User Research

Research

UX research focuses on understanding user behaviors, needs, and motivations through observation and feedback. Your product design should be built upon research and facts, not assumptions. UX research aligns what you, as the designer, think the user needs with what the user actually needs.

• Foundational research is always done before you start designing. your goal is to figure out what the user needs and how to address those needs with your product.

• Design research is done while you design. Each time you create a new version of your design, new research should be done to evaluate what works well and what needs to be changed.

• Post-launch research is done after the design is complete and your product has launched. help validate that the product is meeting user needs through established metrics.

Methods

Qualitative research is primarily collected through observations and conversations. →answers question like why?

Quantitative research focuses on data that can be gathered by counting or measuring. →answers question like what and how much

• Primary research is research you conduct yourself. Information from direct interactions with users, like interviews, surveys, or usability studies, are considered primary research.
• Secondary research is research that uses information someone else has put together. For example, using information from sources like books, articles, or journals is considered secondary research.

Empathize

Empathy is the ability to understand someone else’s feelings or thoughts in a situation.

How to empathize with users

• Ask lots of questions. Ask questions that begin with what, how, and why to gain a deeper understanding of your users’ perspective.

• Become more observant. Shift your focus to the whole user and not just the words they are using.

• Be an active listener. Active listening requires you to fully concentrate on, understand, and remember what is being said by the user you’re interacting with.

• Request input. It’s important that the feedback you receive is objective and unbiased.

• Have an open mind. We all have biases. Our goal is to understand users, not to complicate their feedback with your own opinions and emotions.

• Keep current on UX research Follow researchers and join online communities to stay up-to-date on the research that affects UX designers and the users you’re designing for.

Pain Points

Pain points are any UX issue or friction that blocks the user from getting what they need. →Minimizing pain points keeps users happy and encourages them to keep interacting with the product.

There are four categories pain points can fall into:

• Financial, or money-related pain points.
• Product, which are pain points related to quality issues.
• Process, which are pain points related to the user’s journey.