Cory Lebson

Successful UX professionals help improve technology so that it’s more efficient, effective, and satisfying for users. But where does a career in UX really start and what kind of background do you need?

In this course, join UX expert Cory Lebson as he breaks down the various subfields of user experience that form the trifecta of design, research, and strategy—so you can understand the variety of available jobs to find a role that aligns with your strengths and passions. Cory helps you… Show more

Successful UX professionals help improve technology so that it’s more efficient, effective, and satisfying for users. But where does a career in UX really start and what kind of background do you need?

In this course, join UX expert Cory Lebson as he breaks down the various subfields of user experience that form the trifecta of design, research, and strategy—so you can understand the variety of available jobs to find a role that aligns with your strengths and passions. Cory helps you understand job responsibilities as well as the benefits of working full-time for a company, consulting, or freelancing. Learn how to create a more compelling resume and a portfolio that tells a story about your journey as a UX professional. Along the way, gather insights and focused career advice, with tips for recruiters and employers. Get a better understanding of UX through a critical framework that can also help students and those in other professions who are exploring the next steps in their careers. Show less

No matter how much fun you’re having as a UX professional, you may wonder how much your work actually helps people. In this course, instructor Cory Lebson details how to take better care of your users, your colleagues, and yourself—and, in turn, find a pathway forward to a more meaningful, resonant design career.

Cory explains what it means to design for good and approach your work with a do-no-harm mentality. He also shares practical ways you can make a difference with your product's… Show more

No matter how much fun you’re having as a UX professional, you may wonder how much your work actually helps people. In this course, instructor Cory Lebson details how to take better care of your users, your colleagues, and yourself—and, in turn, find a pathway forward to a more meaningful, resonant design career.

Cory explains what it means to design for good and approach your work with a do-no-harm mentality. He also shares practical ways you can make a difference with your product's users, find more fulfillment within your team and organization, and contribute back to the design community (and your organization!). Plus, learn how to determine when finding a new job, project, or team might be the most positive step forward for your career. Show less

Managing stakeholders in a UX project can be a tricky balance of disclosure, efficiency, and social influence. In this course, Cory Lebson explains his techniques, tips, and processes for managing the various stakeholders involved in UX research projects. Cory covers important topics that include: the role of a stakeholder in UX research projects; when and why to involve your stakeholders in the process; how to collaborate with stakeholders to plan research and data gathering; how to allow… Show more

Managing stakeholders in a UX project can be a tricky balance of disclosure, efficiency, and social influence. In this course, Cory Lebson explains his techniques, tips, and processes for managing the various stakeholders involved in UX research projects. Cory covers important topics that include: the role of a stakeholder in UX research projects; when and why to involve your stakeholders in the process; how to collaborate with stakeholders to plan research and data gathering; how to allow stakeholder observers in research sessions without clutter; and addresses the potential impact of socializing with stakeholders. Show less

Research is typically an interactive hands-on process. But with so much currently happening in our distributed, post-pandemic world, it’s important to keep a few points in mind so you can keep taking care of yourself. In this course, instructor and UX expert Cory Lebson gives you an overview of the key considerations, challenges, and best practices for productive, remote research.

Learn about planning and conducting successful research projects during troubling global times, with… Show more

Research is typically an interactive hands-on process. But with so much currently happening in our distributed, post-pandemic world, it’s important to keep a few points in mind so you can keep taking care of yourself. In this course, instructor and UX expert Cory Lebson gives you an overview of the key considerations, challenges, and best practices for productive, remote research.

Learn about planning and conducting successful research projects during troubling global times, with strategies for recruitment, flexibility, logistics, and mixed methods to keep everyone safe when meeting in person or using a hybrid approach. Cory shares insights on how to take care of yourself and manage your emotions throughout the process, mitigating risk and stress in tricky research sessions, and practicing kindness every step of the way. Show less

If you do UX research, you often find that projects don’t go quite the way you plan. Technology glitches, last-minute changes, unpredictable participants, and last minute tweaks to a script—there’s always something that you didn’t anticipate. In this course, instructor Cory Lebson explores what can go wrong and what you can do about it to make sure that your UX research efforts are ultimately successful.

Discover strategies for scheduling, planning, and responding to problems as you… Show more

If you do UX research, you often find that projects don’t go quite the way you plan. Technology glitches, last-minute changes, unpredictable participants, and last minute tweaks to a script—there’s always something that you didn’t anticipate. In this course, instructor Cory Lebson explores what can go wrong and what you can do about it to make sure that your UX research efforts are ultimately successful.

Discover strategies for scheduling, planning, and responding to problems as you research within a fast-paced and often agile environment. Learn how to prepare for unanticipated challenges and accommodate them most effectively. Get tips for dealing with participants, technology issues, and other unforeseen events. Cory covers what you need to know to better manage your stakeholders’ expectations when surprises emerge. Show less

This second edition of The UX Careers Handbook offers you all the great advice of the first edition—freshly updated—plus a new chapter on critical soft skills, much more on becoming a UX leader, and a 17th user experience (UX) career pathway.

The UX Careers Handbook, Second Edition, offers you an insider’s advice on learning, personal branding, networking skills, building your resume and portfolio, and actually landing that UX job you want, as well as an in-depth look at what it takes to… Show more

This second edition of The UX Careers Handbook offers you all the great advice of the first edition—freshly updated—plus a new chapter on critical soft skills, much more on becoming a UX leader, and a 17th user experience (UX) career pathway.

The UX Careers Handbook, Second Edition, offers you an insider’s advice on learning, personal branding, networking skills, building your resume and portfolio, and actually landing that UX job you want, as well as an in-depth look at what it takes to get into and succeed in a UX career.

Whether your interests include design, information architecture, strategy, research, UX writing, or any of the other core UX skillsets, you’ll find a wealth of resources in this book. Show less

Do you ever feel like there’s a disconnect between your products and the rest of the world? While it’s certainly easier and more affordable to conduct your UX research close to home, it’s also critically important to consider how a global audience may understand and use your products differently. In this course, instructor Cory Lebson gives you an overview of how to conduct international user research with this wider audience.

Learn about how to pitch and validate international projects… Show more

Do you ever feel like there’s a disconnect between your products and the rest of the world? While it’s certainly easier and more affordable to conduct your UX research close to home, it’s also critically important to consider how a global audience may understand and use your products differently. In this course, instructor Cory Lebson gives you an overview of how to conduct international user research with this wider audience.

Learn about how to pitch and validate international projects to your managers, executives, and stakeholders. Get tips on conducting both remote and in-person real-time studies in another country—perhaps in a language you don’t even speak. Cory walks through everything you need to know to set up a portable international research kit, build in-country relationships, and create an effective workflow. The world is big. So why think small? Start your adventure today and learn more about how you can support meaningful user research experiences and gather new insights on a global scale. Show less

Learn about how to build your empathy skills and create a culture of empathy that enhances user experience and promotes product success. Author Cory Lebson starts by defining empathy and explores how it can help UX professionals, designers, and researchers understand customers’ needs and goals. He moves on to explain how empathy skills can be developed and discusses how to foster empathy and engage stakeholders with empathetic storytelling through the project lifecycle. Cory also covers why… Show more

Learn about how to build your empathy skills and create a culture of empathy that enhances user experience and promotes product success. Author Cory Lebson starts by defining empathy and explores how it can help UX professionals, designers, and researchers understand customers’ needs and goals. He moves on to explain how empathy skills can be developed and discusses how to foster empathy and engage stakeholders with empathetic storytelling through the project lifecycle. Cory also covers why empathy is critical for effective user research and design, how to manage difficult emotions while remaining empathetic, and how to be an empathy advocate. Show less

UX professionals help shape your product into something your users will love. You need people with the creative skills to meet your business goals. But how do you determine which UX skills your team needs—design, research, or strategy? And how can you tell if a freelancer, full-time employee, or design agency would be the best fit? Whether your team needs to recruit more UX talent—or you want to better support the team you already have—this course can help. Join Cory Lebson as he provides a… Show more

UX professionals help shape your product into something your users will love. You need people with the creative skills to meet your business goals. But how do you determine which UX skills your team needs—design, research, or strategy? And how can you tell if a freelancer, full-time employee, or design agency would be the best fit? Whether your team needs to recruit more UX talent—or you want to better support the team you already have—this course can help. Join Cory Lebson as he provides a holistic take on hiring, contracting, and retaining UX professionals. Learn about the different specialties within UX, how to determine what kind of help you need, and how to find that help. Plus, get strategies for cultivating a work environment where creatives can thrive. Show less

Freelancing provides you with the freedom to choose your clients and UX projects, and—as you enjoy this increased flexibility—it can potentially help you increase your earnings as well. In this course, join Cory Lebson as he takes you through the ins and outs of becoming a successful user experience freelancer. He provides a brief introduction to life as a UX freelancer, and shares tips and tricks for maintaining a successful independent UX career.

How can you be a successful UX freelancer? This course provides guidance to both experienced freelancers and those who have recently entered the world of freelancing, helping you to scale up your projects and clients. Cory Lebson explains what critical skills can enhance your workflow and help make you more successful. He discusses how to manage your workload, keep your pipeline full, and reliably produce high-quality deliverables as you effectively work with stakeholders and extended teams.

User experience is a rewarding career. Successful UX professionals can improve technology so that it is more efficient, effective, and satisfying for those that use it. But where does a career in UX start?

In this course, UX expert Cory Lebson breaks down the sub-disciplines of user experience (the trifecta of design, research, and strategy), so you can learn about the different jobs that align with your strengths and passions. Cory helps you understand job responsibilities as well as… Show more

User experience is a rewarding career. Successful UX professionals can improve technology so that it is more efficient, effective, and satisfying for those that use it. But where does a career in UX start?

In this course, UX expert Cory Lebson breaks down the sub-disciplines of user experience (the trifecta of design, research, and strategy), so you can learn about the different jobs that align with your strengths and passions. Cory helps you understand job responsibilities as well as the benefits of working full-time for a company vs. consulting or freelancing. With his guidance, you can create a more compelling resume and portfolio package and make sure that you properly brand yourself as a UX professional.

This course offers focused career advice for job seekers, tips for recruiters and employers who want to better understand UX, and a necessary framework for grad/undergrad students exploring the next step in their career. Along the way, Cory highlights training in the library to build specific UX skills. Show less

Freelancers Onboarding Freelancers (10/31/16)
How to create a culture of accessibility (8/30/16)
Race and gender as usability testing screening filters? (6/6/16)
Why UX careers are like cheesecake: Book cover revealed! (2/18/16)
Is bigger better when you’re a freelancer? (1/14/16)

* Please Stop Trying to Explain the Difference Between UX and UI Design (9/1/15)
* Getting close! A UX Careers Handbook Update (7/14/15)
* Politically Sensitive UX Issues (3/19/15)
* Reflections on Meeting Myself – 24 Years Later. (3/5/15)
* UX Careers Handbook: March Update. (3/2/15)

* Announcing the UX Careers Book Project (Come join me!) (12/15/14)
* Don’t be a UX perfectionist. Just do your best. (9/29/14)
* Recruiter FAQ: No full-time permanence but always interested in talking! (8/25/14)
* Teaching Basics of UX/Career Adventure: What Are The Required Skills? (8/01/14)
* Nonsensical UX: The Strange Case of an Elevator Touch Screen (6/25/14)
* How sophisticated should your usability test participants be? (6/16/14)
* Everyone can use a mentor… Show more

* Announcing the UX Careers Book Project (Come join me!) (12/15/14)
* Don’t be a UX perfectionist. Just do your best. (9/29/14)
* Recruiter FAQ: No full-time permanence but always interested in talking! (8/25/14)
* Teaching Basics of UX/Career Adventure: What Are The Required Skills? (8/01/14)
* Nonsensical UX: The Strange Case of an Elevator Touch Screen (6/25/14)
* How sophisticated should your usability test participants be? (6/16/14)
* Everyone can use a mentor (6/9/14)
* Lessons learned from five weeks “on the bench” (3/20/14)
* Focus Groups are useful for UX research – to a point (3/13/14)
* Get Out There to Advance Your Career + Real Networking: A Winning Combination (3/5/14)
* Tips & Techniques for UX Professionals: Introverts, Ambiverts and Shyness (1/22/14) Show less

* Diversify Your User Experience Career (12/16/13)
* The Mash-It-Up Expert Review: Training and Analysis Combined (12/3/13)
* Assessing Mobile Accessibility for Screen Readers (10/28/13)
* My Most Memorable Usability Test Participants (10/18/13)
* The Value of User Research for Accessibility Evaluations (10/15/13)
* Create Your UX News Feed (9/4/13)
* Adaptive Instruction: Tailoring a Usability Course on the Fly (8/1/13)
* Ignite Talks, Jello and Flexibility in User… Show more

* Diversify Your User Experience Career (12/16/13)
* The Mash-It-Up Expert Review: Training and Analysis Combined (12/3/13)
* Assessing Mobile Accessibility for Screen Readers (10/28/13)
* My Most Memorable Usability Test Participants (10/18/13)
* The Value of User Research for Accessibility Evaluations (10/15/13)
* Create Your UX News Feed (9/4/13)
* Adaptive Instruction: Tailoring a Usability Course on the Fly (8/1/13)
* Ignite Talks, Jello and Flexibility in User Research: UXPA 2013 (7/30/13)
* User Experience Blogging Benefits: A retrospective (4/15/13)
* Web content for Senior Disaster Survivors: Research Findings (4/9/13)
* Lebsontech LLC: Keeping it in the Family (4/7/13)
* Staying Under the Radar: A Business Strategy (2/25/13) Show less

* Come join me on a UX adventure in 2013! (11/26/12)
* On Being a Local UX Leader: Lessons Learned (8/13/12)
* Twitter for User Experience Professionals (7/5/12)
* LinkedIn for User Experience Professionals (6/18/12)
* User Experience as a moral imperative? (6/11/12)
* Translations and Transitions from English Web Content (4/3/12)
* Integrated Networking: People come to events when they know people (2/27/12)
* Usability: What a Project Manager Needs to Know - Part 2… Show more

* Come join me on a UX adventure in 2013! (11/26/12)
* On Being a Local UX Leader: Lessons Learned (8/13/12)
* Twitter for User Experience Professionals (7/5/12)
* LinkedIn for User Experience Professionals (6/18/12)
* User Experience as a moral imperative? (6/11/12)
* Translations and Transitions from English Web Content (4/3/12)
* Integrated Networking: People come to events when they know people (2/27/12)
* Usability: What a Project Manager Needs to Know - Part 2 (2/21/12)
* "But our job gives you benefits!" (How much are those benefits really worth?) (2/14/12)
* Usability: What a Project Manager Needs to Know - Part 1(2/8/12)
* If I could just pick one usability participant for the client to observe, whom would I pick? (1/4/12) Show less

* On the Importance of a Good Logger in Qualitative Research (12/22/11)
* How do you convince them to see the world through a different lens? (12/12/11)
* How many trainers does it take to do UX training? (11/18/11)
* How well do they listen? Results of a meta-analysis of usability recommendations ? (11/9/11)
* Should you keep asking the question after you know the answer? (9/15/11)
* Usability as Sociology: How the Perspectives of Tornado Survivors Differ from those of Other… Show more

* On the Importance of a Good Logger in Qualitative Research (12/22/11)
* How do you convince them to see the world through a different lens? (12/12/11)
* How many trainers does it take to do UX training? (11/18/11)
* How well do they listen? Results of a meta-analysis of usability recommendations ? (11/9/11)
* Should you keep asking the question after you know the answer? (9/15/11)
* Usability as Sociology: How the Perspectives of Tornado Survivors Differ from those of Other Major Disasters (8/14/11)
* How Much Should a Small Business Owner Pretend? (8/6/11)
* Critical Importance of Usability at FEMA: Before, During and After a Disaster (8/1/11)
* Evangelizing Usability at FEMA: Training Those Who Create Disaster-Related Websites (7/27/11)
* Is Qualitative User Research at Risk for International Outsourcing? (5/31/11)
* User Research and Emotional Awareness (5/15/11)
* Professional History and Serendipity (4/4/11)
* On Heuristic Reviews & Checklists (3/28/11)
* Colleagues or Competitors? (3/24/11)
* On the Importance of Body Language in User Research (2/14/11)
* Love Your Client, Like Yourself (2/4/11)
* Preparing a Home Office for Disaster (1/30/11)
* Experiential Usability Learning (1/19/11) Show less