What “Mistakes I Made at Work” Reminded Me About Growth
The mistakes that stuck with me weren’t the ones I made in the research — they were the ones I made in how I communicated, advocated, and showed up for the work.
Research Practice
Yes, I’m Still Doing Research — Even If You Don’t See It
Research doesn’t stop when the study closes. The synthesis, the pattern recognition, the connecting of dots — that work is often invisible to stakeholders, and that’s a problem.
UX Research Mistakes I Still Make (and Probably Always Will)
Experience makes you better at research — but it doesn’t make you immune to the same traps. An honest look at the mistakes I keep making, even after years in the field.
The 3 Lies I Believed About UX Research
I spent years believing things about UX research that weren’t true — and those beliefs cost me time, influence, and better work. Here’s what I’ve unlearned.
What I Wish Stakeholders Knew About UX Research
After years of conducting and sharing research, here’s what I wish every product manager, designer, and executive understood before the next study begins.
UX Research Skill #5: Writing Reports vs. Telling Stories People Remember
A report documents findings. A story changes decisions. The difference between researchers whose work gets read and those whose work gets filed.
UX Research Skill #4: Synthesizing Findings vs. Translating Them Into Business Value
Synthesis tells you what’s true. Translation tells you why it matters to this team, this product, this decision. Most researchers are good at one but not both.
UX Research Skill #3: Running Usability Tests vs. Managing Messy Data
Running a clean usability test is teachable. Knowing what to do when the data is contradictory, incomplete, or just weird — that’s the skill that takes years to develop.
UX Research Skill #2: Conducting Interviews vs. Surviving Curveballs
The interview guide is a starting point. What separates good interviewers from great ones is how they respond when the conversation goes somewhere unexpected.
UX Research Skill #1: Writing Plans vs. Convincing Stakeholders to Care
Writing a research plan is easy. Getting the people who need to act on the findings to care before the study even starts — that’s the harder skill.