User experience analysis is always going to require a human mind to synthesize the material. The problem is that automation eventually gets noticed by users, th

User experience analysis is always going to require a human mind to synthesize the material. The problem is that automation eventually gets noticed by users, thus automation implies to a user 'the programmers/whoever believes my mind and preferences can be automated'. That's always going to throw a wrench into automation. So yes, it's hard work that requires real thinking with a clear focus on the users and how the users feel about the software. Software needs to care about users if it is dependent on users for it's business model!