Curiosity Tank

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Choose Your One-of-a-kind UXR Adventure

michele ronsen

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the wildly different personalities and backgrounds of my UXR colleagues, and the not-so-linear paths they (and I) took to get to our place in the research world. It seems in a young-ish field like ours, careers can play out like a choose-your-adventure game: choices, twists, turns, mistakes, recoveries and (sometimes unexpected, but always earned) rewards.

Are you new to the game — or looking to roll the dice and shake things up a bit? The new year’s a great time to get started. Let’s go!

Check your character profile

The first step in any good adventure game is figuring the strengths and weaknesses of your chosen character (that’s you). So, where do you stand now? While there’s no one “correct” path to success, you’ll need some skills and experience to move forward. Matriculation from a related or recognized program is not required for success. Alternatively, some form of hands-on experience often is! Have you completed a program like Ask Like A Pro®? Do you have some hands-on UXR experience? Do you have skills from another type of research or design that will cross over well into this space? Do you speak the language of UX research? Are you already part of an organization that has a UX research team?

Next, choose your entry point

Your first move into UX research should depend on the skills you’re already built and the opportunities around you. If you’re coming in with little to no experience, you’re going to have to be more creative, as many traditional internships and entry level positions require related education and or some experience. I know. It’s a chicken or an egg thing!

If your current workplace has a UX team, offer to help them out informally in any way you can. Ask to attend their research share-outs, to take notes during research sessions, participate in their workshops, archive material, schedule participants, etc.. Get to know them, and demonstrate you’re interested in their work!

If you’re building your skillset more independently, consider volunteer research opportunities to build your skills. UX Rescue, Catch A Fire, Code for America and Benefit Design are good sources for these unpaid (and unfortunately self-directed) gigs.

Level up!

Once you’ve got some experience under your belt, there are MANY paths (or pivots, if your current role is not a seemingly direct fit) to consider. Now you’re a better candidate to explore in-house roles at any org, including research and design firms. If your special power is organization, a research operations role — helping research teams plan and facilitate studies, recruit participants and or archive learnings — might be your best fit. If you love the front lines, consider workshop facilitation. Have much more experience? Consider becoming an independent research consultant and work with a team who can provide project support, camaraderie and/or mentorship along the way.

Define your place in the party

As you progress, you’ll figure out where you fit best in an org or specifically on a research team. Are you an individual researcher, a manager, a research educator, a participant recruiter, or a team of one? Maybe you’ll contribute best as a research program manager, determining things like your team's tool stack, how to facilitate onboarding, and putting other crucial supports in place. Every role can be important and rewarding. After all, UX is a team sport!

Embrace the side quest!

Sometimes what starts out as a rabbit hole can turn into your speciality — so don’t be afraid to dig in and niche down. Here are a few ways my colleagues and students found their focus:

  • By approach: qualitative or quantitative research, data analytics, evaluative or generative research, moderated or unmoderated research

  • By domain: specialize in researching social impact, product or service design, hardware, software, voice tech, etc.

  • By industry: healthcare, hospitality, technology, non-profits, etc

  • By user population: communities with disabilities, specific language speakers, — nearly any demographic can become your area of expertise

  • By background or education: your non-UX-research background (ex: design, academia, customer service) or education can be a jumping-off point for specialization

Don’t wait! Reach out and join in!

Showing up is half the battle, and you don’t have to be a seasoned player to join in. Events — like webinars, seminars, or networking — are a great way to learn and meet others in the UXR community who can help inspire you, define your path and choose your UXR adventure. Find the events that support your goals, and register today!

Join Curiosity Tank at these events:

Other great events

Resources to help you chart your path

Curiosity Tank Free Resources

Non-Curiosity Tank Free Resources

Speak up, get involved, share the love

And that’s a wrap!

We try to alternate between a theme and UX/UXR jobs, events, classes, articles, and other happenings every few weeks. What do you think? We're constantly iterating and would love to hear your input.

Stay curious,
- Michele and the Curiosity Tank team

PS: Ever wondered whether Ask Like A Pro is right for you? Join Michele and ALAP alumni for a live info session to find out!