX research, it’s not enough to know what users say — we need to understand what they actually do. That’s where behavioral analytics  comes in. By tracking clicks, navigation paths, drop-offs, and interactions, behavioral analytics helps researchers uncover hidden friction, validate qualitative findings, and quantify the real impact of design decisions. What Is Behavioral Analytics? Behavioral analytics is the process of collecting an

By Philip Burgess - UX Research Leader Surveys are one of the most widely used UX research tools — and for good reason. They scale quickly, capture a broad range of user opinions, and provide quantifiable data that can validate or complement qualitative insights. But not all surveys are created equal. Poorly designed surveys risk producing noise instead of clarity. Done well, UX research surveys can be a powerful way to connect user experience with business outcomes. Why Use

By Philip Burgess - UX Research Leader In UX research, we often ask: “Which design works best for users?”  While qualitative methods help us uncover why users struggle , A/B testing allows us to validate those findings at scale and connect them directly to business outcomes. What Is A/B Testing in UX Research? A/B testing (also called split testing ) is a controlled experiment where you compare two or more design variants  to see which one performs better against a defined go

By Philip Burgess - UX Research Leader For years, UX research has been seen as a primarily qualitative practice — interviews, usability tests, field observations. But as digital products scale and data becomes more accessible, analytics is now a critical part of UX research . The ability to measure, track, and visualize user behavior brings depth, rigor, and credibility to our findings. So what exactly is UX Research Analytics , and how can it transform the way organizations

By Philip Burgess - UX Research Leader When organizations think about UX research, they often picture usability testing or surveys. But UX research is a much broader practice — and at its heart, it comes down to two complementary approaches: qualitative  and quantitative . Both types are essential. Qualitative research uncovers the “why”  behind user behavior, while quantitative research validates the “how much”  and “how often.”  Together, they give teams the insight needed

By Philip Burgess - UX Research Leader Usability testing is the cornerstone of great UX—rich with user feedback, interaction pain points, and design validation. But once the sessions are over, one thing looms large: the dreaded usability report . For many UX researchers, analyzing sessions, pulling quotes, tagging issues, and building a report can take hours —sometimes days . But what if AI could automate that process without sacrificing depth? Here’s how we used AI to automa

By Philip Burgess - UX Research Leader As researchers, we’re trained to uncover hidden truths, challenge assumptions, and illuminate the details that often go unnoticed. But sometimes, the most meaningful connections happen when we pull back the curtain on ourselves. As your UX Research Leader, I believe transparency and authenticity are as important as skill and strategy. So today, I want to share a few things you might not know about me—beyond resumes, research decks, and t