UX researchers provide insight into the design processes of products and services. Using a variety of investigative techniques, they determine the correct path of the design process to meet the needs of end users. UX researchers start out by gathering data about the project requirements, and learning about the end users' needs and goals. These processes often require interviews, survey collection, observation and the review of any existing data, literature or analytics. After determining the needs of prospective end users, they shift their focus to the usability and attitudes toward the products and services.
The goal of UX researchers is to use quantitative and qualitative research to analyze the potential use of products and services to inform the design and validate assumptions. This helps the design team reduce costs and deliver a successful product. User experience design is a fast-growing field with opportunities in companies of all sizes, and a 10-year expected growth of 19%. Those working in large organizations like Amazon, Google and Facebook work with a design team. In smaller companies, UX researchers may be responsible for the complete design cycle, from user research through usability testing.
Boston is known as the academic capital of the world, thanks to MIT, Harvard and the numerous other schools located there. As a result, it has also been at the top of the list for venture capital investments, with many of these being tech startups. The entrepreneurial energy throughout Boston makes it an ideal spot for those who want to enter the areas of technology and user experience design.
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