Summary
A situated practice for training, transforming and leveling up UX researchers in Latin America. I was frustrated with my efforts training new UX researchers. Hours spent on presenting theories, methods, analyzing them, and timidly practicing knowledge did not necessarily translate into the successful implementation of that knowledge in the practice. In the last two years, moving away from traditional learning, we have been designing, implementing, and analyzing a professional training strategy for UX researchers in Mexico and in Latin America. Our approach balances: Training professionals without previous experience on UX research, our Practicing Learners path. Training professionals with two or more years of experience in UX design/research, our Learning Practitioners path.
Key Insights
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Becoming a UX researcher is a continuous, never-ending process rather than a fixed state of being.
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In Latin America, universities generally fail to provide adequate, practical UX research training connected to industry.
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Entry-level UX researcher jobs and formal pathways in companies are mostly absent, creating a gap in professional development.
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Experientia’s UX Researcher Apprentice Program is a free, six-month hands-on training combining foundational learning and real client projects.
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Professional seminars require paid admission and offer intensive, literature-based instruction combined with practice over two months.
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Candidate backgrounds do not need to be related to UX; people from physics, marketing, psychology, and more can transition successfully.
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Learning happens progressively during projects rather than being fully completed beforehand.
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Collaborative work, peer support, and co-writing are emphasized to help build a community instead of isolated practitioners.
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Perfectionism is discouraged; the focus is on delivering workable results within real-world time constraints, often weekly.
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Fostering curiosity and local contribution is key to developing the UX research field beyond merely adopting Western methods.
Notable Quotes
"Be is something you think you will reach at some point, but become is a process that will never end."
"Typical training paths are broken in Latin America, with universities doing a very bad job on UX research education."
"Companies don’t offer entry-level positions for UX researchers; there is a lot of informality in hiring and roles."
"The UX Researcher Apprentice Program is very practical, intense, formal, and completely free for students."
"It doesn’t matter what you studied; we welcome people from all backgrounds like physics, psychology, or marketing."
"You will not complete all your learning before the project; you learn as you go based on the project needs."
"Learning to work as a group instead of individuals is a big shift and very important in our programs."
"Fight against perfectionism — do your best and ship your work on time, even if it’s a work in progress."
"We want participants to be curious and not just absorb what people in the US or Europe do but to contribute locally."
"The question is how can organizations move from a ‘be’ mindset to a ‘become’ mindset when developing UX professionals."
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