ABOUT

Tell us who you are!

Aershey Khan , 25, Junior User Researcher at Nexer Digital.

So what do you actually do?

As a user researcher I talk to people and find out why do they do certain things, a certain way. This can be a website, app or service or non-tech related like medication. I find out how people find, use, read, purchase things and why they do this in a particular way.

The idea is to get an understanding of the user's behaviour and apply that insight in creating or improving products, websites, apps, services and accessibility.

What has your career path been?

I did a biomedical science degree hoping to become a scientist however, the degree was interesting, but I didn't see myself working in a lab 9-5. So after I graduated, I transferred my skills and worked in the NHS for nearly 3 years as assistant medical secretary. I learnt a lot about the NHS, about the department and the financial challenges it faced, and the way doctors and nurses worked and the pressures they endured.

During those 3 years, my brother become an interaction designer and told me about digital careers. I looked up digital careers and came across the user researcher role which intrigued me. I learnt as much as I could about agile, research methods and user research. I then made my own cases based on the problems I experienced in the NHS and created my own portfolio. I went to a workshop held by Hippo Digital and attended events held by the Government Digital Service (GDS).

I started applying for junior user researcher jobs but I kept getting rejected due to my lack of experience but I persevered. I applied at Nexer and after an informal chat and a formal interview, I became part of their fantastic team!

What is the best part of your job?

I learn a lot from participants because essentially, they are the experts! I like observing how people use a website or app and why do they use it a particular way? I also learn what challenges people face when they have a condition or impairment and how important it is to make a website/app accessible for everyone.

I never stop learning and that's what makes it interesting! I work with different people in multidisciplinary teams who have different backgrounds, experiences and knowledge to me, which I can soak up and apply in my own line of work!

Why do you do your job?

As a user researcher I get to work on exciting projects - whether that's creating or redesigning websites or improving the accessibility of a site.

Each project has its own challenges and overcoming those challenges is what makes it interesting. Furthermore, I know that I'm helping to improve the overall experience and accessibility for users which makes it much more rewarding.

One piece of advice for someone starting in your role?

You will have spells of imposter syndrome but remember you have your own set of skills and strengths!

Keep a journal (I do mine on Notion) about your accomplishments. They can be as simple as learning a new tool or putting together a report. Keep a log and look at your progress! This will also come in handy when you want to make or update your portfolio. At Nexer, we have a cheers channel where people praise others. If I get praised, I take a screenshot of the praise and compile them together.

Any parting words?

In whatever field you are in, if you are interested in user research then start creating cases on the problems you have experienced or if you know someone else who has experienced them and assemble a portfolio. Furthermore, get your portfolio checked. I got mine checked at a Co-op digital event. Make sure you add the challenges you faced and how you overcame them.

Start networking with user researchers on Twitter and LinkedIn. Some jobs are posted on Twitter and LinkedIn. Some jobs come about after liaising with your network, and attend Eventbrite events workshops on digital, tech and user research.

Check out Aershey’s Twitter below!

DAY IN THE LIFE

Everyday is different - some days it's quiet whilst some days are really busy. I work from home most of the time however, there are days were I go to the office for face-to-face testing.

Typically the day starts off with checking emails and Microsoft Teams chats and channels. If I am planning and recruiting participants for a particular project then I set up a to do list and carry out admin tasks like creating consent forms, liaising with recruitment partners, filling out screeners and booking forms.

Each project is different so the research question or problem would be different too. Depending on the research questions, I plan and create a script for user interviews, or construct tasks for usability testing.

For the client, I set up overall schedules which include the date and times of testing and create virtual meeting session calls (if testing is remote), post session wrap calls (again, if remote). In these wrap calls the client and I discuss the main findings.

If there is face to face testing, then I set up cameras, equipment and carry out the recording and set up the spreadsheet for the participants' incentives.

During the session, I work with another user researcher, and we would take turns in facilitating (talking to the participant) or scribing (taking notes during the session). After all the sessions are over, the notes are analysed and we collate the main findings to try and answer the research questions. These questions include whether people could find the relevant information or could the users understand the information?

I may also present my findings to my team or to the client to notify them of how users generally used the site and mention if users struggled and where (if it the research was usability test). I also try and provide recommendations on how to improve their site or app.