Leading with Empathy in UX Research

By Philip Burgess – UX Research Leader

In two decades of UX research, I’ve used every method in the book—interviews, usability testing, surveys, field studies, analytics reviews, card sorts, and more. I’ve worked with cutting-edge tools, followed detailed frameworks, and built structured processes to ensure quality.

But here’s the truth: process doesn’t matter if you don’t put people first.

I’ve seen brilliant research fall flat because the team didn’t trust the researcher. I’ve also seen bare-bones studies drive massive change because the relationships were strong, the empathy was genuine, and the stakeholders felt heard.

Here’s what I’ve learned:

• Listen beyond the words. People often reveal more in tone, pauses, and body language than in their answers. Genuine listening—without waiting for your turn to speak—builds connection, trust, and deeper insight.

• Meet stakeholders where they are. A CEO needs the “why” in two sentences. A designer may want to walk through the full dataset. Tailoring communication to your audience transforms data into influence.

• Earn trust before you need it. Build relationships when things are calm—so they’re strong when you need buy-in during high-stakes decisions. Trust is the invisible currency of research influence.

The Human Side of Research

UX research is about people—participants, designers, engineers, and executives alike. When you understand what motivates each group, you move from being the “research function” to becoming a trusted strategic partner.

Empathy isn’t just for users; it’s for colleagues and stakeholders too. A quick check-in before a session, an acknowledgment of someone’s workload, or a transparent update about findings—all of these build relational equity. Over time, that equity compounds into influence.

Beyond Methods and Metrics

We’re living in an era where AI can summarize transcripts, run sentiment analysis, and even write reports. But no tool can replicate the human intuition that connects patterns across behaviors, business goals, and emotions.

In 2025 and beyond, the most effective researchers will be those who can balance rigor with empathy—who use technology to amplify, not replace, human understanding.

At the end of the day, tools evolve and processes change, but people remain at the heart of UX. Get the human connection right, and everything else—insights, adoption, impact—follows naturally.

Philip Burgess | philipburgess.net | phil@philipburgess.net