Become UX Researcher
12 weeks · 4 milestones
Milestone map
Milestone map
3 milestones
Conduct a usability study on a real product — yours, your company's, or a competitor's — with at least 5 participants. The study must use think-aloud protocol: participants narrate their thoughts as they complete real tasks, and you observe without guiding (you can clarify but not explain). Produce a synthesis report: usability findings categorised by severity (critical — blocks task completion, major — significantly impedes, minor — causes friction), with a specific recommendation for each critical finding.
Proof required
Submit your usability study plan (tasks + recruitment criteria + observation protocol), 3–5 observation notes from real sessions (participant # + task + what happened + observer notes, minimum 200 words per session), and the synthesis report (findings by severity with at least 2 critical findings and a recommendation for each).
What gets checked
- Observation notes capture what the participant did and said, not what the observer concluded — 'participant paused for 3 seconds, said "I don't know where to click"' not 'participant was confused'
- Synthesis report has at least 2 critical findings (not just minor friction) — a study that finds only minor issues has either been run with tasks that are too easy or has not been synthesised rigorously
- Each critical finding includes a specific design recommendation — 'redesign the checkout flow' is not a recommendation; 'move the CTA above the fold and label it "Confirm order" instead of "Submit"' is