OCCUPATION COMPARISON & INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW PREPARATION

Occupation Comparison Between UX Researcher and Product Manager:


A UX Researcher focuses on understanding user behavior, needs, and intuitive navigation decisions. Their primary responsibilities include defining research goals, selecting and applying appropriate research methods (such as usability testing, interviews, and surveys), recruiting participants, and gathering both qualitative and quantitative data. Then, they will communicate to the design and product teams to improve the user experience. The role requires strong communication and analytical skills as well as empathy for users (Panchenko, 2024). Whereas, A Product Manager is responsible for guiding a product from conception through development and ultimately to production. Their main job are setting the product vision and strategy, creating roadmaps, prioritizing features based on customer needs and market research, and coordinating cross-functional teams. They also need to have strong analytical skills to interpret user feedback and market trends, thus enabling iterative improvements to the product (Aston, 2024).

I am interested in both these two roles because they each involve a deep understanding of user needs and the ability to communicate insights effectively. My self-assessments have shown that I value strong communication and technology skills, thus both two roles align with my abilities. They both prioritize understanding the user. The UX Researcher gathers insights directly from users, while the Product Manager uses these insights to shape product strategy. However, the main difference between these two roles is that Product Manager will need to consider more about marketing, where UX Researchers mainly focusing on data collection and analysis to improve the design process. While they both align with my interests, there are limited opportunity in both position realistically. Therefore, I will continue to develop analytical and leadership skills to make myself better fit with them.

References: 

Aston, B. (2024, October 21). Just a moment. Just a moment. https://theproductmanager.com/topics/what-does-a-product-manager-do/

Panchenko, M. (2024, March 25). What does a UX researcher do and when do you need one? SaaS UI/UX Design Agency – Eleken. https://www.eleken.co/blog-posts/what-does-a-ux-researcher-do



Information interview: Potential Contacts


  1. Zixi Su (Digital Product Manager)

    1. Double Majoring in Psychology & Cognitive Science

    2. Previously worked in Lingxin Intelligence (AI chat-bot, and DTx in mental health (CBT/Depression-focused)

    3. Interview Questions:

      1. What’s the average day of an intern like? What kind of responsibilities could I take on?

      2. What sort of mentoring opportunities are there? 

      3. What sort of skills and qualities do you think make someone a successful researcher?

      4. How do you set research goals?

      5. Where does research happen in the product development timeline?



  1. Isabel Bowman (Lead Product Designer)

    1. Master of Information (UXD);Double Majoring in Psychology & Cognitive Science

    2. Currently work in TeachAid (edtech product with AI powered assistant)

    3. Interview Questions:

      1. How did you get started in UX design, and what first made you interested?

      2. What do you like about your job?

      3. Are there any challenges you faced in your career?

      4. What advice would you give to someone just starting out in UX?

      5. How do you deal with the emergence of AI since it potentially can take most of the job of UX Design?