What are the most effective online resources for user research mentoring?

User research is a crucial part of user experience design (UED), but it can be challenging to learn and practice without proper guidance and feedback. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced practitioner, you can benefit from online resources that offer user research mentoring and coaching. In this article, we will explore some of the most effective online resources for user research mentoring, and how they can help you improve your skills, confidence, and impact.

1 Online courses

Enrolling in online courses is one way to learn from user research experts and mentors. These courses provide structured curriculums, interactive assignments, peer reviews, and instructor feedback. For example, FutureLearn's User Research for User Experience Design course teaches how to plan, conduct, and analyze user research with guidance from experienced professionals and academics. The Interaction Design Foundation's User Research Fundamentals course covers the basics of user research such as how to define research goals, choose methods, recruit participants, and communicate findings with mentor support and community discussions. Coursera's User Research – Methods and Best Practices course introduces various user research methods such as interviews, surveys, usability tests, and contextual inquiries with practical examples and exercises and mentor feedback.

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Md Nahid Hasan

VR/AR | UX/UI Designer | HCI Researcher
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In my experience, online courses also provide the flexibility to learn at one's own pace, which is crucial for busy professionals. They often include interactive elements, such as forums and projects, allowing learners to apply concepts in real world scenarios and engage with a community of peers and mentors. This interactive aspect fosters a deeper understanding and helps in building a network with other user research professionals.

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Sebastian Rindé

Scaling Software & Product teams for VCs, startups, and enterprises.
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Good ol' University of YouTube is probably the best online resource for user research mentoring. First, it's free. Second, it's filled with information and advice from some of the world's smartest minds. There are videos that help break down high-level ideas and processes further to assist in increasing your level of understanding about each concept.

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Rabinder Singh Johar

Deputy Head- Industry Outreach, BITS Design School Mumbai
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Enrolling in online courses focused on user research offers a structured and guided approach to learning from experts in the field. These courses typically cover essential aspects of user research, providing a comprehensive understanding of methodologies, techniques, and best practices. Here are some key benefits and details about the mentioned courses: *Focuses on planning, executing, and analyzing user research. *Taught by experienced professionals *Provides guidance on conducting effective user research for UX design. *Covers the foundational aspects of user research, including defining goals, selecting methods, and sharing findings. *Offers mentor support and facilitates community discussions for a more interactive learning experience.

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Shay Cannon 🏳️🌈

UX/UI Designer l Designer
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Relevant courses with renowned teachers in the field. In addition to participating in lectures where there is a rich opportunity for networking and exchanging experiences.

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2 Online communities

Another way to gain user research mentoring and coaching is to join online communities that offer the opportunity to network and collaborate with those who have similar interests and goals. UX Coffee Hours, UX Research and Strategy, and User Research Academy are some examples of online communities that provide user research mentoring. UX Coffee Hours connects you with UED mentors and coaches who can offer advice, feedback, and support on your user research projects and career development. UX Research and Strategy organizes events, workshops, and webinars on user research topics, providing a space for user researchers to exchange ideas, insights, and resources. User Research Academy provides user research training, mentoring, and coaching programs as well as access to a network of user research experts and peers.

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Lovish Bandwal

Sr Product Designer at Swiggy (Growth) | Delivery | Mentor | IIIT | Musician
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I frequently advise mentees to explore diverse design and market perspectives using platforms like ADPList. These platforms offer insights from industry experts on UX Research with market trends and enriching experiences crucial for future professional development.

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Shay Cannon 🏳️🌈

UX/UI Designer l Designer
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In my experience, participating in groups focused on user-centered design is fundamental to expanding my ability to absorb knowledge.

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3 Online tools

If you're looking for user research mentoring and coaching, online tools can provide templates, checklists, guides, and feedback mechanisms to help you plan, execute, and improve your user research process and outcomes. User Interviews is a tool that helps you find, schedule, and compensate participants for your user research studies, as well as manage your research projects and data. UserZoom enables you to conduct and analyze various types of user research with insights from experts. Optimal Workshop allows you to create and run user research activities with reports and suggestions on how to improve your information architecture and navigation.

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4 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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What are the most effective online resources for user research mentoring?

1

2

3

4

1 Online courses

2 Online communities

3 Online tools

4 Here’s what else to consider

User Experience Design

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What are the most effective online resources for user research mentoring?

1

2

3

4

1 Online courses

2 Online communities

3 Online tools

4 Here’s what else to consider

User Experience Design

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