UX Research Best Practices: Elevating Insights, Impact, and Influence

By Philip Burgess – UX Research Leader

UX research is more than a toolkit—it’s a mindset. It’s the discipline that helps teams understand users, reduce risk, and design with empathy. But great research doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built on rigor, clarity, and collaboration.

Whether you're scaling a global practice or conducting a single usability test, these best practices will help you deliver insights that matter—and drive decisions that stick.

1. Start with Clear Objectives

Before choosing methods or writing scripts, define what you need to learn. Vague goals lead to vague findings.

Best Practice:

• Frame research questions that are specific, actionable, and aligned with business priorities.

• Ask: “What decision will this research inform?” and “What will we do differently based on the results?”

2. Choose the Right Method for the Right Moment

Not all methods fit every problem. Discovery requires depth; validation demands scale.

Best Practice:

• Use qualitative methods (e.g., interviews, usability testing) for exploratory insights.

• Use quantitative methods (e.g., surveys, analytics, A/B testing) for benchmarking and validation.

• Combine both when possible—mixed methods yield richer, more reliable insights.

3. Recruit Real Users

Your product isn’t built for internal teams—it’s built for customers. Testing with the wrong audience skews results.

Best Practice:

• Define clear participant criteria based on behaviors, not just demographics.

• Avoid convenience sampling unless you're testing internal tools.

• Use screeners to ensure relevance and diversity.

4. Write Task-Based Scenarios That Reflect Real Goals

Users don’t come to your site to “click buttons”—they come to solve problems.

Best Practice:

• Frame tasks around user intentions, not interface elements.

• Provide context to simulate authentic decision-making.

• Avoid leading language that hints at the “correct” path.

5. Pilot Everything

Even the best-designed studies can fall apart if instructions are unclear or tools malfunction.

Best Practice:

• Run a dry test with a colleague or team member.

• Watch for confusion, technical issues, or unintended bias.

• Refine before launching to participants.

6. Observe, Don’t Intervene

In moderated sessions, it’s tempting to help users when they struggle. But friction reveals opportunity.

Best Practice:

• Let users work through tasks without guidance.

• Take notes on hesitation, errors, and verbal cues.

• Ask follow-up questions after the task—not during.

7. Synthesize, Don’t Just Summarize

Raw data isn’t insight. Your job is to interpret patterns, connect dots, and tell a story.

Best Practice:

• Group findings by themes, not just tasks.

• Highlight root causes, not just symptoms.

• Use frameworks like affinity mapping or journey mapping to visualize insights.

8. Communicate with Clarity

A brilliant insight is useless if it’s buried in jargon or a 40-page slide deck.

Best Practice:

• Tailor your deliverables to the audience—executives want impact, designers want detail.

• Use plain language, visual storytelling, and clear recommendations.

• Share early and often—don’t wait for perfection.

9. Tie Research to Business Outcomes

Empathy is powerful, but impact earns trust. Stakeholders need to see how research drives results.

Best Practice:

• Link findings to KPIs like conversion, retention, or support volume.

• Use ROI models to forecast financial impact.

• Track post-launch metrics to validate success.

10. Build a Culture of Research

The best insights come from teams that value curiosity, collaboration, and continuous learning.

Best Practice:

• Create templates, repositories, and onboarding guides.

• Invite stakeholders to observe sessions and ask questions.

• Celebrate wins—share stories of how research changed the product.

Final Thoughts

UX research isn’t just about understanding users—it’s about empowering teams to make better decisions. By following these best practices, you don’t just deliver insights—you build influence, drive strategy, and shape experiences that matter.

Whether you're mentoring junior researchers or presenting to the C-suite, let your work be guided by empathy, rigor, and purpose.

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