Creating a research-driven strategy to boost the engagement of a UX design community
Her UX Path goal is to be a supportive space for aspiring UX designers to grow, connect, and navigate their journey with confidence.
The community hosts workshops, webinars, and conferences, focused on topics such as job search, resume and portfolio creation, and other career-building resources.
My Role
UX Researcher
Timeline
March - June 2025
Team
Khrys O., Founder
Andrijana Š., UX Researcher
Elizabeth K., UX Researcher
Solomiya O., UX Researcher
Thea H., UX Researcher
problem statement
As Her UX Path grows, the founder wants to better understand how the community can effectively support designers, whether they’re just starting out, pivoting into UX, or navigating career challenges.
OUTCOME
Our research revealed that many designers feel isolated and seek more organic, peer-to-peer connections. This insight led us to recommend a buddy program tailored to match members based on their skills, experience, and interests. As a result, just 3 weeks after the project wrap-up, over 40 designers have already been paired up for coffee chats, fostering new friendships and a stronger sense of belonging in UX.
groundwork for research
Before diving into the research, we met with the founder to align on goals and talk through what we really needed to learn. That conversation helped surface more questions, like who our members actually are, what kind of support they’re looking for, and how we can make the community more helpful and inviting.
We narrowed things down to a few key questions to guide our research:
surveys
To better understand our users, we ran two separate surveys - one for current members and another for potential members. We reached out to current members through the community’s Discord channel and connected with potential members on LinkedIn. A total of 53 responses were gathered: 24 from current members and 29 from potential members (after filtering out 7 that didn’t meet the criteria).
General Information
Most respondents across both groups were either actively job-seeking or in the early stages of their UX careers, with beginner to intermediate experience levels.
Survey Insights - Challenges
Most respondents across both groups were either actively job-seeking or in the early stages of their UX careers, with beginner to intermediate experience levels.
By comparing responses side by side, we noticed some key differences in their challenges:
EXISTING MEMBERS
struggled most with finding job opportunities, improving their portfolios, filling skill gaps, and dealing with impostor syndrome
POTENTIAL MEMBERS
struggled with finding a job, networking, and gaining real-world experience
Despite the differences, both groups shared common values when it comes to design communities: they’re looking for networking opportunities, workshops for learning and skill-building, and hands-on project experience.
Key Insights - Her UX Path Community
By comparing responses side by side, we noticed some key differences in their challenges:
Interviews
At the end of our surveys, we invited participants to leave their contact info if they were open to chatting further. Out of 23 people who expressed interest, we were able to interview 8 (5 current members and 3 potential members). Some weren’t available or didn’t respond, which is common in volunteer-based research.
To guide our conversations, we created a set of general questions for everyone, along with a few tailored ones depending on whether the person was already part of Her UX Path or just learning about it. These interviews helped us dig deeper into their experiences, motivations, and what they’re really looking for in a UX community. Calls were held over Zoom and were recorded to help us accurately capture insights and revisit key moments during analysis.
Analysis
We combined all responses into one dataset and then grouped the insights based on relevance. Insights specifically related to Her UX Path were separated and analyzed through the lens of existing members, while feedback about other design communities was extracted from interviews with potential members. This allowed us to better understand each group’s unique perspectives and needs, while also identifying shared themes across the entire UX community.
Interview Insights
We combined all responses into one dataset and then grouped the insights based on relevance. Insights specifically related to Her UX Path were separated and analyzed through the lens of existing members, while feedback about other design communities was extracted from interviews with potential members. This allowed us to better understand each group’s unique perspectives and needs, while also identifying shared themes across the entire UX community.
The resulting AI-powered scheduling app offers a seamless user experience, allowing individuals and businesses to effortlessly manage their schedules.
Intelligent Scheduling
AI algorithms analyze user preferences, availability, and priorities to generate optimized schedules.
Calendar Integration
Seamless integration with popular calendar platforms such as Google Calendar and Outlook, ensuring synchronized scheduling across devices.
Personalization
Customizable settings allow users to tailor scheduling preferences and priorities to their unique needs.
Here, the outcomes and achievements of the project are highlighted, including user feedback, adoption rates, and industry recognition.
Increased Efficiency
Users report significant time savings and improved productivity through optimized scheduling recommendations.
Positive User Feedback
High user satisfaction ratings and positive reviews highlight the app's intuitive interface and powerful AI capabilities.
Growing User Base
The app quickly gained traction among individuals and businesses worldwide, with a steady increase in user adoption and engagement.