I love user research. I love that every project is different—that we as user researchers incorporate numerous methodologies, work with a variety of colleagues, study a spectrum of individuals and topics, and produce wildly interesting findings that influence people, products, and organizations.
I love user research because the community of user researchers is as interesting as the work we produce. Students and career-switchers ask how people become user researchers, and what they might do in their roles. Those already in the user research field wonder how they might raise awareness of their work, build teams, or scale their practices. This is a field that attracts and rewards the curious and the diplomatic.
I love that the practice of user research is multifaceted, complex, and sometimes contradictory. What works for one organization might inspire a sea change across an industry. Yet what works for some teams won’t work for others, and what works once might not work again.
That’s what keeps it interesting, always.
Originally published in my newsletter.
