Can an individual be both a UX researcher and a UX Designer? Can a person switch between the two sides in their career journeys? Or do companies prefer to have deep specialisation in either but not both?

The honest answer is: it depends on the size of the pond. At smaller studios, one person often does everything — research, synthesis, wireframes, the whole journey. At larger organisations, roles bifurcate sharply. There are specialists who only do hair textures in games. The same logic applies to UX — someone who only does diary studies, someone else who only does interaction design.

But here is what I have noticed across many conversations: the most interesting practitioners tend to carry both instincts, even when their title says only one thing. Research sharpens your design eye. Design gives your research something to fight for.

The career question answers itself with time. Start broad. Specialise when the work demands it, not before.