Contracting as an UX Researcher

Hello👋 to those who doesn’t know me. I’m Yu Tiffany Morimoto and am currently a full-time UX Research and Design Lead at CureApp - a Japanese digital therapeutics start-up.

Today, I’m not here to chat about who I am. If you would like to get to know me, feel free to book a call through my Calendly link. I’m here to share my experiences as a contract or a freelance UX Researcher. I’m hoping that this article will give you hints to take contract/freelance work and gain hands-on experiences that adds or supplements your UXR skillset.

When did I start?

I started in March 2021 and still going

How did I get into it?

I’ve joined few online UX communities online and replied to messages when a person or a company were looking for a short-term UX Researcher who can help with a Japanese/English bilingual related project. At the same time, I learned about Upwork and started to accept a few projects from there as well.

Now, I am introduced by my networks and accept projects that’s doable with the time I have.

Why do I do it?

There’s quite a need in Japanese/English bilingual UX Researchers. I know this because I’ve also worked as a full-time UX Researcher at a Japanese-American design agency. It gives me joy to help companies better understand about their local consumers and optimize/localize their products to fit their audiences.

How do I do it?

I work on these projects as my hobby. I’m not financially dependent on the projects I work on. I have a full-time job that I make sure to prioritize and with the free time I have outside of my full-time, I take on side projects.

Things to be cautious about:

I’m by no means an expert or knowledgeable in the legalities or finances of things. I have great support from external partners and friends who teach me about these things. That being said, here are the things I would research beforehand before accepting contract work.

• Taxes

  • Are they going to pay the taxes for you? Are you paying the taxes during tax season?

• Liability

  • Do they require you to be a company? How are you going to protect yourself?

• Non-compete agreements

  • Does the contract or project “compete” with the current or recent works?

• Non-disclosure agreements

  • Do they allow you to include the project into your portfolio? How much could you utilize the project for your career?

• Payment structure

  • If you’re dependent on this payment, make sure to know when and how you will be getting paid

Still have questions?

Feel free to reach out to me! I’d love to share my experiences with you. Book a call with me through my Calendly link.