Whether you’re looking to get authentic feedback with qualitative research, avoid costly mistakes later in development with prototype testing, or maximize usability, research is the heart of your product’s journey—and the key to its success.
When conducted early and often, user research is a powerful tool to gather valuable insight throughout the product development process.
This collection will take you through the essentials for your product and user research journey, including what research methods to consider, how to ask the right research questions, real-life research case studies, and how to build a culture of curiosity within your organization.
Let’s get into it.
Research 101
Understanding research methods
Laying the foundation for research
Your research toolbox
The best user research questions and how to ask them
To get the right insights, you need to ask the right questions. Here’s the best user research questions to start gathering feedback right away.
Further reading + examples
What is the role of a UX researcher?
What is the role of a UX researcher?
The role of a UX researcher is to investigate user behavior, pain points, and expectations to help product teams make informed decisions and develop products that provide value. UX researchers use qualitative and quantitative methods to understand customer needs and motivations. They then analyze the data collected to identify trends and patterns that will inform the design and product development process.
What are UX research methods?
What are UX research methods?
UX researchers employ different research methods to understand who users are, what they need, and how they behave. Common UX research methods are usability testing, user interviews, surveys, card sorting, tree testing, field studies, and more.
What tools do UX researchers use?
What tools do UX researchers use?
Some common tools that UX researchers use include tools for usability testing, user interviews, surveys, card sorting, tree testing, and first-click testing. A UX research tool stack may also include solutions for recruiting participants, documenting research, and transcribing interviews. Other examples are analytics and heat-mapping tools and remote user testing tools.
What is a UX research plan?
What is a UX research plan?
A user research plan is a document that acts as an overview and helps kick off the project. It should be co-created and shared with key stakeholders so that everyone on the product team is familiar with the project’s timeline, goals, and scope.
Is UX research different from UX design?
Is UX research different from UX design?
UX research is different from UX design: Where UX design is about designing the user experience, UX research is about understanding what the ideal user experience is, and gathering information about your user’s experience.
How do I practice UX research?
How do I practice UX research?
There are a variety of methods that you can use throughout your research process. You’ve likely heard the saying: practice makes perfect—and that applies to UX.
Continuous self-improvement and learning are key to becoming a UX research expert. Staying on top of industry trends and developments, reading the latest UX literature, and following the top UX industry experts will help you develop your skills and UX network.
What is UX research strategy?
What is UX research strategy?
A UX research strategy is the overarching plan for everything your business does related to UX research, including what research you do, how you approach research, and any research principles.
Is UX research difficult?
Is UX research difficult?
There are parts of UX research that are tough—but those parts depend on your skills and experience. UX research is a lot easier when you’ve got the required UX research methods and resources for making it happen.