Why Freelance UX Researchers are Critical Now

Organizations and their UX research teams are hard at work finding the way forward in this changing economy. While many teams have downsized, the most mature organizations have invested heavily in differentiating their product or solution offerings by redoubling efforts to connect with customers to understand their evolving goals, needs, expectations, and gaps. Because of all this, freelancers play a key role in this space in the following ways:

Freelancers help organizations fail smarter and faster – and hopefully less frequently
Organizations that want to try new ideas quickly often rely on freelancers to provide extra momentum and time to derisk solutions and course-correct more quickly. Freelancers bring a wealth of experience and skill to figuring strategies that align with organizational goals while driving innovation.  

Fractional leadership: growing the practice one hour at a time
Startups and immature companies may not need the full-time services of a leader. Bringing in fractional leadership enables organizations to bring focused energy and expertise to accelerate UX research maturity. They can map out the territory, build a foundation, and provide guidance on bringing on additional resources when the right opportunities surface.

Freelancers are the global talent pool
Remote work is transforming how organizations build teams and work. Global talent with just the right combination of location, experience, and availability enables organizations to work nimbly and teams that can pivot as needed.

The current circumstances offer a unique opportunity to continue to evolve the practice of UX research. The winners coming out of this downturn will be those organizations that focus on the right problems alongside their customers. UX research freelancers are the right people to provide data and insights that drive better decisions.