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User Research and Design

4.7(3,800)·170K enrolled
Intermediate 12 hours English Course Certificate Certificate

About this course

User Research and Design from the University of Michigan covers the research methods that separate intentional UX decisions from guesswork: contextual inquiry, semi-structured interviews, diary studies, surveys, card sorting, and usability testing. Clifford Lampe grounds the methods in their underlying research logic rather than just walking through tool mechanics — you come away understanding not just how to run an interview but what an interview is actually good for versus a survey versus observation.

Most UX courses spend their time on wireframes and prototypes, skipping the research phase that should precede them. This course fills that gap — it's a natural next step for learners who've completed Google's UX Design Certificate and want research methodology depth, or who want to specialize toward a UX researcher rather than designer role.

What you'll learn

Design and conduct semi-structured user interviews
Conduct contextual inquiry and observational research
Design and analyze surveys for UX research purposes
Run card sorting and tree testing sessions
Conduct usability tests and synthesize findings into design recommendations

This course includes

12h
On-demand video
Yes
Certificate
Yes
Mobile access
English
Language
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Instructor

CL
Clifford Lampe
Coursera instructor
170K+ learners6 courses4.7 instructor rating

Taught by Clifford Lampe, Professor at the University of Michigan School of Information, whose research focuses on social computing and human-computer interaction.

Requirements

  • Basic familiarity with UX design concepts helpful but not required

Who this course is for

  • UX designers who want to strengthen their research methodology skills
  • Aspiring UX researchers who want academic research methods grounding
  • Product managers who work closely with UX and want to understand the research process

About this provider

CO
Coursera
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Frequently asked questions

UX researchers focus on understanding user needs, behavior, and mental models through structured research methods; UX designers apply those insights to create interfaces. Many practitioners do both, but larger organizations have dedicated researchers.
It focuses on methodology rather than specific tools — the research design, how to conduct and analyze findings from interviews, surveys, and usability tests — applicable regardless of which platform you use to run them.
Free to audit; a paid certificate is available through Coursera.
Paid
Free to audit, paid certificate
Enroll now