ux-researcher-designer

name	ux-researcher-designer
description	UX research and design toolkit for Senior UX Designer/Researcher including data-driven persona generation, journey mapping, usability testing frameworks, and research synthesis. Use for user research, persona creation, journey mapping, and design validation.

UX Researcher & Designer

Generate user personas from research data, create journey maps, plan usability tests, and synthesize research findings into actionable design recommendations.

When to apply

Use this skill when the operator wants to:

• Create a research-backed user persona.
• Build a customer or product journey map.
• Plan or analyze a usability test.
• Synthesize interviews, surveys, or observational research.
• Define user archetypes, empathy maps, or pain points.
• Calculate sample sizes or pick the right research method.

Trigger phrases include: "create user persona", "generate persona from data", "build customer journey map", "plan usability test", "synthesize interview findings", "calculate research sample size", "create empathy map".

Do not use this skill for: pure visual design, marketing personas based on purchase intent only, or product analytics without a research component.

Required input contract

Before producing any artifact, identify:

• Decision the artifact supports — what gets decided with this output.
• Audience — designer, PM, executive, customer-facing team.
• Source data available — interviews, surveys, analytics, support tickets, session recordings. Note volume and recency.
• Sample size and recency — drives confidence level and method choice.
• Privacy posture — consent recorded, retention window, redaction status.

If the operator requests a persona or journey map without ≥ 2 data sources, ask one sharp question to surface what data exists before drafting.

Method selection

Question Type	Best Method	Sample Size
"What do users do?"	Analytics, observation	100+ events
"Why do they do it?"	Interviews	8-15 users
"How well can they do it?"	Usability test	5-8 users
"What do they prefer?"	Survey, A/B test	50+ users
"What do they feel?"	Diary study, interviews	10-15 users

Extended table (longitudinal, segmented): references/research-workflow.md.

Core workflows

1. Generate User Persona

1. Prepare user data (JSON: demographics, usage, features, pain points).
2. Run python scripts/persona_generator.py (or json for machine output).
3. Review archetype, demographics, goals, frustrations with frequency counts, design implications.
4. Validate with 3-5 real users + cross-check support tickets + analytics.

2. Create Journey Map

1. Define scope: persona, goal, start, end, timeframe.
2. Gather data from interviews, recordings, analytics, support.
3. Map stages (e.g., Awareness → Evaluation → Onboarding → Adoption → Advocacy).
4. Fill layers per stage: Actions, Touchpoints, Emotions (1-5), Pain, Opportunities.
5. Score opportunities: Frequency × Severity × Solvability.

3. Plan Usability Test

1. Convert vague goals into testable questions.
2. Pick method (moderated 5-8 / unmoderated 10-20 / guerrilla 3-5).
3. Design tasks as scenario + goal + success criterion (not instructions).
4. Define success metrics (completion > 80%, time < 2×, error < 15%, satisfaction > 4/5).
5. Prepare moderator guide with think-aloud + non-leading prompts.

4. Synthesize Research

1. Code data: [GOAL], [PAIN], [BEHAVIOR], [CONTEXT], [QUOTE].
2. Cluster patterns (≥ 3 participants = pattern; below that = hypothesis).
3. Calculate segment sizes and viability.
4. Extract findings: statement + evidence + frequency + business impact + recommendation.
5. Prioritize opportunities by Frequency × Severity × Solvability (or FBS-S 4-axis).

Full step-by-step procedures: references/research-workflow.md. Templates (interview guide, survey, moderator script, empathy map, journey layers): references/methods-and-templates.md. Coding, finding statements, reporting templates: references/synthesis-and-artifacts.md.

Safety, privacy, and consent

• Treat all research data as PII by default.
• Obtain explicit recorded consent before any session; state purpose, recording, retention, anonymization, right to withdraw.
• Mask sensitive on-screen data before recording.
• Use participant IDs (P01, P02) in artifacts, not names.
• Apply retention window from consent (default 90 days raw / 12 months redacted).
• Never paste raw participant data into shared chat tools or third-party LLMs without an explicit data-handling check.
• Never re-identify pseudonymized participants, attribute quotes by name when consent was anonymous, or publish demographics that single out an individual in a small segment.
• Escalate findings that touch accessibility/age-gating compliance, retention or collection changes, or contradict recently shipped major decisions.

Full privacy detail: references/privacy-validation-and-troubleshooting.md.

Validation gates

Every artifact must pass its gate before being delivered.

Artifact	Gate
Persona	20+ users, ≥ 2 data sources, goals + frustrations (with frequency) + design implications + confidence stated
Journey map	Scope defined; based on real data; all 5 layers filled; opportunities prioritized
Usability test	Testable questions; tasks are scenarios not instructions; 5+ participants/design; success metrics defined; severity ratings on findings
Synthesis	Consistent coding; patterns ≥ 3 data points; findings carry evidence + frequency + business impact; recommendations actionable + prioritized

Full checklists: references/privacy-validation-and-troubleshooting.md.

Confidence and severity scales

Sample Size	Confidence	Use Case
5-10 users	Low	Exploratory
11-30 users	Medium	Directional
31+ users	High	Production

Severity	Definition	Action
4 - Critical	Prevents task completion	Fix immediately
3 - Major	Significant difficulty	Fix before release
2 - Minor	Causes hesitation	Fix when possible
1 - Cosmetic	Noticed but not problematic	Low priority

Output expectations

Request	You produce
"Create a persona"	Persona one-pager with goals, frustrations (with frequency), design implications, sample size, confidence
"Map the journey"	Journey one-pager with stages × layers + top 3 prioritized opportunities
"Plan a usability test"	Test plan: questions, method, tasks, success metrics, moderator guide
"Synthesize this research"	Readout: question, method/sample, top 3 findings with evidence, recommendations table, confidence + limitations

Worked examples for each: references/examples.md.

Tool reference

scripts/persona_generator.py

Argument	Values	Default	Description
format	(none), json	(none)	Output format

Archetypes: power_user, casual_user, business_user, mobile_first. Persona components, archetype signals, and sample output: references/methods-and-templates.md, references/examples.md.

Reference map

Need	Read
Full step-by-step for all 4 workflows + extended method selection	references/research-workflow.md
Interview / survey / moderator templates, archetypes, persona components, empathy map, journey layers	references/methods-and-templates.md
Coding scheme, clustering, finding statement, prioritization, reporting templates	references/synthesis-and-artifacts.md
Consent and privacy rules, validation checklists, anti-patterns, troubleshooting, escalation	references/privacy-validation-and-troubleshooting.md
Worked outputs: persona, journey, usability findings, readout	references/examples.md

Related skills

• product-team/ui-design-system/ — research findings inform design system decisions.
• product-team/product-manager-toolkit/ — customer interview analysis complements persona research.