Perspectives on UX Practices for American Entrepreneurs: A Survey of User Engagement Approaches to Innovation

Ryan Weber University of Alabama in Huntsville ; John Spartz

Abstract

This article explores how entrepreneurs engage users in innovation in order to identify collaboration opportunities between entrepreneurship and technical and professional communication (TPC) scholars interested in user experience (UX). This article surveyed American entrepreneurs (N = 100) asking when and how they involve users in product development. The results suggest that most entrepreneurs do engage users to drive innovation and understand their markets, but do so largely through informal means. Our research suggests that UX can serve as a connection point for TPC scholars and entrepreneurs, especially if TPC emphasizes the role of UX in innovation and offers entrepreneurs efficient yet reliable user-research methodologies.

Journal
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published
2025-04-01
DOI
10.1177/00472816241230069
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