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a note from the author

“At Facebook, I felt like a UX research imposter.”

Varun Murugesan when he was at Facebook doing UX research

I didn't have a Ph.D. I didn't work at a big tech company. I didn't have decades of experience. I didn't go to the most prestigious university. I just had a bachelor's in psychology, lots of passion, and a dream.

There were so many days I felt alone at work. I was terrified to ask my colleagues and managers about how to overcome these emotions, assuming that I'd be found out as a fraud and shown the door.

Every day, I wished there was some resource that I could turn to for help. A resource that helped me recognize when to say no to research, or helped me sell a study to my stakeholders, or taught me how to analyze and make sense of my data, or even helped me report in a way that leads to impact.

I couldn't find the resource I was searching for so I decided to make it.

I spent 2 years just collecting information and advice from amazing researchers. I constantly applied every learning and found where it failed. I helped others around me feel more confident and move quicker at work.
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I put all of my knowledge, insights, tips, strategies, and learnings into a singular resource — a well-designed, well-tested digital library. A resources that makes you feel like you can do great research too.

After testing this digital library with 100s of people doing research around the world at big companies and small, I'm confident there's at least one idea, tip, strategy, or guide that resonates with you.
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I hope you never feel like you can't do this. I hope you never feel like you're alone as a researcher or that you're an imposter, waiting to be found out. I hope no one feels like I did.
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I believe that everyone can do fruitful research.
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And this digital library will help you along that journey.
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Varun
Co-founder, Head of Research @ Apple & Banana
‍Let's connect on Twitter

early praise

“More than I learned in grad school and on-the-job experience. This library should come with it’s own degree.”

Dr. Aiden H.

Senior Researcher @ Best Buy (Ph.D in Media Psychology)

“The more I see, the more excited I am. I’m usually a skeptic. But I already know I’m gonna buy one copy for me and one copy for the office.”

Ines A.

User Researcher @ KRY

“Oooh, I love it. The examples are pulled from real-life situations I’ve found myself in and there’s enough theory without getting bogged down. Plus the guides in the back are fantastic to reference and use!”

Emily M.

Design Research Coop @ Loblaw Digital (previously Shopify, UXR Collective)

“The tips for how to conduct research were beyond helpful. I’m more of a qualitative researcher, and I’m working towards building my skills to become a mix-method researcher. I also love how the book is being written - so easy to follow compared to other UX resources I have read!”

Nayeri J.

UX Designer @ Twitch (previously AutoDesk)

“I love this digital library. It makes UX research really tangible and applicable, something missing from other resources out there.”

Braden T.

Senior UX Researcher @ Capital One (previously MongoDB)

“Well done! I think this is the resource that I’ve long been waiting for!”

Randala K.

New to UX research (previously a Software Engineer @ Ameriprise Financial)

“I love how concrete it all is! Very clear and helpful. It’s all approached with helpful frameworks that are actionable.”

Michele H.

Author, "Deploy Empathy"; Founder, Geocodio

“This is a great read. Just the section on how to set expectations with stakeholders to drive impact is worth it.”

Steve G.

Senior Product Designer @ Salesforce (previously Pearson)

“The topics covered in the resource are really good...very useful for all UX professionals.”

Monika K.

Associate Design Director @ IBM

“Very well organized; the language is clear and friendly...a good resource for everyone doing UX research!”

Ana S.

UX Consultant (clients include Google, Springboard, GrowthMentor)

See what’s inside

Part 1

The Philosophy

Understanding what fruitful research is and the core principles you can use in any research situation.

Principle 1

Study actionable questions

Principle 2

Learn from the people you’re trying to help

Principle 3

Plan strategically

Principle 4

Collect less but better data

Principle 5

Analyze with skepticism

Principle 6

Report briefly and vibrantly

Part 1

Library

Learn practical strategies backed by theory to improve every part of your research. Avoid common pitfalls, collect less but better data, and deliver findings that resonate across your company.

collection 1

Align

Finding good questions to study can be tough. In this collection, we cover the places you can look and what you can do once you find them.

collection 2

Recruit

Who you learn from can completely change your results. In this collection, we understand why people participate in research and how you can select helpful participants.

collection 3

Design

How you plan a study can set you up for success or failure. In this collection, we cover the various approaches you can use in your qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods research.

collection 4

Collect

It can be easy to want to use as many methods as possible. In this collection, we focus on the three methods that can be used in 90% of all research situations.

collection 5

Analyze

Without structure, your data analysis can become a source of confirmation bias. In this collection, we walk through the foundations of qualitative and quantitative data analysis.

collection 6

Deliver

Research reports can be overly complex or lengthy. In this collection, we cover how to build reports that resonate and drive action.

Part 2

Toolkit

Tactical guides, frameworks, and templates covering the most common research situations.

25+ ready-to-use guides, such as:

Conducting a stakeholder interview

Analyzing qualitative data

Choosing a research method

Storyboarding a report

Writing a recruitment screener

Multiple handy references, such as:

Useful statistical tests

Common Likert responses

Helpful workshop exercises

Qualitative coding strategies

Behavioral economics heuristics