The Biggest Mistakes I’ve Made (and Learned From) in UX Research

By Philip Burgess – UX Research Leader

When you’ve been doing UX research for 20 years, you’ve got a few wins—and a few face-palm moments. I’ve learned more from my missteps than my successes, so here are the big ones:

1. Overloading reports with data instead of insights. Early in my career, I thought more data meant more credibility. I’d create 60-slide decks full of charts… only to have stakeholders ask, “So… what do we do?”

   • Lesson: Always lead with the “So what?” before showing the “How we know.”

2. Assuming stakeholders read the brief. I once ran a large-scale study assuming everyone understood the research goals. They didn’t. The result was mismatched expectations.

   • Lesson: Restate the goals—over and over—until you’re sure everyone’s aligned.

3. Not speaking the business language. I used to focus only on user impact. But executives often care just as much about ROI, retention, or cost savings.

   • Lesson: Frame findings in terms of business outcomes and user value.

Mistakes aren’t failures—they’re stepping stones to mastery. The important part is learning fast and sharing those lessons with others.