EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
BECOMING A USER EXPERIENCE RESEARCHER
Do your students show interest during computer classes? Are they eager to learn about the latest technological trends in the market? Are they good at solving any kind of problem and providing feedback on how to improve computer software? Do they like to explore the field of STEM and social sciences? This job profile is for them! User experience researchers deal with everything connected to how people interact with a digital product or service. Meet Iza Grasselli, a user experience researcher at Imec-SMIT!
Meet Iza Grasselli
For this STEM Job Profile, we talked to Iza Grasselli. She is a user experience researcher who works at Imec-SMIT within a research group, where she is actively involved in European-wide initiatives aimed at developing inclusive, accessible, and age-friendly urban environments and mobility solutions.
“I found myself frustrated with the cumbersome technical gadgets I had to use daily. This led me to further explore the intersection of technology and user experience.”
Curious to find out more about this job? Read about the related skills and scroll down to find and download her career sheet!
SKILLS
Find out the key skills to becoming a User Experience Researcher.
Problem-solving
“To identify user needs and pain points, and then design and iterate on solutions to improve the overall user experience of a product or service.”
Analytical Thinking
“The ability to analyse research data, identify patterns, and make recommendations based on findings. UX researchers use this skill to draw insights from research data to inform the design of products and services.”
Communication
“The ability to effectively communicate research findings and recommendations to stakeholders clearly and concisely. UX researchers use this skill to present research data and insights to design teams, product managers, and other stakeholders to inform design decisions.”
Empathy
“The ability to understand and relate to the perspectives and experiences of users. UX researchers use this skill to put themselves in the users’ shoes to understand their needs and frustrations.”
Creativity
“The ability to generate new ideas and think outside the box. UX researchers use this skill to come up with innovative solutions to user problems.“
Technology literacy
“Familiarity with design and prototyping tools, such as Sketch, Figma, and InVision, as well as experience with data analysis tools, such as Excel and R. UX Researchers use these skills to conduct research, develop and test solutions, and analyse data.”
Curious to
know more?
Advice to take away
“Reach out to mentors, companies, and people whose careers you admire or would like to follow, they can give you advice, guidance, and support. Take part in projects, conferences, and events that relate to your field of interest as early as possible. The world and technology are evolving fast, and this is one of the best ways to stay in touch with the current trends and see where the opportunities lie.”
– Iza Grasselli
This Career sheet has been provided by means of the URBANAGE project.
The STE(A)M IT project has received funding from the European Union’s ERASMUS+ programme project STE(A)M IT (Grant agreement 612845-EPP-1-2019-BE-EPPKA3-PI-FORWARD) coordinated by European Schoolnet (EUN). The content of the document is the sole responsibility of the organizer and it does not represent the opinion of the European Commission (EC), and the EC is not responsible for any use that might be made of the information contained.
