ux ui research methods

What Is User Research, and What Is Its Purpose?

User research, or UX research, is an absolutely vital part of the user experience design process.

Typically done at the start of a project, it encompasses different types of research methodologies to gather valuable data and feedback. When conducting user research, you’ll engage with and observe your target users, getting to know their needs, behaviors, and pain points in relation to the product or service you’re designing.

Ultimately, user research means the difference between designing based on guesswork and assumptions, and actually creating something that solves a real user problem. In other words: Do not skip the research phase!

If you’re new to user research, fear not. We’re going to explain exactly what UX research is and why it’s so important. We’ll also show you how to plan your user research and introduce you to some key user research methods .

We’ve divided this rather comprehensive guide into the following sections. Feel free to skip ahead using the menu below:

What is user research?
What is the purpose of user research?
How to plan your user research.
An introduction to different research methods—and when to use them.

Ready? Let’s jump in.

1. What is user research?

User experience research is the systematic investigation of your users in order to gather insights that will inform the design process. With the help of various user research techniques, you’ll set out to understand your users’ needs, attitudes, pain points, and behaviors (processes like task analyses look at how users actually navigate the product experience —not just how they should or how they say they do).

Typically done at the start of a project—but also extremely valuable throughout—it encompasses different types of research methodology to gather both qualitative and quantitative data in relation to your product or service.

Before we continue, let’s consider the difference between qualitative and quantitative data .

Qualitative vs. Quantitative data: What’s the difference?

Qualitative UX research results in descriptive data which looks more at how people think and feel. It helps to find your users’ opinions, problems, reasons, and motivations. You can learn all about in-depth in this video by professional UX designer Maureen Herben:

Quantitative UX research , on the other hand, generally produces numerical data that can be measured and analyzed, looking more at the statistics. Quantitative data is used to quantify the opinions and behaviors of your users.

User research rarely relies on just one form of data collection and often uses both qualitative and quantitative research methods together to form a bigger picture. The data can be applied to an existing product to gain insight to help improve the product experiences, or it can be applied to an entirely new product or service, providing a baseline for UX, design, and development.

From the data gathered during your user research phase, you should be able to understand the following areas within the context of your product or service:

Who your users are
What their needs are
What they want
How they currently do things
How they’d like to do them

As you consider the why of user research, remember that it’s easier than you might realize to overlook entire groups of users. It’s important to ensure that you’re conducting inclusive UX research and that starts in the earliest stages!

2. What is the purpose of user research?

The purpose of user research is to put your design project into context. It helps you understand the problem you’re trying to solve; it tells you who your users are, in what context they’ll be using your product or service, and ultimately, what they need from you, the designer! UX research ensures that you are designing with the user in mind, which is key if you want to create a successful product.

Throughout the design process, your UX research will aid you in many ways. It’ll help you identify problems and challenges, validate or invalidate your assumptions, find patterns and commonalities across your target user groups, and shed plenty of light on your users’ needs, goals, and mental models.

Why is this so important? Let’s find out.

Why is it so important to conduct user research?

Without UX research, you are essentially basing your designs on assumptions. If you don’t take the time to engage with real users, it’s virtually impossible to know what needs and pain-points your design should address.

Here’s why conducting user research is absolutely crucial:

User research helps you to design better products!

There’s a misconception that it’s ok to just do a bit of research and testing at the end of your project. The truth is that you need UX research first, followed by usability testing and iteration throughout.

This is because research makes the design better. The end goal is to create products and services that people want to use. The mantra in UX design is that some user research is always better than none .

It’s likely at some point in your UX career that you will come across the first challenge of any UX designer—convincing a client or your team to include user research in a project.

User research keeps user stories at the center of your design process.

All too often, the user research phase is seen as optional or merely “nice-to-have”—but in reality, it’s crucial from both a design and a business perspective. This brings us to our next point…

User research saves time and money!

If you (or your client) decide to skip the research phase altogether, the chances are you’ll end up spending time and money developing a product that, when launched, has loads of usability issues and design flaws, or simply doesn’t meet a real user need. Through UX research, you’ll uncover such issues early on—saving time, money, and lots of frustration!

The research phase ensures you’re designing with real insights and facts — not guesswork! Imagine you release a product that has the potential to fill a gap in the market but, due to a lack of user research, is full of bugs and usability issues. At best, you’ll have a lot of unnecessary work to do to get the product up to scratch. At worst, the brand’s reputation will suffer.

UX research gives the product a competitive edge. Research shows you how your product will perform in a real-world context, highlighting any issues that need to be ironed out before you go ahead and develop it.

User research can be done on a budget

There are ways that you can conduct faster and less costly user research , utilizing Guerrilla research outlined later on in this article (also handy if budget and time are an issue). Even the smallest amount of user research will save time and money in the long run.

The second challenge is how often businesses think they know their users without having done any research. You’ll be surprised at how often a client will tell you that user research is not necessary because they know their users!

In a 2005 survey completed by Bain, a large global management consulting firm, they found some startling results. 80% of businesses thought they knew best about what they were delivering. Only 8% of those businesses’ customers agreed.

The survey may be getting old, but the principle and misperception still persist.

In some cases, businesses genuinely do know their customers and there may be previous data on hand to utilize. However, more often than not, ‘knowing the users’ comes down to personal assumptions and opinions.

“It’s only natural to assume that everyone uses the Web the same way we do, and—like everyone else—we tend to think that our own behavior is much more orderly and sensible than it really is.” (Don’t Make Me Think ‘Revisited’, Steve Krug, 2014.) A must on every UX Designer’s bookshelf!

What we think a user wants is not the same as what a user thinks they want. Without research, we inadvertently make decisions for ourselves instead of for our target audience. To summarize, the purpose of user research is to help us design to fulfill the user’s actual needs, rather than our own assumptions of their needs.

In a nutshell, UX research informs and opens up the realm of design possibilities. It saves time and money, ensures a competitive edge, and helps you to be a more effective, efficient, user-centric designer.

3. How to plan your user research

When planning your user research , it’s good to have a mix of both qualitative and quantitative data to draw from so you don’t run into issues from the value-action gap, which can at times make qualitative data unreliable.

The value-action gap is a well-known psychology principle outlining that people genuinely don’t do what they say they would do, and is commonly referred to as what people say vs. what people do.

More than 60% of participants said they were “likely” or “very likely” to buy a kitchen appliance in the next 3 months. 8 months later, only 12% had. How Customers Think, Gerald Zaltman, 2003

When planning your user research, you need to do more than just User Focus Groups—observation of your users really is the key. You need to watch what your users do.

Part of being a great user researcher is to be an expert at setting up the right questions and getting unbiased answers from your users.

To do this we need to think like the user.

Put yourself in your user’s shoes without your own preconceptions and assumptions on how it should work and what it should be. For this, we need empathy (and good listening skills) allowing you to observe and challenge assumptions of what you already think you know about your users.

Be open to some surprises!

4. When to use different user research methods

There’s a variety of different qualitative and quantitative research methods out there. If you’ve been doing the CareerFoundry UX Design course , you may have already covered some of the list below in your course.

It isn’t an exhaustive list, but covers some of the more popular methods of research. Our student team lead runs through many of them in the video below.

Qualitative Methods:

Guerrilla testing: Fast and low-cost testing methods such as on-the-street videos, field observations, reviews of paper sketches, or online tools for remote usability testing.
Interviews: One-on-one interviews that follow a preset selection of questions prompting the user to describe their interactions, thoughts, and feelings in relation to a product or service, or even the environment of the product/service.
Focus groups: Participatory groups that are led through a discussion and activities to gather data on a particular product or service. If you’ve ever watched Mad Men you’ll be familiar with the Ponds’ cold cream Focus Group !
Field Studies: Heading into the user’s environment and observing while taking notes (and photographs or videos if possible).
In-lab testing: Observations of users completing particular tasks in a controlled environment. Users are often asked to describe out loud their actions, thoughts, and feelings and are videoed for later analysis
Card sorting : Used to help understand Information Architecture and naming conventions better. Can be really handy to sort large amounts of content into logical groupings for users.

Quantitative Methods:

User surveys: Questionnaires with a structured format, targeting your specific user personas. These can be a great way to get a large amount of data. Surveymonkey is a popular online tool.
First click testing: A test set up to analyse what a user would click on first in order to complete their intended task. This can be done with paper prototypes, interactive wireframes or an existing website.
Eye tracking: Measures the gaze of the eye, allowing the observer to ‘see’ what the user sees. This can be an expensive test and heatmapping is a good cheaper alternative.
Heatmapping: Visual mapping of data showing how users click and scroll through your prototype or website. The most well-known online tool to integrate would be Crazyegg.
Web analytics: Data that is gathered from a website or prototype it is integrated with, allowing you to see the demographics of users, page views, and funnels of how users move through your site and where they drop off. The most well-known online tool to integrate would be Google Analytics .
A/B testing: Comparing two versions of a web page to see which one converts users more. This is a great way to test button placements, colors, banners, and other elements in your UI.

What is UX Research: The Ultimate Guide for UX Researchers

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User experience research is a crucial component of the human-centered design process and an essential part of creating solutions that meet user expectations and deliver value to customers. This comprehensive guide to UX research dives into the fundamentals of research and its various methods and includes tips and best practices from leading industry experts.

Make informed design decisions with user research

Validate ideas, test prototypes, assess usability, and deliver real, actionable insights to your product team.

UX research: Your ultimate guide to nailing user experience and exceeding expectation

User experience research, or UX research , is the process of gathering insights about users' behaviors, needs, and pain points through observation techniques and feedback methodologies. It’s a form of user research that looks at how users interact with your product, helping bridge the gaps between what you think users need, what users say they need—and what they actually need.

The goal of UX research is to understand your users and gain context and perspectives to help make informed decisions and build user-centered products. It’s an essential part of designing, developing, and launching a product that will be an instant hit—but it should also be used throughout the product’s lifecycle post-launch to keep updated, and ensure new features are relevant to your audience.

As Sinéad Davis Cochrane , UX Manager at Workday, explains: “UX research represents insights gathered directly from users and customers, that helps you make product decisions at every stage of the development process.”

Is UX research the same as user research?

The terms ‘user research’ and ‘UX research’ are often used interchangeably, but they do differ. User research is the parent of UX research; it’s a broader research effort that aims to understand the demographics, behaviors, and sentiments of your users and personas.

UX research, on the other hand, is a type of user research that’s specific to your product or platform. Where user research focuses on the user as a whole, UX research considers how they interact with, respond to, and feel about your product or concept itself.

In both cases, the overarching goal is to get to know your users, understand what they need from your product, gain context to help make informed decisions, and build human-centered experiences.

Involve your users at every stage of your design process

Create research projects with Maze using customizable templates, and start making data-informed product decisions

Why is conducting UX research important?

In an ideal world, users would find your product easy to navigate, your net promoter score (NPS) would be off the charts, and you’d see adoption and activation rates skyrocket. In reality, however, this can be a challenging dream to achieve—but it is possible. The only way to build a product that users really resonate with is by involving them throughout the development process and building with them.

UX research is more than just a single ‘step’ in the development process: it should happen continuously, throughout the product lifecycle—so whether you’re building new products or iterating on existing ones, every decision is informed by user insights.

Here’s what you can achieve with continuous UX research:

Make informed decisions based on data

Our 2023 Continuous Research Report shows that 74% of people who do research (PWDR) believe research is crucial to guiding product decisions. Plus, 60% of respondents find that user recommendations inspire new product ideas.

Getting stakeholder buy-in to product decisions can be challenging, but when you suggest changes based on UX research, you have data to back up your suggestions. Your users inform your product, becoming the decision-makers as well as the customer.

UX research helps reduce and mitigate the risk of building the wrong thing—or building the right thing in the wrong way.

Sinéad Davis Cochrane , UX Manager at Workday

Reduce bias in the UX design process

There are hundreds of cognitive biases identified by psychologists, many of which unknowingly influence our decisions and the products we build. But a key principle of great UX design is to put aside existing beliefs, and learn from your users.

“You have to be humble, optimistic, and open-minded,” says Bertrand Berlureau , Senior Product Designer at iMSA. Using effective UX research, you can root out bias or assumptions, and follow real human behavior to inform product decisions.

According to Sinéad, you should consider these questions early in the design process:

“What are your assumptions?”
“What are some of the assumptions you’ve been making about your end-users and product without any evidence?”
“What are the anecdotes or coincidental pieces of information that you hold, and how can you challenge them?”

Biases can subconsciously affect research and UX design, and it can be tricky to identify them. The first step to overcoming cognitive biases is by being aware of them. Head to chapter three of our cognitive biases guide to discover how.

Test and validate concepts

The power of UX research is that it can prove you right or wrong—but either way, you’ll end up knowing more and creating a product that provides a better user experience. For Bertrand, an idea without a test is just an idea. So, before the design process, his team starts with these user research methods:

Face-to-face and remote user interviews
Focus groups
Co-creativity sessions through design sprints, quick prototyping, and hypothesis concepts
User testing

UX research is the only way to unequivocally confirm your product is solving the right problem, in the right way. By speaking directly to real users, you can pinpoint what ideas to focus on, then validate your proposed solution, before investing too much time or money into the wrong concept.

Work on solutions that bring real value to customers

Another main benefit of UX research is that it allows product teams to mitigate risk and come up with products users want to use. “One of the main risks we need to control is whether users actually want to use a solution we've implemented,” explains Luke Vella , Group Product Manager at Maze. “UX research helps us reduce this risk, allowing us to build solutions that our customers see as valuable and make sure that they know how to unlock that value.”

Luke works on pricing and packaging, an area that requires constant user research. On one hand, he and his team want to understand which problems their users are facing and come up with plans to satisfy those different needs. On the other hand, they need to make sure they can monetize in a sustainable way to further invest in the product. You can only get this perfect balance by speaking to users to inform each step of the decision.

Market your product internally and externally

UX research also plays a crucial role in helping product marketers understand the customer and effectively communicate a product's value to the market—after all, a product can only help those who know about it.

For example, Naomi Francis , Senior Product Marketing Manager at Maze, uses different research methods to inform marketing strategy. Naomi conducts user interviews to build personas, using user research to collect insights on messaging drafts, product naming, and running surveys to gather user feedback on beta products and onboarding.

Understanding how and why customers need and use our product pushes marketing launches to the next level—you can get a steer on everything from messaging to language and approach.

Naomi Francis , Senior Product Marketing Manager at Maze

Types of UX research

All UX research methods fit into broader UX research techniques that drive different goals, and provide different types of insight. You can skip to chapter seven for a rundown of the top 9 UX research methods , or keep reading for a deep dive on the main types of UX research:

Moderated and unmoderated
Remote and in-person
Generate and evaluate
Qualitative and quantitative
Behavioral and attitudinal

Where moderated/unmoderated and remote/in-person refer to the way research is conducted , the other types of UX research reflect the type of data they gather.

The most powerful insights come from a mixture of testing types—e.g. attitudinal and behavioral, generative and evaluative, and quantitative and qualitative. You don’t need to run all types of research at all times, but you’ll benefit from gathering multiple types of data throughout different stages of product development.

Moderated research

Moderated research is any research conducted with a facilitator or researcher present. A moderator may observe research sessions and take notes, ask questions, or provide instruction to participants where needed.

Like all research, it’s crucial a moderator doesn’t overly guide participants or influence results. Due to certain types of cognitive biases , people may behave differently while being observed, so researchers often opt for unmoderated methods to avoid results being impacted.

UX research methods for moderated research

User interviews to speak directly with your target user face-to-face
Focus groups to gather feedback on a variety of topics
Moderated usability testing to hear the thought process behind the actions

Unmoderated research

As the name suggests, unmoderated research refers to the lack of a moderator. Often used in tandem with remote research , users complete tasks independently, guided by pre-written instructions.

Unmoderated research is helpful to ensure users are acting entirely of their own volition, and it has a lower cost and quicker turnaround than moderated research—however it does require efficient planning and preparation, to ensure users can navigate the tasks unaided.

UX research methods for unmoderated research

Unmoderated usability testing to see how easily users navigate your product
Live website testing to witness users interacting with your product in real time
Surveys to have users answer specific questions and rate design elements

Remote research

An incredibly flexible approach, remote research is often favored due to its time-to-results and cost savings. Remote research can be moderated or unmoderated, and is conducted using UX research tools which record user behavior, feedback, and screen recordings.

Another key benefit is its reach and accessibility—by moving research to a virtual platform, you can access users from anywhere in the world, and ensure research is inclusive of those with different abilities or requirements, who may otherwise be unable to take part in traditional in-person research.

UX research methods for remote research

Usability testing to evaluate how accessible your product is
Card sorting to understand how users categorize and group topics
Concept testing to assess what ideas users are drawn to
Wireframe or prototype testing to invite users to test a rough version of the design

In-person research

Research conducted in-person is typically more expensive, as it may require travel, accommodation, or equipment. Many traditionally in-person research methods can easily be performed remotely, so in-person research is often reserved for if there’s additional needs for accessibility, or if your product requires physical testing, safety considerations or supervision while being tested.

UX research methods for in-person research

Guerrilla research to speak to random users and gather feedback
User interviews to connect with users and read body language
Field studies to gauge how your product fits into a real world environment

Generative research

Generative research provides a deep understanding of your target audience’s motivations, challenges, and behaviors. Broadly speaking, it pinpoints a problem statement, identifies the problem to be solved, and collects enough data to move forward.

It should happen before you even begin designing, as it helps you identify what to build, the types of problems your user is facing, and how you can solve them with your product or service.

UX research methods for generative research

Field studies to get familiar with users in their authentic environment
User interviews to ask open-ended questions about pain points
Diary research to keep a log of users’ behaviors, activities, and beliefs over time
Open card sorting to have users define and name their own categories

Evaluative research

Evaluative research focuses on evaluating a product or concept in order to collect data that will improve the solution. Evaluative research usually happens early on and is used in a continuous, iterative way throughout the design process and following launch. You can use this type of UX research to assess an idea, check navigation, or see if your prototype meets your user’s needs.

UX research methods for evaluative research

Usability testing to see if your platform is easy and intuitive to use
A/B testing two versions of a design to see which one works best
Tree testing to assess if your website’s information architecture (IA) makes sense
Five-second tests to collect first impressions

Behavioral research

This type of research refers to observation—it’s human nature that sometimes what we say, or what we think we’ll do doesn’t match up to what we actually do in a situation. Behavioral research is about observing how users interact with your product or how they behave in certain situations, without any intervention.

UX research methods for behavioral research

Observation in labs or real environments to witness behavior in real time
Tree testing to view which paths users take on a website
Diary research to see how users interact with your product in real life

Attitudinal research

Attitudinal research is the companion to behavioral research—it’s about what people say, and how they feel. In attitudinal research, you ask users to share their own experiences and opinions; this may be about your product, a concept, or specific design element. With a mix of attitudinal and behavioral research, you can get a broader picture of what your user truly needs.

UX research methods for attitudinal research

Focus groups to understand users’ perspectives on your product
User interviews to ask people questions about your product directly
Surveys to gather insights on user preferences and opinions

Quantitative research

Quantitative and qualitative research methods are two types of research that can be used in unison or separately. Quantitative research comes from data and statistics, and results in numerical data.

It allows you to identify patterns, make predictions, and generalize findings about a target audience or topic. “[At iMSA] We analyze a lot of metrics and specific data like traffic analytics, chatbot feedback, user surveys, user testing, etc. to make decisions,” explains Bertrand. “The convergence of all the data, our user’s needs, governs the choices we make.”

Types of quantitative results you can find through UX research include:

Time spent on tasks
Net promoter score (NPS)
System usability score (SUS)
Number of clicks taken to complete a task
Preference percentage on A/B tests

UX research methods for quantitative research

A/B testing to see which option your users likes best
Tree testing to get data on which paths users follow on your website
Usability testing to get a score on system usability
Heatmaps to spot where users spend most of their session time

Qualitative research

Qualitative research is about understanding the why behind the data. It comes from comments, opinions, and observations—this type of research answers why and how users think or act in a certain way. Qualitative data helps you understand the underlying motivations, thoughts, and attitudes of target users. For this reason, attitudinal research is often qualitative (though not always).

UX research methods for qualitative research

Interviews to discover your users’ motivations and frustrations
Open question surveys to learn users’ pain points in their own words
Focus groups to observe users’ interacting with your product
Think aloud usability tests to hear commentary behind each user decision

💡 Product tip:

Maze allows you to record your participants' screen, audio, and video with Clips, so you can collect qualitative and quantitative insights simultaneously.

When should you conduct UX research?

The truth is, you should always be researching. When NASA wants to send a new shuttle into space, they don't build a rocket and launch it right away. They develop a design, test it in simulations and lab environments, and iterate between each stage. Only once they’ve run all the foreseeable scenarios do they put a person on the ship. Why should your product be any different?

With an overwhelming 83% of product professionals surveyed in our 2023 Continuous Research Report believing research should happen at all stages, it’s surprising that just 36% run tests after launch. While time and budget can make continuous research a challenge, testing at different stages gives you access to unique insights about your users and how they interact with your product.

That being said, if you can only afford to research a few times throughout the development process , here are some key moments to focus on:

Before developing the product

This is when you need to conduct the most extensive and detailed part of your research. During this phase, you’ll want to conduct generative research to get to know exactly:

Who your user is
The types of problems they’re facing (and what kind of product they want to solve them)
What their expectations on a product or service like yours are
What they like or dislike about your competitors
Where they currently go to solve the mentioned problems
What needs to happen for them to change companies (if they’re using a different product)

You can use a variety of UX research methods like focus groups and surveys to gather insights during this stage.

Remember: This step applies even if your product is already live, if you’re thinking of introducing a new feature. Validate your idea and investigate potential alternatives before you spend time and money developing and designing new functionality.

When you want to validate your decisions

This is the point where you’ll run through a few cycles of researching, building, and iterating, before launching your product. The Maze Product team does this through continuous product discovery, via a dual-track habit:

blue infographic showing discovery and delivery as dual tracks

Conduct research regularly while developing and building your product to see if you’re headed in the right direction. Let the research findings feed your deliverables.

Gather qualitative insights on user sentiment through surveys or focus groups. Test your wireframe or sketches to get quantitative answers in the form of clicks, heatmaps, or SUS. Use card sorting to generate ideas, tree testing to assess IA, or prototype testing to assess the usability of a beta version. The options are endless, so there’s no reason to miss maximizing your research at this stage and gather insights to power product decisions.

To evaluate product accessibility

Your product will be used by a multitude of diverse, unique users. Your research participants should be representative of your real audience, which means including all usage scenarios and user personas. Usability testing is one form of UX research that can be used here to ensure your product works for all its users, regardless of ability or need.

There are many ways to ensure your design is inclusive and accessible , including:

Testing alt-texts, screen-reading capabilities, and color combinations
Avoiding screen flashes or sudden pop-ups that may be triggering for certain conditions
Being intentional in what language and imagery is used

Once your product is live

Research doesn’t end once you push your platform to production. Conduct Live Website Testing to evaluate how well your product is meeting your users' expectations and needs. This type of research invites you to answer the question: did we nail it?

Testing your live website also allows you to see how your users interact with your design in a real environment, so you can identify and solve mistakes fast. Pay close attention to loading times, error messages, and other quantitative data that may indicate bugs. You can also conduct regular sentiment checks by embedding feedback surveys into your product itself, to assess user satisfaction and NPS in a few clicks.

TL;DR: Why, how, and when to conduct UX research

The more you understand your customers, the better you can create products that meet expectations, tailor your strategy to their specific needs, and increase your chances for success. Plus, UX research allows you to create unbiased products that put your customers at the center of your business.

To conduct UX research, you’ll need to mix the stage of your product lifecycle with the right research type and methods. Meaning, while you need to conduct UX research continuously, you should look for different types of insights depending on the development stage you’re at and what your current objective is.

For example, if you want to test your live product, you should conduct a mix of quantitative and qualitative evaluative research. That means you might want to perform:

Usability tests
Feedback surveys
Five-second tests
Prototype testing

Now we’ve covered the what and why of UX research, let’s get into the how. Continue to the next chapter to learn how to create a UX research strategy that blows your competitors away.

Frequently asked questions

What are some examples of UX research?

Some examples of UX research include:

A/B testing
Prototype or wireframe testing
Card sorting
User interviews
Tree testing
5-second testing
Usability testing

What are the basics of UX research?

The basics of UX research are simple: you just need a clear goal in mind and a mix of quantitative and qualitative tests. Then, it's a case of:

Determining the right testing methods
Testing on an audience that’s an accurate representation of your real users
Doing continuous product discovery
Performing unbiased research to build an unbiased design
Iterating and building user-centric products

UX research gets easier when you use a product discovery platform like Maze. This tool allows you to run multiple types of product research such as usability, prototype, card sorting, and wireframe tests—and get answers within hours.

Is UX research hard?

UX research isn’t hard, especially when you use an intuitive tool for product discovery—like Maze. Maze allows you to build tests using its multiple available templates. It also lets you bring your own users or recruit from its panel and creates an automated, ready-to-share metrics report. Maze gives you answers to tests within hours so you can improve your UX based on real user feedback fast.

Building a UX research strategy

UX research methods: The complete guide for 2024

User experience (UX) research is essential in creating products that meet users' needs and expectations. It's the backbone of successful design, guiding teams with data-driven insights and human-centric understanding.

This guide covers UX research methods and their importance to design success. We discuss the various types of research, shedding light on the dimensions of qualitative vs. quantitative, attitudinal vs. behavioral, generative vs. evaluative, and moderated vs. unmoderated research.

Following this, we'll explore the ten of the most common UX research methods: user interviews, focus groups, surveys, diary studies, field studies, card sorting, tree testing, usability testing, prototype testing, and A/B testing. You'll learn definitions, best practices, and use cases for each.

Lastly, we'll help you get started on your next project, considering your research needs and constraints. The goal is to equip you with a solid understanding of the various UX research methods you have to choose from, and empower you to build exceptional, user-centric products.

Whether you're a seasoned UX researcher, a designer looking to broaden your understanding, or a beginner eager to learn, this guide offers valuable insights to enhance your UX research toolkit.

What are UX research methods?

UX research methods are a diverse set of analytical procedures that aim to add context and insight to designing intuitive, user-friendly products and services. By exploring how consumers interact with a product, UX research allows designers to create solutions that effectively meet user needs and expectations, promoting satisfaction and usability.

UX research methods typically fall broadly into two categories: qualitative and quantitative. Qualitative, exploratory research seeks to understand users' behaviors, motivations, and needs. It offers insights into the 'why' behind user actions. Methods used in this category include user interviews , focus groups, and diary studies.

On the other hand, quantitative research is used to measure and analyze user behavior across large sample sizes, giving statistically significant data. This category includes methods such as surveys, analytics, and A/B testing.

The terms 'research methods' and 'research methodologies' are often used interchangeably, but it's crucial to differentiate between them.

Research methods are the techniques used for data collection, such as surveys, interviews, or usability tests. In contrast, research methodologies guide the research process, determining which methods are used and how data is analyzed. They encompass the overall strategy, design, and execution of a research project.

Mixed methods research is a methodology that combines qualitative and quantitative research methods. It allows UX researchers to enjoy the benefits of both processes, providing a well-rounded understanding of user behavior.

For example, qualitative methods might be used to explore user attitudes and motivations, while quantitative methods could provide data-driven insights into how many users share these attitudes.

The use of UX research methods is indispensable. They enable the creation of user-centered designs, improving the overall user experience and fostering product success. Understanding users' needs and behaviors can lead to innovative solutions and even define the future of a product or service.

Types of UX research

UX research employs a range of methods to capture different kinds of data. These research types cater to various stages of the product development lifecycle and serve other research objectives.

Qualitative vs. quantitative research

Qualitative and quantitative research methods each offer advantages, with the most effective strategy often employing a blend of the two with mixed methods research.

Qualitative UX research is exploratory. It focuses on understanding the reasons behind user behavior and prioritizes depth over breadth, seeking to answer the 'why' and 'how' of user interactions. Common qualitative research methods include user interviews, focus groups, usability testing, ethnographic field studies, and diary studies.

These methods allow researchers to gain deep insights into user feelings, motivations, frustrations, and values, providing the context that quantitative data often lacks.

Conversely, qualitative research typically involves smaller sample sizes , making it harder to generalize findings across a larger user population. Researchers' subjective interpretations can also influence results.

Quantitative UX research seeks to quantify user behavior through numerical data. It answers 'what', 'where', and 'when' type questions, focusing on metrics like conversion rates, task completion times, or bounce rates.

Surveys, analytics, A/B testing, and eye-tracking studies are typical quantitative methods. Quantitative research's strength is its ability to provide measurable, statistically significant data. It allows results to be generalized to a larger population, offering broad insights into user behavior.

However, it often fails to explain the reasons behind these behaviors and lacks the rich insights that qualitative research provides.

Qualitative research is best for uncovering user motivations and experiences in-depth, while quantitative analysis excels in measuring user behaviors and testing hypotheses across large user bases.

A balanced mix of qualitative and quantitative research methods can offer a comprehensive, holistic understanding of user needs and behaviors for an effective, user-centered design process.

Attitudinal vs. behavioral research

UX research can be classified not only by the nature of the data (qualitative vs. quantitative) but also by what it investigates: attitudinal or behavioral aspects of user experience.

Attitudinal research is the study of users' stated beliefs, opinions, and intentions. This kind of research is typically gathered directly from users through interviews, surveys, and focus groups. For example, a researcher might ask users how they feel about a product or what they think about a particular feature.

Attitudinal research can provide valuable insights into users' thought processes, preferences, and expectations. It can help identify what users believe they want or need from a product.

However, attitudinal data has limitations. People cannot always accurately express their needs or predict their behavior. This means that stated intentions don't always match actual behavior.

On the other hand, behavioral research observes and analyzes users' behavior when interacting with a product. Common behavioral research methods include usability testing, A/B testing, heat maps, clickstream analysis, and eye-tracking studies.

Behavioral research can provide objective data about how users interact with a product by focusing on what they do rather than what they say. This can help identify usability issues that users may not be consciously aware of or able to articulate.

However, behavioral data alone may not provide the full context. Without understanding the motivations behind user actions (which attitudinal research can provide), it may be challenging to interpret the data effectively.

While attitudinal research offers valuable insights into users' self-reported feelings and intentions, it may not always align with actual user behavior. On the other hand, behavioral research provides concrete data on user actions but may need more insight into users' motivations.

Employing a balanced mix of attitudinal and behavioral research methods can offer a holistic view of the user experience, driving informed design decisions.

Generative vs. evaluative research

Generative and evaluative research are complementary approaches used at different stages of the product development process.

Generative research is often employed in the early stages of product development when teams need to identify new opportunities, understand user needs, or define problems. This type of research aims to generate ideas and insights for the design process. It's predominantly qualitative and uses methods like interviews, observations, contextual inquiry, and diary studies.

Generative research is excellent for uncovering user needs, understanding their context, and identifying new opportunities. It can lead to innovative solutions and ensure that a product is user-centered from the beginning. However, the insights generated are typically broad and require synthesis and interpretation, which can be time-consuming and challenging.

Evaluative research , on the other hand, is used later in the product development process. It aims to evaluate a product or service and find potential improvements or usability issues. Common methods include usability testing, heuristic evaluations, A/B testing, and surveys.

This type of research can be either qualitative or quantitative. Evaluative research can help pinpoint usability issues and inform iterative improvements to a product. It gives designers specific, actionable feedback that can be used to refine and optimize a product.

However, its scope is often limited to existing features or designs. It can show where a product fails but doesn't always help identify what could be done.

Generative research is ideal for understanding users' needs and defining the direction of a project, while evaluative research is best suited to refine and perfect a design.

The best research strategy employs both types: generative research to ensure that a product is user-centered from its inception, and evaluative research to iteratively refine and optimize the product.

Moderated vs. unmoderated research

UX research can also be categorized into moderated and unmoderated studies, each with its advantages and specific use cases.

In moderated research , the UX researcher is present during the study, interacting with the participants in real time. This interaction can happen in person or remotely via video or phone call. Standard methods include in-depth interviews, focus groups, and moderated usability tests.

The advantage of moderated research is that it allows for immediate clarification of tasks or questions and enables the researcher to probe deeper into participants' thoughts or behaviors. It’s beneficial when conducting complex studies requiring guidance or when a study's objectives require understanding participants' thought processes.

However, moderated research can be time-consuming and more expensive due to the need for scheduling, coordinating with participants, and extended analysis time.

Read → The complete guide to research operations

On the other hand, unmoderated research is where participants complete the study independently, without real-time interaction with the researcher. Unmoderated studies often utilize online platforms where participants can complete tasks at their own pace. Examples include online surveys, card sorting, tree testing, and unmoderated usability tests.

Unmoderated research is typically faster, more scalable, and less expensive than moderated research. It allows for a larger sample size and can lead to more natural behavior since participants aren’t influenced by the presence of a researcher.

However, the lack of researcher presence means there isn’t the opportunity for immediate clarification or to probe deeper into participant thoughts or actions. If a participant misunderstands a task, the resulting data could be compromised.

The choice between moderated and unmoderated research depends on the research objectives, available resources, and the tasks' complexity. An effective research plan often involves a combination of both moderated and unmoderated methods to balance the depth of insights with scalability and cost efficiency.

‍ Remote vs. in-person

The choice between remote and in-person UX research is another key decision researchers make. Each approach has its strengths and limitations.

Remote research is conducted when participants and researchers aren’t in the same physical location. It can be either synchronous, with participants and researchers interacting in real-time (like remote interviews or moderated usability tests), or asynchronous, where participants complete tasks at their convenience (like online surveys or unmoderated usability tests).

Remote research is cost-effective and efficient, removing travel time and expenses. It allows for a broader geographic range and diversity of participants and may result in more natural user behavior since participants are in their own environment.

However, it can be challenging to build rapport with participants, and technical issues may arise. In addition, non-verbal cues can be harder to interpret, particularly in asynchronous studies.

In-person research requires the researcher and participants to be in the same location. This could include face-to-face interviews, focus groups, or lab-based usability tests.

In-person research may allow for deeper engagement and a more nuanced understanding of user behavior, as researchers can observe non-verbal cues and the context in which interaction occurs. It can also be more flexible, as researchers can adapt the session as it progresses.

However, in-person research can be more time-consuming, costly, and geographically limiting.

Remote research is a versatile, cost-effective way to gain insights from a wide range of participants, though without the right tools, it may lack some depth of understanding and face potential technical challenges.

(This underscores the value of using an all-in-one UX research platform like Great Question .)

In contrast, in-person research offers richer, more contextual insights but can be costlier and less flexible geographically. An optimal research strategy may involve a mix of both, depending on the project needs, participant availability, and budget.

10 of the most common UX research methods

UX research encompasses a variety of methods, each of which provides unique insights and fits different stages of the product development lifecycle. Like the various type of research discussed above, the methods we'll discuss below are often at their most powerful when they are used together with a mixed methods approach.

User interviews

User interviews are a fundamental method in UX research, offering direct communication with users to gain insights into their needs, motivations, and experiences. A user interview is a one-on-one conversation between a researcher and a user during which the researcher asks questions about the user's experiences, behavior, attitudes, and perceptions about a product, service, or a particular topic.

User interviews typically fall under qualitative, attitudinal, and generative research. They’re often conducted in both moderated and unmoderated settings, in-person or remotely. User interviews can be structured, semi-structured, or unstructured.

Structured interviews follow a predetermined set of questions, ensuring all participants are asked the same questions in the same order. Unstructured interviews are more like a guided conversation, allowing the conversation to flow naturally. Semi-structured interviews strike a balance, having a loose structure with the flexibility to probe deeper or explore new paths based on the participant's responses.

Best practices for user interviews include:

Prepare : Draft a clear interview guide beforehand with open-ended questions.
Build rapport : Start with small talk to make the participant comfortable.
Listen actively : Pay attention to the participant's responses and follow up with probing questions.
Remain neutral : Avoid leading questions or expressing your opinions.
Record and take notes : With participant consent, record the session to ensure accurate recall of responses.

User interviews are beneficial in the early stages of product development to understand users' needs, expectations, and pain points. They’re also helpful when you need to explore a topic deeply or when you need qualitative data to complement quantitative findings.

However, they may not be suitable when you need statistical data, have a large sample size, or have limited time and resources. Despite these constraints, user interviews remain invaluable in any UX researcher's toolkit due to their versatility and depth of insight.

Ready to run your own user interviews? Get started for free with Great Question.

Focus groups

Focus groups are a powerful UX research method that enables the collection of insights from multiple users simultaneously. A focus group is a moderated discussion typically involving 5-10 participants. Participants are encouraged to interact with each other and discuss their experiences, perceptions, ideas, and opinions about a product, service, or topic.

This method generally fits into qualitative, attitudinal, and generative research conducted in a moderated, in-person setting. However, remote focus groups have also become common.

Focus groups can provide a broad range of ideas and opinions in a short amount of time. They offer the added advantage of group dynamics, where participants can build upon each other's ideas and comments, potentially leading to new insights.

That said, focus groups can also be challenging to moderate and require careful recruitment to ensure productive group dynamics. Plus, findings may not be generalizable due to the small sample size.

Best practices for focus groups include:

Plan thoroughly : Have a clear plan and discussion guide but remain flexible to follow the flow of conversation.
Set ground rules : Make sure all participants understand the focus group's purpose and engagement rules.
Moderate actively : Encourage participation from all attendees and manage dominant or disruptive participants.
Document everything : Record the session (with participant consent) and have a dedicated note-taker.

Focus groups are particularly valuable in the early stages of product development when you need diverse opinions and ideas or to explore user attitudes and reactions. They can be beneficial to generate new ideas or concepts and understand user preferences.

However, focus groups aren’t recommended when dealing with sensitive topics, needing in-depth individual perspectives, or requiring statistical validity. Despite these limitations, focus groups remain a helpful method in UX research for their ability to spark dynamic discussions and capture a variety of user viewpoints.

Surveys are a staple in UX research, offering a method to collect data from many users quickly and relatively inexpensively. A survey is a method of gathering information from a sample of people. It typically involves using a predetermined set of questions, which can be open-ended (qualitative) or closed-ended (quantitative).

Surveys can fit into various types of research, depending on how they are designed. They are commonly used in quantitative, attitudinal, and evaluative research and can be conducted remotely in an unmoderated manner.

Surveys allow for data collection from a large sample size and can provide statistically significant results. They’re beneficial for gathering demographic information, gauging user satisfaction, or understanding user preferences.

However, surveys are self-reported and rely on users' memory and honesty. They also don't allow for probing deeper into users' responses or adapting the line of inquiry based on user responses.

Best practices for surveys include:

Define your objectives : Be clear about what you want to learn from the survey.
Design thoughtfully : Make questions clear, concise, and easy to understand. Avoid leading or loaded questions.
Pilot test : Test your survey with a small group before distributing it widely to ensure that questions are understood as intended.
Analyze carefully : Analyze the data meticulously to draw valid conclusions.

Surveys are helpful for those who gather data from many people, need statistically significant results, or want to understand user preferences or satisfaction levels. They’re less suitable when you need in-depth understanding, want to explore unexpected paths of inquiry or require immediate clarification or follow-up.

Despite these limitations, surveys are critical in the UX researcher's toolkit, providing scalable and quick data collection from a broad user base.

Need help getting started? Browse 24 free survey templates here.

Diary studies

Diary studies capture longitudinal insights into user behavior, emotions, and experiences. In a diary study, participants are asked to record their activities, thoughts, and experiences related to a specific topic over a certain period. The records, or 'diaries’, can include text entries, photos, screenshots, or even voice recordings.

This method typically falls into qualitative, behavioral, and generative research and is remotely unmoderated.

Diary studies provide insights into user behavior in their natural context over time. They allow for an understanding of complex processes or experiences that can’t be observed in a single session and can provide rich, detailed data about user habits and routines.

However, diary studies can be demanding for participants, leading to potential drop-offs or reduced engagement over time. They’re also time-consuming to analyze due to the volume and depth of data generated.

Best practices for diary studies include:

Set clear expectations : Ensure participants understand what’s expected of them and how much time it will take.
Keep it simple : Design tasks that are easy for participants to complete regularly.
Provide support : Regularly check in with participants to provide support and keep them engaged.
Plan for analysis : Consider how you’ll manage and analyze the data as it comes in.

Diary studies are helpful when you need to understand behavior over time, capture experiences in a natural context, or understand complex or infrequent processes. They’re less suitable when you require quick insights, have a large sample size, or when the behavior of interest is frequent or mundane.

Field studies

Field studies represent a holistic approach to UX research, offering in-depth insights into user behavior in their natural environment. A field study is a research method where the researcher observes users in their natural settings, conducting activities related to the product or service being studied. This method aligns with qualitative, behavioral, and generative research and is typically performed moderated, in-person.

Field studies provide a rich, contextual understanding of user behavior. By witnessing the environmental, social, and technical context in which interactions occur, researchers can uncover insights that might be missed in a lab setting.

However, coordinating field studies can be time-consuming, expensive, and complex. They may also be influenced by the Hawthorne effect , where people alter their behavior because they know they're being observed.

Best practices for field studies include:

Plan ahead : Define clear objectives, recruit suitable participants, and plan logistics meticulously.
Remain flexible : Be ready to adapt your approach based on the context and unforeseen circumstances.
Observe and listen : Listen to the environment, non-verbal cues, and spontaneous interactions.
Respect the context : Be respectful of the participant's environment and time.

Field studies are beneficial when you require a deep understanding of user behavior in context, want to uncover unmet needs, or study complex interactions. They’re less suitable when you require statistical validity, have limited time or budget, or when the behavior of interest can be easily studied in a controlled environment.

Despite these constraints, field studies are a crucial method in UX research due to their ability to capture a comprehensive picture of user interactions in real-world contexts.

Card sorting

Card sorting is a participatory UX research method used to inform or evaluate system information architecture, menu structure, or workflow. In a card sort, participants are given a set of labeled cards and asked to organize them into categories that make sense to them.

This method can be open (participants create their own categories), closed (participants sort cards into predefined categories), or hybrid (a mix of the two). Card sorting fits into qualitative, attitudinal, and evaluative research. It can be conducted remotely or in person, in moderated or unmoderated settings.

Card sorting helps to understand users' mental models, revealing how they perceive relationships between content or tasks. It can provide valuable insights for designing intuitive navigation and categorization, contributing to a better user experience.

However, card sorting might not provide insights into why participants grouped items in a certain way and may not accurately represent real-world behavior.

Best practices for card sorting include:

Define your cards : Choose meaningful, self-explanatory labels for your cards, usually representing items or tasks in your system.
Recruit a diverse sample : The more diverse your participants, the broader the range of mental models you can capture.
Start with open sorting : Starting with an open card sort can provide an unbiased view of how users group items.

Card sorting is beneficial when you need to design or test the organization of content or tasks, want to understand users' mental models, or require feedback on a proposed structure. It's less suitable when you need to understand behavior in context, explore emotional responses, or gather detailed qualitative feedback.

Coming soon: Free card sorting template

Tree testing

Tree testing , also known as reverse card sorting, evaluates the findability and organization of topics in a website or app. In a tree test, participants are given a task and then asked to navigate a simplified version of a site or app structure (the 'tree') presented as a text-only hierarchy. The purpose is to assess if they can successfully locate the item or complete the task.

Tree testing fits into quantitative, behavioral, and evaluative research and can be conducted remotely in an unmoderated setting.

Tree testing allows you to assess the intuitiveness and efficiency of your information architecture without visual design elements influencing the user's navigation. It provides clear data on where users struggle to find information, helping improve navigation and overall usability.

However, tree testing only tests the structure, not the entirety of the user experience. It lacks the context of the whole design and should be complemented with other testing methods.

Best practices for tree testing include:

Define clear tasks : Make sure tasks are clearly defined without giving away the correct path.
Avoid using jargon : Ensure labels in the tree are user-friendly and not industry jargon.
Analyze path data : Understanding the courses users take can highlight problem areas.

Tree testing is practical when you need to validate your site or app structure, understand how users navigate or want to identify areas of confusion or misinterpretation. It's less suitable when you want to test other elements of the user experience, like visual design or interactions, or when you want to understand user attitudes or motivations.

Despite these limitations, tree testing remains an effective UX research method for assessing the navigational effectiveness of your digital products.

Coming soon: Free tree testing template

Usability testing

Usability testing is a core UX research method used to evaluate a product or service by testing it with representative users. During a usability test, participants are asked to perform tasks while researchers observe, listen and take notes. The aim is to identify usability problems, collect qualitative and quantitative data, and understand the participants' satisfaction with the product.

Usability testing typically fits into quantitative, behavioral, and evaluative research. It can be conducted in-person or remotely in moderated or unmoderated settings.

Usability testing provides direct information about how people use a product and what problems they encounter, which aids in making design improvements.

However, it can be resource-intensive, requiring careful planning and participant recruitment, and does not provide information about users' attitudes or motivations.

Best practices for usability testing include:

Establish clear goals : Have a clear understanding of what you want to learn from the usability test.
Recruit representative users : Ensure that your participants accurately represent your user base.
Prepare your tasks and questions : Make sure tasks are realistic, achievable, and tied to your research goals.
Iterate and test again : Use the results to improve your product, and then retest to validate your changes.

Usability testing is useful when you need to evaluate a product's efficiency, effectiveness, and satisfaction, identify usability issues, or compare different designs. It's less suitable when you want to understand user needs and requirements, explore new ideas, or when the product is at a very early stage of development.

Prototype testing

Prototype testing is a vital UX research method that assesses the viability and usability of a design concept before investing time and resources in development. A prototype is an early sample or model built to test an idea or process. During prototype testing, a version of the product (ranging from low-fidelity sketches to high-fidelity interactive models) is presented to users, who are then observed while interacting with it.

Prototype testing usually fits into qualitative and quantitative, behavioral, and evaluative research categories. It can be conducted both in-person and remotely in a moderated or unmoderated manner.

Prototype testing provides early feedback on a design concept, helping identify potential usability issues and user confusion before development. It helps save resources and reduces the risk of costly redesigns after launch.

However, the feedback quality can be affected by the reliability of the prototype, with lower-fidelity prototypes sometimes needing clarification or interpretation.

Best practices for prototype testing include:

Define testing goals : Understand what you want to achieve with the test.
Choose the right fidelity : Balance the need for realism with the time and resources available.
Prepare tasks : Create realistic tasks that help the user interact with the prototype.
Facilitate, don’t lead : Allow the user to explore and discover, intervening only when necessary.

Prototype testing is practical when you want to validate design concepts, identify usability issues early, or when you want to test multiple design options. It’s less suitable when you want to test fine details of interaction or performance or when the design is already well-established and hard to change.

Coming soon: Free prototype testing template

A/B testing

A/B testing, also known as split testing, is a UX research method used to compare two versions of a design to determine which performs better. During an A/B test, users are randomly presented with version A or version B of a plan, and their interactions are measured.

The goal is to identify which version leads to better user outcomes based on metrics like conversion rates, time spent on a page, or click-through rates. A/B testing fits into quantitative, behavioral, and evaluative research and is typically conducted remotely and unmoderated.

A/B testing provides precise, data-driven results, helping to eliminate guesswork in decision-making. It can lead to significant improvements in user engagement and business metrics.

However, A/B testing only compares existing options and doesn’t generate new design ideas. It requires a large sample size to be statistically valid, and changes should be isolated to ensure results are attributable to the modifications made.

Best practices for A/B testing include:

Identify a clear hypothesis : Know what you want to test and why.
Isolate variables : Change only one element at a time for accurate results.
Ensure statistical significance : Have enough participants to ensure your results are valid.
Iterate based on results : Use the insights gained to inform design decisions and further tests.

A/B testing is beneficial when you need to optimize an existing design, validate specific design decisions, or decide between two alternatives. It's less suitable when you want to explore new design ideas, need to understand user needs and motivations, or when the user base is small.

How to choose the right UX research method

Selecting a suitable UX research method is crucial for effective design decisions and successful outcomes. The choice depends on multiple factors and involves careful consideration.

First, consider your research goals

Are you trying to understand user needs and motivations? Or are you evaluating a design solution?

If you're looking to uncover emotions, attitudes, and reasons for behavior, qualitative methods like interviews or field studies might be most useful. On the other hand, if you're trying to evaluate usability, prototype testing or A/B testing might be more appropriate.

Next, consider the stage of the product development lifecycle

Early stages call for generative methods to understand user needs and identify opportunities for innovation, such as user interviews, field studies, or diary studies.

As you move towards design and development, evaluative methods become more important to test and refine solutions, like usability testing, prototype testing, or A/B testing.

Also, consider your constraints

Budget, time, and access to participants can significantly impact your choice of method. Surveys and remote unmoderated methods can provide broad, quick insights with less resource investment.

In contrast, field studies and in-person moderated methods can provide richer, deeper insights but require more planning and resources.

Furthermore, the data type needed to inform your design decisions is essential

Quantitative methods like surveys or A/B testing can provide statistical evidence about what is happening, while qualitative methods like interviews or focus groups can provide insights into why it's happening.

Finally, remember the importance of mixed-methods research.

Using multiple methods allows you to capitalize on the strengths of each and provide a more holistic view of the user experience. For example, you could complement quantitative data from a survey with qualitative insights from user interviews.

Choosing a suitable UX research method is a balancing act of addressing your research goals, fitting into the product development stage, respecting constraints, and providing the needed data. By considering these factors, you can select the most effective method for your UX research project.

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Jack Wolstenholm

Jack is the Content Marketing Lead at Great Question, the end-to-end UX research platform for customer-centric teams. Previously, he led content marketing and strategy as the first hire at two insurtech startups, Breeze and LeverageRx. He lives in Omaha, Nebraska.

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UX Research Cheat Sheet

February 12, 2017 2017-02-12

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User-experience research methods are great at producing data and insights, while ongoing activities help get the right things done. Alongside R&D, ongoing UX activities can make everyone’s efforts more effective and valuable. At every stage in the design process, different UX methods can keep product-development efforts on the right track, in agreement with true user needs and not imaginary ones.

Do user research at whatever stage you’re in right now . The earlier the research, the more impact the findings will have on your product, and by definition, the earliest you can do something on your current project (absent a time machine) is today.
Do user research at all the stages . As we show below, there’s something useful to learn in every single stage of any reasonable project plan, and each research step will increase the value of your product by more than the cost of the research.
Do most user research early in the project (when it’ll have the most impact), but conserve some budget for a smaller amount of supplementary research later in the project. This advice applies in the common case that you can’t get budget for all the research steps that would be useful.

The chart below describes UX methods and activities available in various project stages.

A design cycle often has phases corresponding to discovery, exploration, validation, and listening, which entail design research, user research, and data-gathering activities. UX researchers use both methods and ongoing activities to enhance usability and user experience, as discussed in detail below.

Each project is different, so the stages are not always neatly compartmentalized. The end of one cycle is the beginning of the next.

The important thing is not to execute a giant list of activities in rigid order, but to start somewhere and learn more and more as you go along.


	• Field study • Diary study • User interview • Stakeholder interview • Requirements & constraints gathering
	• Competitive analysis • Design review • Persona building • Task analysis • Journey mapping • Prototype feedback & testing (clickable or paper prototypes) • Write user stories • Card sorting
	• Qualitative usability testing (in-person or remote) • Benchmark testing • Accessibility evaluation
	• Survey • Analytics review • Search-log analysis • Usability-bug review • Frequently-asked-questions (FAQ) review

When deciding where to start or what to focus on first, use some of these top UX methods. Some methods may be more appropriate than others, depending on time constraints, system maturity, type of product or service, and the current top concerns. It’s a good idea to use different or alternating methods each product cycle because they are aimed at different goals and types of insight. The chart below shows how often UX practitioners reported engaging in these methods in our survey on UX careers.

The top UX research activities that practitioners said they use at least every year or two, from most frequent to least: Task analysis, requirements gathering, in-person usability study, journey mapping, etc., design review, analytics review, clickable prototype testing, write user stories, persona building, surveys, field studies / user interviews, paper prototype testing, accessibility evaluation, competitive analysis, remote usability study, test instructions / help, card sorting, analyze search logs, diary studies

If you can do only one activity and aim to improve an existing system, do qualitative (think-aloud) usability testing , which is the most effective method to improve usability . If you are unable to test with users, analyze as much user data as you can. Data (obtained, for instance, from call logs, searches, or analytics) is not a great substitute for people, however, because data usually tells you what , but you often need to know why . So use the questions your data brings up to continue to push for usability testing.

The discovery stage is when you try to illuminate what you don’t know and better understand what people need. It’s especially important to do discovery activities before making a new product or feature, so you can find out whether it makes sense to do the project at all .

An important goal at this stage is to validate and discard assumptions, and then bring the data and insights to the team. Ideally this research should be done before effort is wasted on building the wrong things or on building things for the wrong people, but it can also be used to get back on track when you’re working with an existing product or service.

Good things to do during discovery:

Conduct field studies and interview users : Go where the users are, watch, ask, and listen. Observe people in context interacting with the system or solving the problems you’re trying to provide solutions for.
Run diary studies to understand your users’ information needs and behaviors.
Interview stakeholders to gather and understand business requirements and constraints.
Interview sales, support, and training staff. What are the most frequent problems and questions they hear from users? What are the worst problems people have? What makes people angry?
Listen to sales and support calls. What do people ask about? What do they have problems understanding? How do the sales and support staff explain and help? What is the vocabulary mismatch between users and staff?
Do competitive testing . Find the strengths and weaknesses in your competitors’ products. Discover what users like best.

Exploration methods are for understanding the problem space and design scope and addressing user needs appropriately.

Compare features against competitors.
Do design reviews.
Use research to build user personas and write user stories.
Analyze user tasks to find ways to save people time and effort.
Show stakeholders the user journey and where the risky areas are for losing customers along the way. Decide together what an ideal user journey would look like.
Explore design possibilities by imagining many different approaches, brainstorming, and testing the best ideas in order to identify best-of-breed design components to retain.
Obtain feedback on early-stage task flows by walking through designs with stakeholders and subject-matter experts. Ask for written reactions and questions (silent brainstorming), to avoid groupthink and to enable people who might not speak up in a group to tell you what concerns them.
Iterate designs by testing paper prototypes with target users, and then test interactive prototypes by watching people use them. Don’t gather opinions. Instead, note how well designs work to help people complete tasks and avoid errors. Let people show you where the problem areas are, then redesign and test again.
Use card sorting to find out how people group your information, to help inform your navigation and information organization scheme.

Testing and validation methods are for checking designs during development and beyond, to make sure systems work well for the people who use them.

Do qualitative usability testing . Test early and often with a diverse range of people, alone and in groups. Conduct an accessibility evaluation to ensure universal access.
Ask people to self-report their interactions and any interesting incidents while using the system over time, for example with diary studies .
Audit training classes and note the topics, questions people ask, and answers given. Test instructions and help systems.
Talk with user groups.
Staff social-media accounts and talk with users online. Monitor social media for kudos and complaints.
Analyze user-forum posts. User forums are sources for important questions to address and answers that solve problems. Bring that learning back to the design and development team.
Do benchmark testing: If you’re planning a major redesign or measuring improvement, test to determine time on task, task completion, and error rates of your current system, so you can gauge progress over time.

Listen throughout the research and design cycle to help understand existing problems and to look for new issues. Analyze gathered data and monitor incoming information for patterns and trends.

Survey customers and prospective users.
Monitor analytics and metrics to discover trends and anomalies and to gauge your progress.
Analyze search queries: What do people look for and what do they call it? Search logs are often overlooked, but they contain important information.
Make it easy to send in comments, bug reports, and questions. Analyze incoming feedback channels periodically for top usability issues and trouble areas. Look for clues about what people can’t find, their misunderstandings, and any unintended effects.
Collect frequently asked questions and try to solve the problems they represent.
Run booths at conferences that your customers and users attend so that they can volunteer information and talk with you directly.
Give talks and demos: capture questions and concerns.

Ongoing and strategic activities can help you get ahead of problems and make systemic improvements.

Find allies . It takes a coordinated effort to achieve design improvement. You’ll need collaborators and champions.
Talk with experts . Learn from others’ successes and mistakes. Get advice from people with more experience.
Follow ethical guidelines . The UXPA Code of Professional Conduct is a good starting point.
Involve stakeholders . Don’t just ask for opinions; get people onboard and contributing, even in small ways. Share your findings, invite them to observe and take notes during research sessions.
Hunt for data sources . Be a UX detective. Who has the information you need, and how can you gather it?
Determine UX metrics. Find ways to measure how well the system is working for its users.
Follow Tog's principles of interaction design .
Use evidence-based design guidelines , especially when you can’t conduct your own research. Usability heuristics are high-level principles to follow.
Design for universal access . Accessibility can’t be tacked onto the end or tested in during QA. Access is becoming a legal imperative, and expert help is available. Accessibility improvements make systems easier for everyone.
Give users control . Provide the controls people need. Choice but not infinite choice.
Prevent errors . Whenever an error occurs, consider how it might be eliminated through design change. What may appear to be user errors are often system-design faults. Prevent errors by understanding how they occur and design to lessen their impact.
Improve error messages . For remaining errors, don’t just report system state. Say what happened from a user standpoint and explain what to do in terms that are easy for users to understand.
Provide helpful defaults . Be prescriptive with the default settings, because many people expect you to make the hard choices for them. Allow users to change the ones they might need or want to change.
Check for inconsistencies . Work-alike is important for learnability. People tend to interpret differences as meaningful, so make use of that in your design intentionally rather than introducing arbitrary differences. Adhere to the principle of least astonishment . Meet expectations instead.
Map features to needs . User research can be tied to features to show where requirements come from. Such a mapping can help preserve design rationale for the next round or the next team.
When designing software, ensure that installation and updating is easy . Make installation quick and unobtrusive. Allow people to control updating if they want to.
When designing devices, plan for repair and recycling . Sustainability and reuse are more important than ever. Design for conservation.
Avoid waste . Reduce and eliminate nonessential packaging and disposable parts. Avoid wasting people’s time, also. Streamline.
Consider system usability in different cultural contexts . You are not your user. Plan how to ensure that your systems work for people in other countries . Translation is only part of the challenge.
Look for perverse incentives . Perverse incentives lead to negative unintended consequences. How can people game the system or exploit it? How might you be able to address that? Consider how a malicious user might use the system in unintended ways or to harm others.
Consider social implications . How will the system be used in groups of people, by groups of people, or against groups of people? Which problems could emerge from that group activity?
Protect personal information . Personal information is like money. You can spend it unwisely only once. Many want to rob the bank. Plan how to keep personal information secure over time. Avoid collecting information that isn’t required, and destroy older data routinely.
Keep data safe . Limit access to both research data and the data entrusted to the company by customers. Advocate for encryption of data at rest and secure transport. A data breach is a terrible user experience.
Deliver both good and bad news . It’s human nature to be reluctant to tell people what they don’t want to hear, but it’s essential that UX raise the tough issues. The future of the product, or even the company, may depend on decisionmakers knowing what you know or suspect.
Track usability over time . Use indicators such as number and types of support issues, error rates and task completion in usability testing, and customer satisfaction ratings, to show the effectiveness of design improvements.
Include diverse users . People can be very different culturally and physically. They also have a range of abilities and language skills. Personas are not enough to prevent serious problems, so be sure your testing includes as wide a variety of people as you can.
Track usability bugs . If usability bugs don’t have a place in the bug database, start your own database to track important issues.
Pay attention to user sentiment . Social media is a great place for monitoring user problems, successes, frustrations, and word-of-mouth advertising. When competitors emerge, social media posts may be the first indication.
Reduce the need for training . Training is often a workaround for difficult user interfaces, and it’s expensive. Use training and help topics to look for areas ripe for design changes.
Communicate future directions . Customers and users depend on what they are able to do and what they know how to do with the products and services they use. Change can be good, even when disruptive, but surprise changes are often poorly received because they can break things that people are already doing. Whenever possible, ask, tell, test with, and listen to the customers and users you have. Consult with them rather than just announcing changes. Discuss major changes early, so what you hear can help you do a better job, and what they hear can help them prepare for the changes needed.
Recruit people for future research and testing . Actively encourage people to join your pool of volunteer testers. Offer incentives for participation and make signing up easy to do via your website, your newsletter, and other points of contact.

Use this cheat-sheet to choose appropriate UX methods and activities for your projects and to get the most out of those efforts. It’s not necessary to do everything on every project, but it’s often helpful to use a mix of methods and tend to some ongoing needs during each iteration.

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UX research methods: Deciding which to use for your project

Choosing the right method in UX research can be confusing because it has to be tailored to your specific product and rely on your unique organizational goals.

Each research method has its own unique strengths and weaknesses, but being able to identify the best one to apply to your case is the key to UX research success.

Therefore, it is critical to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the most popular UX research methods and clearly understand the application possibilities and constraints, considering which might make the difference in the choice of one over the other.

Let’s walk you through some of the most common UX research methods to make choosing your option easier.

Overview of different UX research methods

Field studies, focus groups, diary studies, usability testing, five-second testing, a/b testing, considerations for choosing the best ux research method, examples of successful ux research projects, and the methods used, recruiting participants, develop a research protocol, use analytical tools.

The different UX research methods each have their own strengths and limitations, and selecting the right method is essential for gaining meaningful insights. Here are the most popular UX research methods:

Interviews : involve asking questions to gain insights from users. It is important to start with a wide context, avoid bias, ask questions that focus on tasks users are trying to complete, and analyze the data
Field studies : a research method where researchers observe people in their natural environment to understand their behavior, needs, and constraints. It is useful for understanding the context in which users complete tasks and gaining a better understanding of customers
Focus groups : involves studying a group of people and their beliefs and opinions on a topic, usually through face-to-face meetings or video conferencing tools. It can help understand how users perceive a product, identify important features, and discover problems users experience with the product
Diary studies : a research method where users keep logs or diaries to uncover their behaviors, activities, and experiences over an extended period. It is important to plan well, decide on the type of feedback, and determine triggers for the diary entries
Surveys : helps gather both qualitative and quantitative data from a group of participants to gain meaningful insights. Surveys can include close-ended or open-ended questions, and it is important to formulate questions correctly to get accurate responses
Usability testing : involves observing people completing tasks to evaluate usability, using various methods. Method selection is based on research goals and resources, and usability testing should be conducted early and often
Five-second testing : gauges users’ first impressions by showing them an image for five seconds. The method is useful for assessing messaging effectiveness and attention-grabbing techniques, capturing users’ initial perceptions
A/B testing : allows testing of design variations to find the most effective one for conversion optimization. The method involves presenting users with two different versions of the design and asking for feedback, with a focus on the prevention of biases and ego-based decision-making

Strengths and weaknesses of each UX research method

The existence of various research methods could confuse you about which method is best suited for your specific situation.

However, accessing the strengths and limitations of each method might help in identifying your preferences, while experience with all of them might give an additional advantage in understanding the best fit — trying and learning from mistakes is the way to perfection.

Provides rich and detailed information about users’ experiences, preferences, and opinions
Allows for follow-up questions to clarify responses and gain a deeper understanding of the topic
Helps build a relationship with users and gain trust
Can uncover new and unexpected insights

Weaknesses:

May suffer from bias or social desirability effects
Requires skilled interviewers to avoid leading questions and extract relevant information
Time-consuming and expensive to conduct, especially with a large number of participants
Results may not be generalizable to a larger population
Provides a realistic view of how users complete tasks and interact with products
Allows for the observation of behavior in a natural setting, providing contextual information
Can uncover problems that users might not be aware of or might not report in interviews or surveys
Provides a broad range of data types, such as visual and audio data
May require specialized equipment or access to specific locations, making it difficult and expensive to conduct
Observers may interfere with the natural behavior of participants
Researchers may struggle to maintain objectivity and avoid bias when collecting and analyzing data
Allows for the exploration of a wide range of opinions and perspectives in a short amount of time
Provides insights into how users interact with each other and their social dynamics
Can uncover new insights that would not have been obtained through individual interviews
Allows for immediate feedback and discussion among participants
Participants may be influenced by others’ opinions and not provide independent feedback
May suffer from groupthink or dominant participants influencing the conversation
Requires skilled moderators to guide the conversation and extract relevant information
Provides rich and detailed information over an extended period
Allows for the collection of data in a natural setting
Participants have control over their own data and can report on their own experiences
Can provide insights into changes in behavior or attitudes over time
Requires participants to commit to recording data over an extended period, which can lead to high attrition rates
Participants may forget to record important information or not record it accurately
Results may be influenced by the participant’s memory, attention, or motivation to report accurately
May not provide a complete picture of the participant’s experience, as they may not report everything they do or feel
Can collect large amounts of data from a large number of participants quickly and easily
Allows for the collection of both qualitative and quantitative data
Provides standardized responses, making it easy to compare and analyze data
Can be used to obtain data on a wide range of topics
Participants may not provide accurate or truthful responses
Can suffer from response bias or question order effects
Close-ended questions may not capture the nuances of participants’ opinions or experiences
Results may be influenced by the quality of the questions or response options
Provides objective feedback on how users interact with products
Allows for the identification of problems and areas for improvement
Can be used to compare products or designs
Can be conducted remotely, making it accessible and cost effective
May not capture the full range of user experiences or behaviors
Can be influenced by the tester’s biases or expectations
May not replicate the natural environment in which the product will be used
Can be time-consuming and expensive to conduct with a large number of participants
Quick way to gather initial impressions of users
Cost-effective method of testing
Helps to identify potential issues or areas for improvement in design
Easy to administer and analyze results
May not provide a comprehensive understanding of the user experience
Time constraint may not reflect real-life user interactions
Results may be influenced by personal bias or preferences
Limited information on how users actually interact with the design beyond initial impressions
Allows for testing of different variations of a design or webpage
Provides data to support decision-making and validation of assumptions
Can be used to optimize the design for specific goals (e.g., conversion rate)
Helps to control for variables that may affect user behavior
May not capture the full user experience or account for all variables that could influence behavior
Can be time-consuming and expensive to administer
Requires a large enough sample size to ensure statistically significant results
May lead to decision-making based solely on quantitative data, without considering qualitative insights

When it comes to conducting UX research, the method you choose will depend on the stage of the design process you’re in and what you want to know. It’s important to conduct research first to understand how your product will meet your audience’s needs before testing its effectiveness.

While all research methods have value, it’s often better to observe users’ behavior to discover their needs rather than ask them outright. You’ll also need to decide if what people think and believe or what they do with the product is more relevant to your question. It should also be noted that quantitative research typically assesses success, while qualitative research determines thoughts and motivations.

Once you’ve determined the type of research needed, consider the product’s context in your question to narrow your focus.

However, factors like cost, time, and resources may impact your choice of research method. UX researchers also need to stay in contact with business stakeholders to ensure that research aligns with business goals. Ultimately, the right researcher can make or break a study.

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If you have a small budget, consider starting with a small usability test with five users. If you have a short timeline, conduct an expert review and plan for a usability test in the next phase of development. At any stage in development, consider conducting one or more small usability tests and building improvements into the product as you iterate product design and testing throughout the development cycle.

While I already mentioned a lot of research methods, now it is time to get some insights into the best practices and grasp the feeling of how a successful application looks like in real-life scenarios.

An example of a practical application A/B testing is Spotify , which used this method to determine that users preferred a tab bar instead of the standard three-line menu icon on their mobile app. This resulted in a better user experience and decreased subscription churn, making it clear how A/B testing can have a significant impact on businesses.

Another user research strategy is usability testing, which produces both qualitative and quantitative data. The data gathered from usability testing can be applied in various ways depending on the type of testing and desired outcomes. I mentioned it more than others, as it seems that a lot of great companies constantly use some kind of usability testing to improve their performance.

For example,the world’s largest airline Ryanair’s official website utilized usability testing to increase improve the UX metrics of the website and create a better experience for clients, refreshing its look according to 21st-century expectations. The continuous work of more than 200 employees and an additional large group of testers provided the result that helped the company to stay on top of the airline industry as the website started not to just look better, but to work faster, attracting more clients. Hence, such work has to be ongoing as trends shift while the company has to stay on top of the competition, providing only the best for its clients. Therefore, major companies concentrate on continuous usability testing to increase sales.

An important note here would be that for specific product types, such as an ecommerce website or medical device, there are recommended research methods. When seeking responses from a large number of respondents, consider using a survey delivered electronically via a link or survey platform. On the other hand, if the website or app focuses on experience rather than usability, the chosen research method will usually go with interviews or surveys.

For example, some gaming apps might work just fine, but the visual aspects and music are just not enjoyable for the users, and the only way to grasp such feedback is to access qualitative responses from users in one way or another.

Tips for conducting effective UX research

Recruiting participants for low-cost UX research can be challenging, but there are ways to make it easier. A free 190-page report from the Nielsen Norman Group offers guidelines on how to set up and manage a recruiting program.

You can also use online tools like Doodle to sync schedules and Zoom, Google Hangouts, or Skype to conduct remote interviews, reducing the time it takes to organize multiple in-person interviews. While remote interviews may not provide as much data as other research methods, they can be useful in discovering usability issues and gauging user interaction with these issues.

It is important to ensure that your tested audience’s demographic is diverse and that you prepare by gathering adequate resources and background information. This can help you answer any questions your UX team may have and avoid bias and possible negative feedback from one demographic that you missed during the UX research.

One-on-one interviews can be beneficial because they allow you to focus on specific issues and go in-depth. This eliminates the risk of “groupthink” that can occur in focus groups, for example.

Developing a research protocol can help you stay organized and focused during your user research. This protocol should include tasks you want your participants to do, how much time you’ve set aside for the session, a script or description that you can use for every session, and your process for recording the interviews and looking after participant data.

Analytics tools can also provide valuable quantitative data for your user research. Free tools like Google Analytics and low-cost tools like LogRocket can help you answer questions such as how long it takes for users to complete a task, where they click, how far they scroll, what features are most popular, what paths people usually take, and when they leave.

However, it’s important to pair this raw data with real qualitative user research for insight. Plan ahead and collect useful, properly structured raw data that can be analyzed with as little effort as possible.

In conclusion, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of different UX research methods is crucial for creating effective user-centered designs. Interviews, field studies, focus groups, diary studies, surveys , usability testing, five-second testing, and A/B testing each offer unique insights into user behavior and preferences. When selecting a method, it’s important to consider factors, such as the research goals, target audience, and available resources.

To conduct effective UX research, recruiting diverse and representative participants, developing a research protocol, and utilizing analytical tools are all key factors.

Overall, incorporating UX research into the design process can lead to more satisfying user experiences, and choosing the most appropriate method can make all the difference.

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UX Research Methods and Techniques

Explore 16 of the most common quantitative and qualitative methods for making informed decisions and generating actionable human insights

Introduction to UX Research Methods

What are ux research methods.

UX research methods are the family of experimental protocols design teams use to study users and test prototypes. They include everything from simple interviews to specialized scorecards, and can be either moderated (ex. interviews) or unmoderated (ex. surveys).

While conducting UX research should generally be left to experienced designers, every member of a Design Thinking team can benefit from a deeper appreciation of the established techniques and rich insights they provide.

What are the types of UX Research methods?

For the sake of simplicity, this guide categorizes common UX research methods into three types based on the data they commonly provide: Quantitative, Qualitative, or Mixed.

Quantitative UX Research Methods Best for benchmarking, prioritization and forecasting

Qualitative UX Research Methods Best for modelling user experiences and inspiring ideas

Mixed UX Research Methods Can be used to deliver both quantitative and qualitative data

The UX Research Methods Matrix

X-dimension: situation vs solution.

The X-dimension separates methods based on what they are typically used to study: Either the situation as a whole (like a literature review or diary study), or the solution being created (like concept testing or an intercept survey). UX research methods are leveraged throughout the complete project cycle — they don’t end when the interviews are over.

Studying the Situation	Studying the Solution
Studies the context of the solution	Studies the solution in context
Identifies opportunities and constraints	Prioritizes ideas and produces benchmarks
Used to create a current landscape	Used to refine working prototypes
Ex: Literature reviews, diary studies	Ex: Concept testing, usability testing

Y-Dimension: Qualitative vs Quantitative

The Y-dimension separates methods based on the type of data they typically output: Either more qualitative (like focus groups or concept testing), or more quantitative (like user surveys or A/B testing). Relying on only one type of data can be dangerous: Robust research projects should include a mix of both, as they provide different perspectives on the experience.

More Quantitative	More Qualitative
Assesses the quality of an experience	Assesses the quantity of an experience
Identifies needs and inspires solutions	Identifies patterns and informs KPIs
Most used during Observation and Iterate	Most used during Explore and Verify
Ex: User interviews, heuristic evaluation	Ex: User surveys, behavioral analytics

Which UX Research Methods should I use?

Typically, UX research methods are stacked together to create an overall UX research plan . That means that the selection of your methods is based on what stage of the plan you are in, and what questions you need to answer. Keep the following factors in mind as you browse the guide:

Three factors to consider when selecting a research method

Questions: What do we need to find out specifically?
Resources: How much time/talent/budget do we have?
Risk tolerance: What are the risks of incorrect assumptions?

If it doesn’t agree with experiment, it’s wrong.

Qualitative UX Research Methods

Qualitative UX Research Methods are powerful sources of inspiration. They bring the voice of the customer directly into the design process, and answer critical questions about the goals and behaviors that solutions can support.

UX research methods in this section:

User interviews
Focus groups
Diary studies
Literature review
Participatory design
Remote walkthrough

User Interviews

Interviews and focus groups are the primary method of direct user observation in UX research. Depending on the project, the UX interviews can be very informal, or highly confidential.

User Interviews are the bread and butter of qualitative UX research methods. When designing user-centered solutions, there is no substitute for speaking with real users. While user interviews can take many forms and can integrate multiple methods (such as card sorting and concept testing), the quality of any interview is determined by the quality of its questions.

When planning user interviews, extreme care must be taken to develop questions that are most likely to make interviewees comfortable and actively engaged. If you have ever conducted user interviews before, you will appreciate how difficult this can be in formal settings.

Closed-ended question (Avoid)	Open-ended question (Encourage)
Do you do this task/action often?	Why do you do this task/action?
Is your job difficult?	What makes your job more/less difficult?
Are there people supporting you?	When do you turn to others for help?

User interviews help to answer

Who are our primary and secondary personas?
What do they think and do? Say and feel?
What are their major pains and gains?
Who else should we be talking to?

Focus Groups

Focus groups are like user interviews conducted with a group of 5-10 people at once. While they can help expedite the research process , they require significant planning and expert moderation to conduct effectively. Because of this, focus groups are typically conducted by research firms experienced at building group discussion guides that balance personalities and ensure all participants are able to share their feelings openly and evenly.

Focus groups help to answer

What do teams think about a topic/solution?
What information gaps exist in the field?
Which disciplines should we be talking to?
Does our messaging spark controversy? Conversation?

Diary Studies

Diary studies are an ethnographic UX research method that provide rich qualitative insights. The basic premise of a diary study is to ask potential users to record their experiences in a diary, which is then collected by researchers upon completion.

Diary studies can be recorded as guided journal entries or photo essays, and typically aim to describe a “ day in the life ” of a particular person. Diary studies add a level of realism that can’t be achieved in controlled settings, and are a great way to gain the type of detailed insights that inspire genuine innovations. Note that due to their revealing nature, protecting user privacy is especially important to consider with this method.

Diary studies help to answer

What does a typical day look like?
Who do our users rely on and when?
When/where do our users engage with us?
What other factors influence the experience?

Literature Review

Also called secondary or desk research, Literature Reviews are a method for exploring available information to gain context about a specific domain. While the rigor required varies with every solution, every design project is likely to benefit from at least a cursory review of existing research. When conducting literature reviews, it is critical to consider the credibility and bias of the source. Government statistics and peer-reviewed publications are typically the most robust sources, with surveys, articles and other sources requiring additional caution.

Literature reviews help to answer

What cultural trends are influencing our users?
How has our demographic evolved over time?
What does science say about the unmet need?
How are other related solutions experienced?
What else do we know about our users?

Participatory Design

Participatory design is when teams integrate one or more users directly into their design process. This can be particularly helpful when designing enterprise solutions for specific roles, where deep domain knowledge is needed to appreciate the complexities of required tasks. It also helps to create external “champions” of the solution, who will then help train users and improve adoption.

While the benefit of having instant access to real user feedback can help remove bias and align teams, it is not without risks. The power of user personas is that they represent the collective goals and behaviors of target groups. Relying on n=1 comes with risks.

Participatory design helps to answer

What would the user do/think?
What challenges a decision cause?
Which feature is most important?
How do these experiences compare?

Remote Walkthrough

Screen-sharing tools have become ubiquitous in the pandemic-world, dramatically improving access to low-cost UX research methods such as remote walkthroughs.

A remote walkthrough, also called a Touchstone Tour or simply “shadowing”, puts users in the driver seat as they walk design teams through their environment. For example, if you were designing a new video editing application, you may recruit current video editors to walk you through their daily tasks within the software. Thanks to modern video conferencing tools like Slack or Zoom, it’s easy to conduct and record remote walkthroughs alongside other ux research methods.

Remote walkthroughs help to answer

What tasks are required to complete their goals?
How do users complete these tasks?
What UX challenges do they face along the way?
Do they use any shortcuts? Customizations?
How comfortable are users in their environment?

Quantitative UX Research Methods

Today, digital “desire lines” are everywhere — but only if you know where to look. Whether you are improving an app used by millions, or building a service for select specialists, being able to parse big data into actionable insights is a mandatory skill for all UX researchers.

Behavioral analytics
User surveys
Intercept surveys
Click tracking
Eye tracking
A/B testing

Behavioral Analytics

Behavioral analytics help model how users are engaging with an existing system or solution. The process of determining which metrics are the best proxy for the experience, and what the current data says about the solution, is where this UX research method shines.

Typically, the analysis is completed by a core research team and shared with the broader cross functional team during design thinking workshops to inform and inspire ideas. Common behavioral metrics include bounce rate, conversion rate, time to completion, time on task, or other digital/physical desire lines.

Behavioral analytics help to answer

Where are our users coming from?
Are they finding what they want?
How long are they spending with us?
What do they search for most?
How often do they engage with us?

User Surveys

Surveys are an established research method adopted by myriad disciplines to collect hard data from groups of people. Data are then analyzed by statistical methods to generate “significant” insights that are unlikely to be due to chance. The power to discern signal from noise is the product of the size of the survey sample: The more people you ask, the more confident the statistics will be.

Like user interviews, the quality of a user survey relies on recruiting the right people and asking the right questions. But unlike interviews, these questions need to be formatted in a way that can be answered using a sliding scale or multiple choice — at least until natural language processing simplifies the analysis of free-text responses.

User surveys help to answer

Who are our users?
What challenges do they face?
What goals and behaviors do they share?
Where should we focus our design efforts?
What do they think about a situation or solution?

Intercept Surveys

Intercept surveys, also called feedback surveys, are a simplified form of user survey deployed in the wild where interactions occur. Intercept surveys are commonly found on websites and in emails, and can be as simple as asking “Was this information helpful?”. In practice, intercept surveys are best when limited to only a single question that is easy to understand and effortless to answer.

Intercept surveys help to answer

What are the biggest challenges users face?
Where does the experience go wrong?
Why are users dropping off at this point?
How is our current solution being received?

Click Tracking

Click Tracking is a specialized ux research method that lets designers observe and analyze everywhere users click or tap when visiting a website. While digital marketers have been using scroll depth and CTA conversion rates for years, modern click-tracking tools like HotJar can now passively record real user visits and generate cumulative heat maps for your pages. These heat maps show where users are (and aren’t) clicking. In fact, HotJar will automatically generate three different layers of heat maps to capture all clicks, moves and scrolls. Together, these session-tracking maps help designers present findings to stakeholders and improve on-page conversions.

Click tracking helps to answer

Is this button/content getting lost?
Are users trying to click the wrong thing?
How are users engaging with our pages?
What effect did this design update have?

Eye Tracking

Eye tracking is a specialized UX research method that records where your test users are looking — not just where they scroll or click to. Unlike click tracking which can be installed on a live website, eye tracking studies require controlled settings with user opt-in. In the past, eye tracking was prohibitively expensive due to the technology required; however, accurate, webcam-based tools like Real Eye have greatly reduced the barrier to entry.

Today, eye tracking studies are frequently used as a form of unmoderated usability testing that participants can complete on their own time. This dramatically simplifies the logistics and reduces the guesswork in major decision decisions.

Eye tracking helps to answer

Where do users look first?
What design is more attractive?
Is our message being missed?
Are we confusing our users?

A/B Testing

A/B Testing is a data-driven way to determine which of two (or more) options is the most effective at achieving a specific goal. A/B testing is used in a variety of industries, especially in digital marketing, where optimizing conversion rates is of critical importance. In user experience design , A/B testing can be used to optimize specific aspects of an existing solution, or to determine which of two designs to pursue.

A/B testing helps to answer

What experience converts best?
How can we optimize the experience?
What direction should we pursue?
What do our users prefer?

Mixed UX Research Methods

Mixed UX Research methods can be used to generate human insights and hard data . They allow for both direct observation of user behaviors, while also generating data that can be subject to statistical analysis.

UX research methods described in this section:

Heuristic evaluation
Concept testing
Tree testing
Card sorting
Usability testing

Heuristic Evaluation

Heuristic evaluation is effectively a “pragmatic review” of a user experience by design experts. When applied formally, it uses a point-based scoring system akin to those used to judge athletic performances (like gymnastics or diving). Using predefined criteria and scorecards helps to reduce bias and make scalable decisions in situations where direct usability testing is not possible or necessary.

Of course, the quality of a heuristic evaluation is determined by the experience of the reviewers, and their ability to make unbiased judgements from a user’s point of view. Having a validated set of personas helps improve the output of a heuristic evaluation, and the same interfaces can (and should) be reviewed from the perspective of multiple user personas.

Web users ultimately want to get at data quickly and easily.

Heuristic evaluation helps to answer

Which design is more user friendly?
How much have we improved our UX?
Do we need to redesign this solution?
What quick wins can we start with?

Concept Testing

Concept testing is exactly that: Testing concepts/prototypes with users to see what they say. Concept testing is common when developing marketing campaigns or other mass-market creative ideas where it is difficult or impossible to predict how people will respond. Concept testing and usability testing are quite similar in this sense; however, concept testing is concerned with deciding which concept (or “big idea”) to pursue, while usability testing is conducted with high-fidelity designs to validate decisions or make minor improvements. Concept testing is commonly integrated with other techniques to streamline the research efforts, and can use card sorting and scorecards to support data-informed decisions.

Concept testing helps to answer

What tasks are required to complete a user’s goal?

Tree Testing

Tree testing is a specialized UX research method for assessing how intuitive an information architecture is. In its simplest form, tree testing involves watching users interact with a prototype menu within a controlled setting (i.e., no content or visuals included, only the menu itself).

By prompting users to complete specific tasks by clicking through the menu (ex: Where would you go to find X or do Y), researchers can see how their architecture relates to their user’s mental models. This allows teams to optimize critical structural elements early in the design process, avoiding more expensive updates downstream.

Tree testing helps to answer

Is our information architecture intuitive?
Are we using the right labels?
Where are users getting lost?
Which sitemap is more effective?
How can we optimize click depth?

Card Sorting

Card sorting is a fundamental UX research method applied throughout the design process . In essence, card sorting is exactly that: Sorting a stack of cue cards that have words on them into piles that make sense to the sorter. For example, you may have a stack of 30 cards with the names of different foods on them.

If you asked someone to sort them into piles according to their most vs. least favorite items, you would learn more about their preferences than if you simply asked them their favorite foods. This basic card sorting theory can be applied to any situation, and augmenting the prompts and piles lets UX researchers answer a variety of questions about the opportunity.

Card sorting helps to answer

How do our users think about this domain?
What items belong together? Apart?
What navigation will work best?
Where will they look for this content?
Which experiences should we prioritize?

Usability Testing

Usability testing is used to assess how user friendly a higher-fidelity prototype is with your target users. Usability tests are typically used later in the design process, before shifting to the Implementation step of the design thinking process. Usability testing is conducted similar to other ux research methods such as Tree Testing or Card Sorting, where users are asked to complete specific tasks within a controlled environment. Because usability testing is performed with fully functional prototypes (or the minimum viable product), UX researchers are able to benchmark quantitative metrics such as Time to Completion (TTC) in addition to other qualitative metrics. This makes usability testing a powerful tool for demonstrating business impact and deciding what areas to work on in future updates.

Usability testing helps to answer

How user friendly is our solution?
How much time/effort does our solution save?
What impact can we expect our solution to have?
What should we focus on in the next release?

So what are UX research methods?

UX Research methods describe the established protocols and best practices designed to help teams understand users and improve real experiences . They range from simple surveys to rich ethnographic field studies, and furnish teams with the actionable insights they need throughout the development process.

While UX research methods were once confined to specialized labs, the rise of cloud-based solutions has dramatically simplified the methodologies and reduced the overhead. Today, teams of all sizes can leverage UX Research methods to improve their solutions

UX Research Methods

Describes set of research protocols and best practices
Used to study both users, situations and solutions
Output quantitative or qualitative data
Helps develop personas and optimize prototypes
Support end-to-end Design Thinking process
Major methods include User Interviews, Usability Testing, Card Sorting, Surveys and Behavioral Analytics

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20 Essential UX research methods and how they help you build better products

The product development process has many aspects to take care of with decisions that can lead to success or disappointment. Finding the right path might seem tricky, but UX research methods become invaluable insights, which we’ll talk about today.

When every business is battling for attention, the importance of understanding your customers cannot be overstated. User experience (UX) research stands at the forefront, providing valuable data about user behaviors, preferences, and pain points, which is essential for tailoring products that truly resonate with and captivate your audience. In this article, we’ll figure out what exactly UX research is and, as a bonus, provide the 20 essential techniques shaping the world of user-centric product design in 2023.

What is UX research?

UX research is all about understanding the people who will use your product. It’s a way to discover what they need, what they like, and how they behave. There are different methods to do this, like asking questions, analyzing how customers interact with a product, or studying data about their behavior. By doing UX research, you can avoid guessing what users want and instead give them something they will really like and find helpful.

UX research? It’s like chatting with your users to get what they want — no guesswork needed!

Why UX research is important for your product creation

You can’t create a product “just because you want to.” Well, in fact, you can, but will it be useful? Understanding why UX research is crucial in developing a product is the first step toward building something truly remarkable. There are a number of advantages you should consider, so let’s discuss them in detail.

User satisfaction. First off, UX research puts you in your users’ shoes. It’s the best way to uncover what they need, what frustrates them, and what makes them happy. When you understand these pain points and desires, you can create solutions that potential customers will love.
Reduced development cost. Investing in UX analysis might seem like an extra expense, but it actually saves you money down the line. While making changes after a product launch is expensive and time-consuming, UX research helps you get it right the first time.
Product usability. Usability is essential to any successful product, and this is where UX research shines. With proper analysis and focus on usability, you can enhance user satisfaction, making the website or app more appealing and encouraging for repeat usage.
Increase conversion rates. It’s pretty straightforward — when you understand what users need and how they interact with the product, you can make improvements that hit the mark. These tweaks can make their experience smoother, encouraging more people to leap from being interested to making a purchase.
Competitive advantage. Every business aims to gain a competitive edge, and UX research is exactly what you need for it. By understanding users and what they need, you can make your product stand out from the crowd. This isn’t just about being different — it’s about being better in a way that matters to your users.
Informed decision-making. UX research can significantly help when it comes to making decisions in the process of product creation. It gives real, user-based insights, so you’re not just guessing what might work but making informed choices based on what users want and need.
Brand loyalty. When users feel that a product is made with their needs in mind, they’re more likely to stick around. This loyalty stems from a sense of being understood and valued, a crucial outcome of effective UX research. In short, good UX leads to satisfied users, who, in turn, become loyal supporters of your brand.

With all of these benefits, it’s clear that starting with UX research, you’re starting on the path to success. It bridges the gap between user needs and business goals, leading to effective, efficient, and emotionally engaging solutions.

Types of user research

There are various types of UX research, each with its goals and objectives. From unique insights to different aspects of gathering information, every method helps to craft products that truly resonate with your audience. Overall, there are six main types of user research, which we’re going to discuss below.

Attitudinal vs. behavioral

When we talk about user research, we primarily look at two types: attitudinal and behavioral. The attitudinal type focuses on what users say. It’s all about understanding their attitudes, preferences, and opinions by using tools like surveys, interviews, and questionnaires. Think of it as having a direct conversation with your users to learn how they feel about your product or what they wish for.

In contrast, behavioral research is based on what users actually do. It involves being an observer, watching how people interact with your product. In that case, you can use such methods as usability testing, session recordings, and heatmaps to get the necessary data. This approach is crucial for understanding the true user experience and pinpointing areas for improvement.

Together, these two research methods give a comprehensive view of the customers, blending what they tell with what their actions show.

Qualitative vs. quantitative

Alright, let’s talk about more types of user research: qualitative and quantitative. They both play crucial roles in crafting a complete picture of customer engagement and preferences.

Qualitative research gathers stories about users’ experiences, thoughts, and feelings regarding your product. hrough interviews, focus groups, and direct observations, you gain insights into the “why” and “how” people behave while interacting with a website or app.

Now, let’s switch to quantitative research. This one deals with the hard data and is full of numbers. To get exact answers about what is happening on the website, use tools like surveys with fixed responses, website analytics, and statistical analysis. How many people clicked here? What percentage completed their purchase? Quantitative research gives you these facts and, most importantly, stats.

Qualitative research is about the quality of data — the stories and experiences, while quantitative focuses on the numbers.

Generative vs. evaluative

Among the various user research methods, it’s worth discussing generative and evaluative approaches. Both of them are super important to get a well-rounded understanding of your users and, as a result, create a successful product based on these insights.

Generative research is the go-to at the beginning stages of product development or when brainstorming for innovative solutions. It is all about coming up with new ideas and understanding broader user needs and behaviors through interviews, field studies, and diary studies. This type of research outlines what users need and want, helping to figure out what products or features to develop.

Following generative research, as your product ideas take shape, shift to evaluative research. This phase is crucial for assessing what you’ve created. It’s focused on refinement and improvement, using tools like usability testing, A/B testing, and specific surveys. The goal is to test your products against real user expectations and experiences, ensuring that the crafted product resonates with them and effectively meets their needs.

Top 20 UX design research methods and when to use them

Understanding users is the basis of impactful design, and the right research methods are key to gaining this insight. Scroll further as we explore 20 essential UX research techniques, each with its specific application context.

1. Surveys

In UX research, surveys are handy for getting user feedback and can be qualitative or quantitative, depending on the type of questions asked. Qualitative surveys include open-ended questions to gain insights into what users think and feel, while quantitative use closed-ended questions (like multiple choice or ratings) to get data that’s easy to measure. There are two ways to conduct surveys, namely:

Email surveys. Sent directly to users’ inboxes, these surveys help reach a broad audience by asking specific things about your product or service. To recruit participants for email surveys, utilize your existing customer database or sign-up forms on your website.
On-site surveys. They pop up while users browse the website or app, letting you grab feedback about their experience right then and there. For on-site surveys, you can target customers who are actively engaging with your site.

Surveys are versatile. You can use them at various stages of the product development process — from the initial conceptualization phase to after the launch. They help collect data from many users, spot trends in user behavior, and gather thoughts on specific features.

2. Interviews

A key qualitative method in UX research is interviews, where a researcher meets one-on-one with users to discuss a particular topic. This method includes two main types: in-depth interviews (IDIs) and intercept interviews.

In-depth interviews (IDIs). They’re usually conducted in a relaxed and cozy environment where participants can talk through everything in detail. If you want to find people for IDIs who match your user profile, surf online, through social media, or use your customer list.
Intercept interviews. They happen right where the action is — on a website, wherever users interact with your product or service. You’ll approach visitors while they’re using the website or just after they’ve used it. It’s free-flowing, so you rely on their willingness to chat there and then.

This UX method fits perfectly at different stages of your project development, from concept to release. In the early phases, it acts as a tool for gathering the target audience and shaping the user base. Towards the end, this approach becomes a great possibility for getting the lowdown on how people find your product’s usability and appeal.

3. Personas

Think of personas as characters in a story, but in this case, they are based on real users. This qualitative method helps you make design decisions in the early stages of product development based on what people need and expect. It means ensuring your website or product is a hit with your audience, not just an imaginary user.

But how do you start creating these personas? First, you need actual user data, which you can gather from online platforms, social media, or customer lists. This process isn’t about guessing who your users are but understanding them through in-depth interviews or observational studies. The great decision is to prepare a set of questions or scenarios to gain insights into people’s lifestyles, preferences, and challenges to paint a comprehensive picture of your user base. This way, every design decision you make is grounded in reality, not assumptions.

4. Usability testing

You’ve got your product or service, and now it’s time to see it in action with people through usability testing. During this process, real users tackle tasks by interacting with your product while a researcher observes their experience, gathering insights on how they use it and where improvements might be needed.

Whether you are wondering when to conduct usability testing, here are some tips to help you make an informed decision:

Before the design stage. Such an early insight can influence the direction of your design, ensuring it meets the user requirements from the start.
After wireframe or prototype creation. It helps identify usability issues early on, saving time and resources by preventing costly redesigns later.
Ahead of the product launch. This step is crucial to eliminate last-minute issues and boost user confidence in your product’s reliability.
Regularly after roll-out. Ongoing testing helps identify areas for improvement and ensures the product remains relevant and user-friendly.

This method can be both qualitative and quantitative. On the qualitative side, you’re watching and listening to participants, getting their thoughts and feelings on the experience. Quantitatively, you measure how long it takes to complete tasks or count errors. Finding the participants for usability testing can be done through online ads, social media, customer databases, or recruitment agencies.

5. Field studies

Another aspect of UX research is field studies, where the action happens in places users typically hang out, like their homes or offices. Social media, customer lists, or special outreach programs are your go-to tools for finding people, but remember, you’re asking to step into their space, and it’s crucial they’re comfortable with that.

This qualitative approach offers a reliable overview of your products during the discovery stage or a ready-made prototype to see whether it fits into customers’ daily lives. Researchers are there to watch and learn — how people interact with the product, what’s happening around them, and all that jazz.

Field studies are about making sure your designs don’t just work in theory but really click in the everyday lives of your users.

6. Focus groups

A classic tool in UX research is focus groups that bring together a small number of people (typically around 6 to 10 participants) to discuss and share their thoughts about your product or service. It’s kind of a hangout, but instead of casual chit-chat, you’re talking about what they think and feel using your creation.

You need a diverse mix of participants representing different facets of your target audience. To find them, try advertising, searching customer databases, or reaching out to communities relevant to your product.

This qualitative method is thoughtful research of people’s opinions, attitudes, and experiences while formulating your website or service concept. The cool thing is, when customers start talking and bouncing ideas off each other, you get to uncover insights that might not pop up in a one-on-one chat.

7. Eye-tracking

Eye-tracking is one of the more fascinating and technological UX research methods used to analyze how users view a website or app. Special equipment follows the movement of a visitor’s eyes, showing what catches their attention, for how long, and in what order. Since eye-tracking is a bit more high-tech, you can search for participants through online platforms, social media, or customer databases.

It is a quantitative process that gives you hard data — numbers and patterns demonstrating where people’s attention goes on the screen. This info is super valuable in the mid to late stages of product development to understand what draws users in and what might be getting overlooked.

8. Remote moderated testing

For remote moderated testing, you can reach out to people through social media, email, or online ads, as this method permits people to join from anywhere. Whether at home, in a cafe, or any comfortable place, this handy UX research technique allows everyone to chill in their favorite spot using video calls and screen-sharing software for testing.

Remote moderated testing can provide qualitative insights by observing and talking to users as they navigate your product in different stages of development. At the same time, you can collect quantitative data like task completion times or error rates. This combo gives you a well-rounded view of the user experience to make iterative improvements based on what real users do and say.

9. Concept testing

Take a glimpse into how potential users might react to a new idea or design before you start the development phase with the concept testing. It involves presenting a concept — like a product idea, feature, or design element — to users and getting their feedback.

Concept testing can swing both ways — qualitative and quantitative. You can gather feedback by engaging users through social media or online communities to share their thoughts and feelings about the website idea. Hard data comes into play when you ask specific questions that can be measured, like rating scales or choice preferences.

10. Diary studies

In the method of diary studies, you make participants keep a record — like a diary — of their experiences with your finished product over a period of time. They jot down their thoughts, feelings, and actions, providing a window into daily interactions with what you’ve created.

Diary studies are mainly qualitative and focused on customers’ personal and detailed experiences. You can reach out to users who are already engaged with your product or use a database, social media platforms, or community forums. By analyzing their information, you get rich, narrative insights into how people navigate and feel about your product in their everyday lives.

11. Customer feedback

You can have a direct line to your users’ thoughts and experiences through customer feedback. That looks like a casual chat with your audience to find out what they love, what frustrates them, and what could be better about your product or service. This communication can be built through a prominent button on your website, a form in your app, or even follow-up emails after a purchase or service use.

Qualitative customer feedback comes from open-ended questions where users share their thoughts in their own words about any stage of your product’s lifecycle. On the other hand, quantitative data is derived from closed-ended questions, such as ratings or multiple-choice queries, offering measurable insights.

12. Desirability studies

With desirability studies, you focus on the visual appeal and emotional impact of your product’s design. In these tests, you show participants different style options for your product and ask them to match these ideas with specific feelings or attributes from a list. It’s a bit like a game, where your design elements correspond to feelings like “exciting,” “modern,” or “user-friendly.”

Desirability studies are primarily quantitative and rely on structured feedback, where participants, who you can find through social media, online ads, or user groups, choose from a ready-made list of attributes. This approach provides measurable data about how users perceive the visual aspects of your product, revealing critical insights into their preferences, design effectiveness, and potential areas for visual enhancement.

13. Card sorting

When it comes to designing the layout and structuring content, card sorting — a user-friendly and insightful method in UX research — kicks in. The main idea is to give participants a set of cards, each labeled with a piece of content or a feature, and ask them to sort it into categories that make sense.

Qualitatively, this method helps you understand how users think and why they group things a certain way. Quantitatively, when you analyze the patterns in how different people sort the cards, you get measurable data on common groupings and preferences.

Your participants don’t need to be current users of your product but should have interests relevant to your offerings. To find them, surf through online forums and social media or rely on your customer database.

14. Tree testing

If you want to evaluate the information architecture of your product during the mid-design phase, try tree testing.

Recruit participants through social media, online ads, or existing customer databases and ask them to find a way through a simplified, text-only map of your website or app — a “tree.” Their mission is to complete specific tasks like finding a particular piece of information or performing an action.

This quantitative research focuses on measurable outcomes like the success rate of finding information, the time taken to complete tasks, and the paths users take. This data provides clear insights into the effectiveness of your site’s or app’s navigational structure.

15. Analytics

UX research analytics involves exploring user behavior through clues like clicks, form fillings, and other interactions when your product is out in the real world. It’s all about gathering little breadcrumbs of data from actual users to form an overall picture.

This method is quantitative, measuring actions relying on numbers. By analyzing this data, you get objective insights into how users interact with your product, like which features are popular, where they might get stuck, and how they navigate through your site or app.

With UX analytics, every click tells a story, painting a clear picture of user journeys and experiences in the world of numbers.

16. Clickstream analytics

There is a specific type of UX research — clickstream analytics. This method tracks the digital footprints of your users as they hop from page to page on your live site or app. It’s all about mapping their journey, seeing their paths, the stops they make, and for how long. By applying this research technique, you can gain valuable insight into how users navigate, what they like, and where they might run into trouble.

You don’t need to send out invites for a study or round up a group of participants because the data comes directly from the click and scroll of actual users. It’s a continuous stream of information that lets you tweak, adjust, and perfect a visitor’s experience over time.

Clickstream analytics is inherently quantitative. It deals with concrete data like the sequence of pages visited, the time spent on each page, and the transitions between different parts of the site or app. This data helps quantify user behavior, revealing trends and common navigation paths.

17. A/B testing

Split testing, or A/B testing, is a method in UX research where you compare two versions of a webpage or app to see which one performs better. Essentially, you create two different versions — A and B — and show them to users. You analyze which is more effective based on specific metrics like clicks, conversions, or customer engagement.

A/B testing is a quantitative research method all about numbers and measurable results. You’re looking at data from current users to see which version leads to better performance regarding their actions and reactions. This approach provides concrete evidence about which design or content choices are more effective in achieving your goals.

18. Five second testing

Quick and powerful — that’s exactly what five second testing is. The main idea is to show users a webpage, ad, or app screen — for just five seconds. After that brief glimpse, ask questions about what they remember or how they felt to identify the immediate impact and clarity of your designs. This method is flexible and fast, ensuring minimal disruption to your users, whom you can engage through online platforms, social media, or in-person meetings.

The five-second technique can provide both qualitative and quantitative data from the early to mid phases of design. Qualitatively, you can gather insights about participants’ initial feelings and thoughts. Quantitatively, you can measure aspects like recall accuracy, which provides data on the most memorable or attention-grabbing design elements.

19. Prototyping

Another essential step in the UX design process is prototyping, where the design team creates a mini-version of a site or product. This mock-up can be as simple as a hand-drawn paper layout or as sophisticated as interactive HTML pages. The idea is to explore and visualize design concepts before fully implementing them, allowing for adjustments based on feedback.

You can gather qualitative information from the target audience to understand user reactions, thoughts, and feelings about the design. Quantitatively, you can test specific functions, like the ease of navigation or the effectiveness of user interfaces, by measuring task completion time and rates.

20. Competitor analysis and benchmarking

The last critical method is to assess your product compared to others in the market. This involves analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of competitor products and benchmarking them against industry standards. The goal is to understand where your creation stands in the competitive landscape and identify opportunities for improvement or differentiation.

This method is valuable at every stage of your product’s life and can be both qualitative and quantitative. It allows you to analyze things like design style, how user-friendly its features are, and the overall website or app vibe compared to competitors. You can also acquire critical numbers, such as performance metrics, user engagement levels, and conversion rates, that’ll help you identify where your product stands in the market and how it can be improved.

What UX research technique is thought to be the best?

The best UX research technique depends on the specifics of your project, your goals, and the stage of development you’re in. For example, if you’re just starting out with a new app idea and want to understand your potential users’ needs and behaviors, generative research methods like interviews or surveys might be your go-to. These techniques help gather insights that can shape your initial design concepts.

On the other hand, if your app is already developed and you’re looking to refine the user interface, usability testing or A/B testing could be more beneficial. These evaluative methods allow you to observe how users interact with your app and make data-driven improvements.

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer — the key is to match the research method with your specific needs at each stage of your project.

How to choose UX research methods

When it comes to picking user experience research methods, a great factor to consider is your company’s budget. The amount of money you’re able to allocate for analysis can guide which strategies are feasible and most effective for your needs. But it’s not the only one, as there are other aspects to consider, which we’ll cover in the following paragraphs.

Define your objectives and problems

When starting with UX research, define your objectives and the problems you aim to solve. This step sets the direction of the study and helps you choose the most effective methods to achieve your goals. Knowing exactly what you want to understand or improve in your user experience guides your entire research process.

When defining your objectives and problems in UX research, we recommend you answer these key questions to set clear goals:

What are the user’s needs?
What challenges do the users face?
How can you address user requirements?

Understand the stage of the design process

Choosing the right UX research methods depends on where you are in the design process. Each stage of your project has unique needs and goals, which require different research approaches and can be divided into three main stages, namely:

Start of the project. This is the exploratory phase, where you gather initial insights to shape your concept. Methods like user interviews, surveys, and market analysis are ideal to understand user needs and market gaps.
Formative phase. Here, you are in the process of shaping and testing your design. Techniques like prototyping, usability testing, and card sorting help refine your product, ensuring it meets user expectations and usability standards.
Summative part. At this final point, your product is complete, and you’re assessing its overall performance. Methods like A/B testing, analytics, and satisfaction surveys are used to evaluate the user experience, measure effectiveness, and identify areas for future improvement.

Each phase has distinct goals, and understanding where you are in the process helps you choose research methods that provide the most valuable insights for that particular stage.

Determine the type of information you need

In UX research, determining the necessary information type will guide you in selecting the most appropriate research methods.

If your goal is to explore more the thoughts, behaviors, and motivations of your users, qualitative methods like interviews and observational studies are your best bet. They give a rich, narrative understanding of customers’ experiences. On the other hand, when looking for concrete, data-driven insights, quantitative methods such as surveys and analytics are more suitable. They provide objective, numerical data that can reveal trends and patterns in user behavior.

Sometimes, a mix of both qualitative and quantitative data is necessary to get a full picture. Such an approach allows you to understand not just what users are doing but also why they’re doing it, combining in-depth insights with measurable facts.

By pinpointing the information you need, you can select UX research methods that provide the most relevant and valuable insights for your project.

Before you start

Eye-tracking, A/B testing, surveys — each method offers unique insights that can shape and refine your website or app development process. By carefully selecting and applying these research techniques, you are equipped to deeply understand user needs, behaviors, and preferences.

Ultimately, the success of a product in the market hinges on how well it meets the requirements and expectations of its customers. Integrating the 20 essential UX research methods outlined above into your development cycle increases the chances of achieving this alignment.

Whether you’re at the concept stage or refining an existing product, these practices provide the necessary data to make informed decisions, ensuring your product is user-centric, innovative, and competitive in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

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The Ultimate Guide to UX Research (Updated 2024)

No one wants to waste time and effort designing an experience that doesn't bring value to the customers or the business.

Failing to truly identify the unique challenges a business faces can lead to vulnerable products that lose to their competitors.

While visually pleasing designs are important, they are just one piece of a much larger puzzle.

The real essence of UX design lies in its ability to understand and empathize with the user and methodically communicate these findings to stakeholders. That's where UX research comes in.

By understanding UX research, UX designers can look into the user's perspective and gain valuable insights into their behaviors, needs, and preferences. This approach enables them to create products that truly resonate with and cater to the user.

In this guide, learn everything you need to know about the backbone of user-centric design from why UX research is important , different UX research techniques, to the best UX research courses and future trends.

What is UX research?

User experience research, often called UX research, focuses on understanding how users interact with your products. It is the organized study of users and what they need to help designers make better products.

The demand for UX/UI designers proficient in UX research has surged. Companies like the design-led Airbnb recognize the critical role of staying in sync with customer needs.

During the Figma’s Config23 conference , Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky announced that Airbnb is shifting towards a more "Apple-style product marketing function." For UX design professionals, this requires integrating business acumen into their roles.

However, mastering UX research can take time and effort. It involves many skills, from understanding user behavior and interpreting data to cultivating strong communication expertise.

Enrolling in a UX research course is an invaluable step for designers and product teams, as it streamlines the learning process.

It equips you with the essential research skills to delve into user needs and behaviors and ensures your designs are deeply rooted in user-centric principles.

Why is UX research important?

To understand the pivotal role of UX research, let's look at some real-life case studies.

Hubspot's research-driven redesign doubled conversions

A screenshot of HubSpot's initial MVP redesign, emphasizing efficient email marketing with 'Get started free' and 'Play the video' buttons.

Objective: To increase their website's conversion rate, which needed to catch up.

Research strategy and findings: It started with a rapid MVP (Minimum Viable Product) experiment. This initial phase combined all their data, hypotheses, and creative concepts into a singular design.

This included design elements outside their style guide, a different tone of voice in the copy, and atypical call-to-action buttons.

This boosted their conversion rate by 20%, signaling a definite need for a full-scale redesign.

To refine their strategy, the HubSpot team also conducted a conversion flow audit.

They discovered that their products had different flows, with some being more complex than others. Products with more straightforward and shorter conversion flows had 2 to 3 times higher conversion rates.

The lesson was clear: Simplify and expedite users' journey from the homepage to product usage by minimizing the steps involved.

They also studied how users moved through HubSpot and identified areas where things got confusing. Some users needed to figure out which product they were signing up for.

User interviews with non-customers, paying customers, and employees revealed areas for improvement.

Through qualitative tests, they realized that simpler, and more focused designs performed better than those following trendy but less user-friendly styles.

Another key finding is that 65% of users preferred video content when understanding software.

Bar graph showing preferences for learning about software.

Application: With these insights in mind, HubSpot further optimized their design. They focused on enhancing elements that resonated with users, like video content.

Two heatmap overlays on a web page interface: the left shows scattered clicks on a 'Get started free' button, the right shows concentrated clicks on a 'Play the video' button.

The HubSpot team also created a simplified conversion flow featuring a "Get Started" button on the homepage and in the global navigation. Clicking it would take visitors to a flow where they could request a demo of HubSpot Marketing or sign up for the three free products.

They revisited their MVP, considering its influence on their new design direction and shifted towards user preferences over stakeholder preferences.

The team produced over 100 wireframe iterations, 60 visual designs, and four full InVision prototypes, driven by continuous testing and refinement.

Outcome: Overall, the redesign doubled HubSpot's initial conversion rate . It also achieved a 35% increase in demo requests, enhanced sales chat and call volumes, and saw a 27% rise in product signups.

Spotify's homepage redesign increased retention and sign-ups

Objective: Increase conversion rates for sign-ups from their homepage.

They aimed to reduce users' difficulty in finding the web player, a key feature visitors were looking for but struggled to access due to the site’s complexity and clutter.

Research strategy and findings: In two years, multiple teams worked on a multifaceted strategy involving extensive user research and several design sprints.

The Spotify team began by analyzing insights, competitors, and user journeys. Through surveys and web analytics, they gathered insights to understand common visitor profiles and their primary goals.

They also brainstormed ways to simplify the listening process through exercises and narrowed down ideas based on user impact, feasibility, and business goals.

From there, they developed user personas to distinguish between new and returning visitors to the homepage. They mapped out the user journeys for each profile to reveal the specific reasons these users navigated to the web player.

This included pinpointing their entry points to the site and identifying the pain points encountered at each step of their journey.

These combined insights guided a series of design sprints with cross-disciplinary teams, focusing on brainstorming and prototyping to simplify user paths and enhance access to the web player.

These efforts were complemented by regular collaboration and feedback sessions across various teams.

O utcome: A revamped Spotify homepage that significantly improved the user experience. The updated design had a more organized website structure and navigation system that matched the web player, making it simpler for users to enjoy audio content.

This redesign led to a global rollout, which increased sign-ups, Premium subscriptions, and retention across almost all devices.

How UX research benefits your projects

Let's look at a real-life UX design scenario. Your team is building a fitness-tracking app. Where do you start?

It eliminates personal bias

As regular gym goers and athletes, your team wanted to build a complex feature set targeting advanced users.

You want it to focus on advanced metrics such as Heart Rate Variability (HRV) to monitor recovery and stress levels. Another teammate, who's into weightlifting, suggests including a Power Output Analysis, which measures the power output to help users gauge their performance and improvements.

But is that what your target user base needs? Here's where UX research steps in.

You start with user interviews and surveys. The findings reveal that a significant portion of your potential user base consists of beginners or intermediates in fitness.

Many express feeling overwhelmed by complex metrics and advanced features in existing apps. They're looking for something more accessible that guides their fitness journey without bombarding them with data they can't yet understand or use effectively.

Instead of relying on personal preferences, UX research relies on objective and accurate data. This results in products that better align with user needs and preferences.

It gives you crystal-clear direction

With UX research, you're not shooting in the dark. Let's say you're deciding on features for the app. Should you include a diet tracker? A social sharing option?

Through research methods like usability testing and A/B testing, you gather data on what features are most used and preferred by your test users.

This clarity helps you invest time and resources in developing features that users find helpful and engaging rather than what you think they might like.

You'll produce results that deliver real value

Now, it's time to design the interface. How do you know that it's user-friendly for all?

Here, UX research plays an important role again. Based on your research findings, you create user personas for beginners and intermediate fitness enthusiasts who will use your fitness-tracking app.

These personas become invaluable tools in the design process. They allow you to tailor the app's features, interface, and overall experience to meet the specific needs of each user group.

Prototyping and user testing will help you refine this design. This ensures that your app is intuitive, accessible, and enjoyable for all your users.

By continually testing and iterating based on user feedback, your designs evolve to make more sense to your actual users.

Secure stakeholder buy-in through data-driven presentations

When it comes time to pitch your fitness-tracking app to potential investors or stakeholders, the strength of your argument lies in the concrete data gathered through UX research.

Suppose you're in a meeting, ready to present your app concept. To effectively communicate your insights, you use a structured UX research template to showcase your findings and methodologies.

Presenting your findings and proposed solutions becomes much more straightforward when you have clear data to support your points. Graphs, user personas, quotes from interviews, and survey stats are powerful tools in your presentation, making your case compelling and easy to grasp.

Investors and stakeholders are typically risk-averse and look for well-researched, data-backed propositions. UX research provides you with this arsenal of data.

Being well-prepared and understanding the users greatly increases how much people trust you and believe your product will likely succeed.

UX research methodologies

UX design's fundamental principle is understanding the user. There are UX research methodologies that UX designers use to create user-centered designs.

This user-centric approach is crucial in today's digital landscape, where user satisfaction is directly linked to a product's success.

Classification of UX research methodologies

Qualitative vs. quantitative research.

Qualitative: Focuses on understanding users' subjective experiences and motivations through smaller sample sizes, capturing the reasons behind behaviors and decisions.
Quantitative: Involves collecting and analyzing numerical data to identify patterns, quantify behaviors, preferences, and attitudes, and make statistical generalizations.
Mixed Methods: Combines qualitative depth with quantitative statistical power to comprehensively understand user needs.

Attitudinal vs. behavioral research

Attitudinal: Examines users' attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions, typically using surveys or interviews.
Behavioral: Observe user behavior through usability testing, eye-tracking, or heat maps.

Generative vs. evaluative research

Generative: Focuses on generating new ideas and insights for design, utilizing brainstorming, card sorting, and co-design sessions.
Evaluative: Assesses the usability and effectiveness of existing designs or prototypes, often employing usability and A/B testing.

Common UX research methodologies

The right research method in UX design is important for uncovering user insights. This section briefly overviews common techniques, their data types, and when to use them.

Enhance your UX research with these efficient tools

These tools not only streamline the research process but also enhance the accuracy and usability of the data collected.

This section explores various indispensable tools for UX researchers and designers, categorized based on the stages and types of UX research.

1. Tools for user interviews and field studies

Recording and transcription tools : Tools like Otter.ai and Rev offers audio recording and transcription services, which are crucial for capturing every detail during user interviews and field studies.
Note-taking apps : Notion and Google Sheets help researchers organize and access notes efficiently.
Video Conferencing platforms : Zoom and Microsoft Teams are valuable for conducting remote interviews with recording options.

2. Tools for usability testing

Screen recording and analysis software : Tools like Lookback.io and UserTesting provides platforms for recording user interactions with prototypes or live sites, allowing researchers to analyze user behavior and gather qualitative feedback.
Heatmap and session recording tools : Heatmap tools like Hotjar and Crazy Egg visualize user interactions on a webpage, revealing areas that attract the most attention or interaction.
Prototype testing tools : Figma and Adobe XD are crucial for creating and testing interactive prototypes with users.

3. Tools for surveys and questionnaires

Online survey platforms : Typeform and Google Forms are popular for designing and distributing surveys. They offer various question formats and can analyze data efficiently.
Statistical analysis Software : Tools like SPSS and Microsoft Excel are essential for analyzing large sets of quantitative data and providing insights through statistical methods.

4. Tools for analytics review

Web analytics tools : Google Analytics and Adobe Analytics are vital for understanding user behavior on websites or apps. This includes data on traffic, user flow, engagement, and more.
App analytics tools : For mobile apps, platforms like Mixpanel and App Annie offer detailed insights into user behavior, engagement, and retention.

5. Tools for organizing and sharing research

Project management tools : Asana and Trello help organize UX research projects, track progress, and collaborate with team members.
Cloud storage and collaboration : Google Drive and Dropbox are essential for securely storing and sharing research documents, recordings, and other data with team members.

6. Emerging tools and technologies

AI-powered tools : AI tools like ChatGPT and IBM Watson can analyze large datasets to help designers identify user behavior patterns and predict initial insights.

By leveraging these tools effectively, UX professionals can gain deeper insights into user behavior, streamline their research processes, and make data-driven decisions.

A guide on planning and conducting UX research

Planning and conducting UX research is a critical phase in the design process. It involves a structured gathering of insights that inform and validate design decisions.

Let's explore the key steps and considerations in planning and executing effective UX research.

1. Define research goals and objectives

Start by establishing clear research goals. Set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals for focused research.

2. Choose the right UX research methods

Select research methods that align with your objectives, utilizing qualitative methods like interviews for exploratory research and quantitative methods like surveys for validation. Consider a mixed-methods approach for a more comprehensive insight.

3. Develop a research plan

Plan your research timeline, considering deadlines and resources. Recruit participants representing your target user base, considering demographic factors and user behaviors. Prepare and test necessary tools like interview guides and prototypes.

4. Conduct the research

Execute the research as planned and remain flexible and prepared to adapt. Uphold ethical standards by obtaining consent and ensuring participant privacy. Maintain transparency about the research's purpose and data usage.

Analyzing and presenting UX findings

After conducting UX research, the next crucial steps are analyzing the gathered data and presenting the findings effectively.

This process turns raw data into actionable insights that can guide design decisions. Here's how to approach this phase in the UX research process:

1. Analyze UX research data

To analyze your data effectively, first, organize it systematically. Then, identify patterns and trends, understand user behavior, and cross-reference your findings with your research goals to create user-centered designs.

2. Create actionable insights

Evaluate your observations into insights by interpreting what they mean for your project. For example, a common user complaint could indicate a need for a specific design change.

Not all findings carry the same weight. Prioritize them based on factors like impact on user experience, feasibility of implementation, and alignment with project objectives.

3. Prepare the research report

For an effective report, establish a clear structure with sections like an executive summary, methodology, key findings, insights, and recommendations. Use visual aids like graphs and charts to make understanding data easier.

Lead the way with UX research best practices

Successful UX research relies on a deep understanding of users, methodical data handling, collaborative decision-making, and an iterative approach to design.

When conducting UX research, it's crucial to focus on user-centricity. Begin by deeply understanding the users' needs, behaviors, and pain points. Approach this process with empathy and an open mind so the research is not biased by your or the company's preconceptions.

Data collection should be systematic and methodical. Whether qualitative or quantitative data, ensuring its accuracy and relevance is key. Once collected, the data must be analyzed critically, looking for patterns and insights that truly address the users' needs.

This analysis should then be translated into actionable design strategies. Documenting every research process step and sharing these findings with the entire product team to inform and collaborate on decisions is important.

Finally, remember that UX research is an iterative process. The insights gathered should inform the current design phase and be used to refine and improve the product continually. Regularly revisiting research findings and updating them as needed keeps the product relevant and user-focused.

Future trends in UX research

The landscape of UX research is continuously evolving because of technological advancements and changing user behaviors. Here’s a look at some key future trends in UX research.

Integration of AI and machine learning

These technologies are revolutionizing how we gather and interpret user data. AI algorithms can analyze large datasets rapidly, quickly identifying patterns and trends that might be invisible to the human eye. As AI and machine learning evolve, their role in UX research will become more significant.

Increased emphasis on emotional design

Emotional design aims to deepen user engagement and foster a stronger connection between the user and the product. Understanding and integrating users' emotional responses will become key to designing more empathetic user experiences.

New design mediums

Virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR): Offers immersive environments and experiences, allowing designers to study user interactions in more dynamic and realistic settings.

Voice User Interface (VUI) and conversational design: Focuses on how users interact with voice-activated interfaces, like smart speakers and virtual assistants.

Resources for further learning in UX research

Continuous learning is essential in the ever-evolving field of UX research. Resources are available for those looking to expand their knowledge and skills.

Whether you're a beginner or an experienced professional eager to stay updated, here's a guide to some key resources for further learning in UX research:

1. Online courses

Practical UX Research & Strategy Course by Mizko: A comprehensive and practical course that focuses on strategic problem-solving in UX design.

2. Books and eBooks

“Think Like a UX Researcher: How to Observe Users, Influence Design, and Shape Business Strategy" by David Travis & Philip Hodgson: Challenges UX research preconceptions and offers practical guidance for planning, conducting, and applying research,
“Just Enough Research” by Erika Hall: Covers the essentials such as organizational research, user and customer research, evaluative research, surveys, and more. It also dives in on practical, budget-friendly UX research methods.

4. Podcasts and YouTube

Mizko : A YouTube channel by Michael Wong (or better known as Mizko), a former agency owner who generated $7M+ in revenue. He dives deep into product design, growth, and business strategies.
UXPodcast : Hosted by James Royal-Lawson and Per Axbom, this podcast covers various UX design and research topics.

5. Online communities and forums

UXDesign Subreddit : A public community where professionals share insights, ask questions, and discuss the latest trends in UX.
Designer Hangout and UX Mastery Community : An invite-only community for UX professionals to network, share ideas, and seek advice.

6. Blogs and websites

usertesting.com : Offers insights on the latest trends in CX, UX, product, marketing, and research.
In the Loop by maze.co : Expert-level resources on running research, discovery, and building an insights-driven culture.

Crush UX research confusion and master it in 10+ hours

Learning UX research can be overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. With the right approach guidance, you can master it in just 10 hours.

The Practical UX Research & Strategy course by Mizko is designed for independent learning without the constraints of a fixed schedule. This flexibility means there’s no pressure to keep pace — you can learn in the way that suits you best.

Trusted by 6,000+ designers, the Practical UX Research & Strategy Course has empowered professionals at leading tech companies, including Google, Meta, and Squarespace.

After completing the course, these designers have integrated UX research skills into their workflows at reputable companies:

"I'm 100% more confident when talking to stakeholders about User Research & Strategy and the importance of why it needs to be included in the process. I also have gained such a beautiful new understanding of my users that greatly influences my designs. All of the "guesswork" that I was doing is now real, meaningful work that has stats and research behind it." - Booking.com Product Designer Alyssa Durante

"The process in this course connects the dots and it's easy to lead the clients through this process... I can adapt the process based on the resources and the needs of the client. Life is now way easier to be honest because I have clear path to show to the clients even before we start the project because I can build expectations from the start." - UX/UI Designer Milosh Jakjimovski

"The most impactful element has been the direct application of the learnings in my recent projects at Amazon. Integrating the insights gained from the course into two significant projects yielded outstanding results, significantly influencing both my career and personal growth. This hands-on experience not only enhanced my proficiency in implementing UX strategies but also bolstered my confidence in guiding, coaching, mentoring, and leading design teams." - Amazon.com UX designer Zohdi Rizvi

"As I was struggling to find a high-level research framework for my day-to-day design work, I was able to fill many of the knowledge gaps because I took this course. It provides a well-structured research process that cuts out the "guesswork" that I'm adopting in my projects. Real-life examples and practical solutions throughout the course were incredibly helpful. Right now, I'm more confident than ever with my design decisions, presenting meaningful briefs to stakeholders, and so on." - UX Designer Al Razi Siam

Learn the crucial elements that make a UX designer stand out in today's competitive market:

Pull actionable insights by crafting objective-driven questions
Conduct well-structured interviews without leading or asking biased questions
Learn how to pick the perfect participants to get high-quality information
Create affinity maps with all your research insights
Run competitor analysis like a real pro
Unlock the skills to process large data sets and user insights methodically
Break down research and data into frameworks and customer journey maps with automation tools to drive actionable items.
Integrate compelling frameworks that help you manage, sort, and communicate data findings to the team
Prioritize the tasks into a set of actionable tasks for the team
Understand and present metrics and objectives most important to stakeholders

This course is created by Mizko, a refined industry leader who journeyed from being a designer to owning a 7-figure agency and now thrives as a startup advisor and angel investor. Gain access to the resources and templates he has utilized to successfully build, scale, and sell multiple online businesses.

Nail your data-driven designs and deliver valuable, user-centric solutions every time.

Mizko, also known as Michael Wong, brings a 14-year track record as a Founder, Educator, Investor, and Designer. His career evolved from lead designer to freelancer, and ultimately to the owner of a successful agency, generating over $10M in revenue from Product (UX/UI) Design, Web Design, and No-code Development. His leadership at the agency contributed to the strategy and design for over 50 high-growth startups, aiding them in raising a combined total of over $400M+ in venture capital.

Notable projects include: Autotrader (Acquired. by eBay), PhoneWagon (Acquired by CallRails), Spaceship ($1B in managed funds), Archistar ($15M+ raised) and many more.

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16 Best UX Research Tools in 2024: Gather Faster & Better Insights

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6 Different Types of UX Research Methods: Ultimate 2024 Guide

User Experience

In this article (10)

What is a user research method?

How many types of ux research methods are there, 1. a/b testing/split testing, 2. remote usability testing, 3. diary studies/camera studies, 4. field studies, 5. questionnaires/surveys, 6. five-second testing, what is the best user research methodology, quantitative research, qualitative research, behavioral research, attitudinal research, new product development, product launch, future versions, 1. it’s pretty open-ended., 2. lots of results, 3. quick yet valuable, 4. fewer problems passed on to customers, 5. happier customers, 6. better revenue (potentially), 1. identify the what and why, 2. find your target audience, 3. select your tasks, 4. invite the right testers, 5. get those stakeholders in on it, 6. implement, ux research techniques: our conclusion, faqs on ux methodologies.

UX design is a continually evolving field, and there’s one clear process that supports those ideas flowing, and it’s a simple concept: research. There’s a world of UX research methods at a designer’s fingertips that allow them to tap into what end-users think while providing amazing insights to push UX further.

Choosing and implementing the proper methods can be a game-changer. A time-saver. A moneymaker. A money-saver. All the big names are using these tools; that’s precisely why they’re household names. But the truth is, anyone can do this. Netflix didn’t get where they are by taking guesses. They used their resources, and you can too.

A user research method is a research process used to better understand and utilize your users’ wants, interests and needs, along with their behaviors, mindsets and what motivates them to get those things.

These methods are used to better understand what users see and experience a product, obtain benchmarking data and eliminate some of the pain points users might experience before a final product is released.

While there isn’t an exact number, there’s somewhere in the realm of 15 to 20, which are most commonly used among design teams. More concretely, all of those different types of UX research methods fall into four broad categories; generative research, descriptive research, evaluative research and casual research . UX design depends on the valuable insights these testing methods produce; it makes the design process more efficient. Many design decisions will be directly related to the results of this research. What is UX design , anyway? You’re in luck; we’ve got the scoop on everything you need to know.

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What are the different types of user research methods?

In the following UX research methods list, we’ll go deeper into the six more important real-life tests, what they mean and how to use the different types of user research methods. Of course, plenty more tests are available to suit your needs and, ultimately, your users’ needs, but these are some of the most commonly used ones.

When to use this UX research method

This test has endless uses so long as you can come up with variations to provide people and a question for them to answer. As we continue to develop what UX can do, this type of test will become especially helpful in IxD or interaction design situations, but it can also be as simple as "are you more likely to buy if you saw this screen or this screen?"

When to use this UX research methodology

This is a great tool when a large number of users and feedback are a top priority. Of course, more is usually always better, but if physical space for users to gather is a problem, the product is available online, perhaps there’s a worldwide pandemic, or you just like staying home and working in bed binging on Thai delivery while listening to the Grease soundtrack on repeat, remote is the way to go. Everybody’s homes just became your lab with this UX research methodology.

In a diary/camera study, your users can give real-time feedback, which ends up being a more candid experience rather than a summarized/edited down experience.

When to use this user research method

This method can be used in person with test groups or remotely. Be prepared for a lot of data if the chosen format is through a camera lens. People who heavily use social media (TikTok, YouTube, etc.) will be comfortable in front of a camera and giving feedback; people love to talk. But… everything has to be watched and filed. If you don’t have the time or enough (wo)manpower, this is not the method for you.

To put it bluntly, field studies can be used when there are enough people to warrant trying to pull it off. Making sure enough test subjects are available where the product would be relevant and enough people on the team to be flies on the wall to take in all the information is what makes this work.

Due to the simplicity, so long as the questions/surveys are well put together and are easy to understand and answer, these can be used pretty much every time user research is needed (ideally alongside other methods).

This is typically used in a lab setting so the product can be controlled in a way that the user is given no more than five seconds. Quite literally, "what do you think" and "how does it make you feel"?

Choosing the best user research methodology, like many things in user experience design, comes down to your needs. All of these methods are important, but the better question would likely be which types of tests are the best for what you’re doing.

Again, it’s about what you seek to learn in order to better your product. A/B testing will yield different results than user interviews and eye tracking. All of these have their place in research; you need to know how to use them to get the most out of them. And as luck would have it, you’ve come to the right place.

Choosing the right UX UI research for you

UX UI research requires knowing when to pick the right tools to get the job done. This is a pivotal moment in the product design process and an excellent chance to put the stakeholders at ease. Real-world test participants and the results they produce can shape a product or app so long as you know what to do with the data and can apply it correctly.

Picking the appropriate method is often an exercise in deciding which type of feedback will help you the most. Feedback falls into four categories; quantitative, qualitative, behavioral and attitudinal. It might seem a bit confusing, but as we go along, it should begin to make more sense, and you’ll get an idea of how they all relate and work together.

Remember those four categories we mentioned at the top? Well, they sort of all bleed together. There are no hard lines. Imagine one of those online surveys about politics (Facebook, Buzzfeed, etc.); after answering several questions, you end up placed on a graph that shows where you land on the political spectrum. The methods for user research can work like that. The point of mentioning this is to illustrate that although something might be defined in a category type, it reaches into other areas.

User testing via quantitative research consists of raw and objective numerical data. The questions and tests can be about anything as long as the answer comes in the form of numbers. You define those numbers through later testing.

This UX research method tells you how much or how many of something. Why is that important? Because if only one person feels some kind of way about something, you know it isn’t time to hit the panic button. One user doth not a bad product make. That person can air their complaints in other categories. But if a trend is created where 40% of people delete your app in less than a week — it’s time for your design team to panic…

So why are numbers even that important, especially if you can (for now) look past one or two bad pieces of numeric feedback? Simple. Can you think of an app or service you don’t like that the general public loves? You’re the unpopular opinion. That doesn’t make it a lousy product. Not everything is for everyone, and this method helps find relevant trends in what more significant numbers think or say about a product. You’re allowed to feel that way, but in the grand scheme, you’re only one voice.

Qualitative research is the collection of non-numeric data about users and a product. These are opinions, thoughts, comments and concerns about a new product. They’re also helpful in improving an existing product or gathering ideas and insights for a future project.

Simply put, behavioral user research takes a hard look at what users do in specific situations. Think of it like an "if this, then that."; if we give you this, then you’ll do [blank]. This process defines a user’s behavior when given tasks and ways to complete them. It provides quick and valuable feedback because if you meant for people to do something entirely different, you know there’s a problem. The solution may have been obvious to you as the designer, but it’s a failure if it doesn’t work in practice. This provides quantitative data that’s important to the process.

Keep in mind that this is used when you have a large number of users to monitor and gather data from. Picking five people to run a task is not ideal. You may get five different answers. However, clear and actionable patterns can emerge when a larger number of participants are involved.

Attitudinal research is a bit more direct in terms of feedback. This method assesses users’ actual thoughts and feelings about a product or experience and can be used anytime. During product development. Before launch. After launch. Continued research about a product or brand. These can be through interviews, card sorting, surveys, focus groups, etc. Even those Twitter complaints can be used as attitudinal research.

When to use UX research methodologies

Along with having a solid understanding of what kinds of UX research methodologies are available, knowing when to call on certain ones can make all the difference when working with a group of users. Product teams rely on humans to test products in a natural environment which can help eliminate some of the biases that user personas can create. With that being said, you should start getting a clearer picture of why user research is so vital to the development process.

When a new product is being developed, long before you bother with information architecture or wireframes and dive into UX strategy, user research should be conducted to avoid wasting time and resources. This is the time to eliminate preconceived ideas or incorrect information that can cause delays or unnecessary design and feedback loops.

Once a product is launched, if there’s time to lean, there’s time to clean. User research and testing can still be done for sprucing up a final product. This ties directly into updates and future versions. If you’re not paying attention, you’ll have no idea what people love or what and where to go from there.

Future versions consider the preceding information and continue collecting more data. This can be data showing what not to do or data you may want to research further into to create the best —next— version of whatever the product is. There’s a wrong way to do this, though, and that’s to completely ignore any data obtained from previous research.

6 benefits of user research methodologies

While there really could be a million reasons why user research methodologies are beneficial to your project/product, we’ve selected the top six reasons. If the last three on this list aren’t enough to convince you, we recommend quickly pulling yourself together to reevaluate what your priorities are in your business goals.

User research isn’t a strict process. You’re free to run things (mostly) how you see fit. There are, of course, better ways of doing things, and you shouldn’t just go in haphazardly and start asking strangers questions. For the most part, though, everything can be suited to your needs.

The more people you have testing and answering during this research process, the more data you have to work with. There are tons of resources out there to get research subjects, and if you have an existing brand, you probably already have a list of people to help with research. Not everyone will want to participate, but look at Apple’s beta program; they have public and developer-only versions (some people even pay to get developer betas that aren’t developers). All in all, there will always be people that are willing to do this type of work.

Most of the tests are pretty simple, so a lot can be combined, allowing for not only a lot of results but a lot of results coming in quickly — gold star for efficiency here. Quick and simple can also translate to a lower cost. Quick, cheap and valuable results. That’s like every stakeholder’s dream.

The next three are all related and, on their own, are enough reasons to never skip user research. When kinks and issues get worked out before launch, customers can focus on how happy they are with their purchase or subscription. The problem areas were primarily addressed before it ever locked eyes with a paying customer, which is always a plus.

With all those issues resolved, people are happier with your product, and the brand becomes more and more trustworthy. People see you as a quality offering. And happier customers create…

All those happy people are spending money. Have you ever known or loved a product so much that you basically just slapped the money down when a new one came out? You know it’ll be great, and you have complete faith in that? Some brands you know and love will be great, even with a problem here and there. They know it, too, and they love your revenue. So they put a lot of work into ensuring the product got to that point in your mind.

6 tips on implementing user experience research methods

We’ve compiled a list of six user experience research methods, six reasons why you should definitely use them and now six ways to implement them into your project.

What needs testing (product, app, object) and why (is it new, outdated, or are there issues)?

Determining your product demographic is enormous. People respond to different things in different ways, and if you’re marketing a product to the wrong group, you’re wasting a lot of time and a ton of money.

This is where you get to take any and all tests you’ve ever heard or thought of and pick your favorites. From there, you can decide which will benefit the product you’re testing for and sculpt them to fit those needs.

This should mimic your target audience (which is why it was essential to determine who that audience is). There’s lots of research and guides available in the wild regarding finding the right test participants, and they’re all out there and pretty easy to find to make your data more accurate.

Sometimes they want in on the process too, and it never hurts to continue to instill confidence in the people cutting the checks.

All the user research in the world is lovely, but if you don’t implement it and make good on it, it was all for nothing. You might’ve really loved a design choice when you thought up the product but the people hated it. That’s life. Be ready to let go of some of those feelings because this is business. If the stakeholders don’t have confidence in you, they’ll find someone they do.

As mentioned, many more UX research techniques are out there, and they’re worth looking into. Most of them are just as easy as the ones we highlighted and can be used by anyone as long as you adapt them to fit your needs and what you aim to learn. Use your time wisely and use effective methods to get the most effective data in return.

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What is a UX research example?

A UX research example can be any sort of test or type of research evaluated by UX professionals involving a user paired with a physical product, app or service for evaluation. This can be something as simple as diary studies and as in-depth as remote usability research.

Which user research techniques are the best?

While the options are endless in terms of user research techniques, the best techniques of those we listed tend to be the ones that provide the most information specific to your product. Remote usability testing is among the best options, but that isn't necessarily the best for every scenario.

If you can narrow down what kind of results a test produces and then configure the test to relate to your product, you can get a lot of powerful data to use without breaking a sweat. These are high-impact, low-effort (and sometimes even low-cost) types of research that anyone can take advantage of.

What is a UX research plan?

A user research plan is as simple as putting together an outline of how the team intends to reach a goal in the product development process using user research. Deciding which tools and tests to use for the most effective push towards creating a better end product.

Written by Sean LeSuer

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The 4 types of research methods in ui/ux design (and when to use them).

User Experience
4 minute read
by Rich Staats

Design research is a necessary part of creating a user-centered product. When done right, you’re able to gather data that helps you:

Identify and solve relevant design problems.
Better understand the product’s end users.
Improve your designs based on data-driven research.

Though there are many different ways to collect data and do design research, they can broadly be categorized as either primary, secondary, exploratory, or evaluative research. In this article, we’ll explain these four types of research methods in the context of UI/UX design and when you should use them in your design process.

Primary research

Primary research is the simplest (and perhaps most effective) way to come up with data to get a better understanding of the audience for which you’re designing. The purpose of primary research is to validate design ideas and concepts early on in the design process. The data you collect from primary research allows you to design meaningful, user-centered solutions.

Let’s take a look at some examples of primary research:

Conducting interviews with individuals or in small groups is a great starting point, and there are many ways to go about it. Depending on your project, you might conduct direct interviews or indirect interviews. Direct interviews are simple question-answer format interviews whereas indirect interviews are set up in a more conversational style. You’ll also have to decide whether you’ll interview people in-person or remotely.

Focus groups

Focus groups are structured, group interviews in which a moderator guides the discussion. As a UI/UX designer, you might consider using this research method when you need to gather user insight quickly.

Usability testing

Once you develop a prototype, you can recruit test participants and conduct usability tests to uncover foundational issues with the product’s user experience and gather user feedback. The idea is to define user goals and turn them into realistic task scenarios that the test participants would have to complete using your prototype.

Secondary research

Secondary research is when you use existing books, articles, or research material to validate your design ideas and concepts or support your primary research. For example, you might want to use the material you gather from secondary research to:

Explain the context behind your UI design.
Build a case for your design decisions.
Reinforce the data you gathered from primary research.

Generally speaking, secondary research is much easier (and faster) to do than primary research. You’ll be able to find most of the information you need on the internet, in the library, or your company’s archives. Here are some places you can collect secondary research from:

Your company’s internal data, which may include information contained in your company’s files, databases and project reports.
Client’s research department, e.g. the data your client has regarding user behavior with previous versions of the website/application, user interests, etc.
Industry statistics, i.e. the industry’s general consensus, standards and conventions.
Relevant books, articles, case studies and magazines.

Websites have evolved a great deal over the last two decades, and so has the way users interact with them. This is why one of the most common challenges with secondary research in UI/UX design is outdated data. In such cases, UI/UX designers resort to other research methods (such as primary research or exploratory research) to gather the data they need.

Exploratory research

Exploratory research is usually conducted at the start of the design process with a purpose to help designers understand the problem they’re trying to solve. As such, it focuses on gathering a thorough understanding of the end user’s needs and goals.

In the Define the Problem stage of the design thinking process , you can use exploratory research techniques to develop a design hypothesis and validate it with the product’s intended user base. By doing so, you’ll be in a better position to make hypothesis-driven design decisions throughout the design process.

You can validate your hypothesis by running experiments. Here are some of the ways you can validate your assumptions depending on where you are in the design process:

Conducting interviews and surveys
Organizing focus groups
Conducting usability tests
Running various A/B tests

Essentially, you’re combining exploratory research and primary research techniques to define the problem accurately. You can do this by asking questions that encourage interview participants to explore different design concepts and think outside the box.

Before you begin collecting data, remember to write down the experiment you’re running and define the outcomes that validate your design hypothesis. After doing exploratory research, you should have enough data to begin designing a solution.

Evaluative research

Exploratory research gives you enough data to begin designing a solution. Once you have a prototype on hand, you can use evaluative research to test that solution with real users. The goal of evaluative research is to help designers gather feedback that allows them to improve their product’s design.

There are two main functions of evaluative research: summative and formative .

Summative evaluation is all about making a judgment regarding the efficacy of the product once it’s complete.
Formative evaluation, on the other hand, focuses on evaluating the product and making improvements (i.e., detecting and eliminating usability problems) during the development process.

For example, you can conduct usability tests in which you ask test participants to use the product to perform a set of tasks. Keep in mind that the purpose of evaluative research is to gather feedback from users regarding your product’s design. In case you’re short on time or low on budget, you can choose to conduct usability studies that fit in your time and budget constraints (such as guerrilla usability testing ).

Deciding which research method to use depends on what data you’re trying to gather and where you are in the design process. The information you collect through your design research will enable you to make informed design decisions and create better user-centered products.

Let’s quickly recap the four types of research methods UI/UX designers can use in the design process:

Primary research is used to generate data by conducting interviews, surveys, and usability tests and/or organizing focus group sessions.
With secondary research, you’re able to use existing research material to validate your design ideas and support your primary research.
Exploratory research is when you come up with a design hypothesis and run experiments to validate it.
Once you have a prototype, you can use evaluative research to see if there’s any room for improvement.

Which of these research methods do you use in your design process and how? Let us know in the comments section below.

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UX research methods and when to use them

There are so many UX research methods to choose from. Which one do you pick before you start your new project? And why? Let’s take a look at a clear overview of UX research methods to help you choose the one you need.

Updated on January 20, 2023

UX research methods and when to use them

In this article, we will create a list of the most commonly used UX research methods. After that, I will divide them into groups to help you better understand all techniques you can use in UX research. It is also a great way to learn UX if that’s what you want.

I’ll also add pros, cons, and pointers on when and why to use a particular UX research method within the larger UX design project. And finally, make sure to check out my UX research methods cheat sheet at the end of the post.

Ux research methods.

Given the enormous number of possible UX research methods, I’ve made an overview to help you have your pick. As it turns out, you can place every UX research method on a chart with quantitative and qualitative techniques on the y-axis and explore and validate on the x-axis.

Let’s start with an overview of each category, its place within design thinking, and the UX research methods you’ll find within that category.

Quantitative UX research

Research methods in this category are all about numbers and gathering lots of data. Therefore, you use quantitative research mainly at the start of your design thinking process to get your initial insights and understand the business goals and user needs.

In practice, it means that you ask a lot of people a lot of questions. You can do this rather quickly and without too much effort. However, the results will also remain superficial.

One of the most famous examples of quantitative UX research methods is the (online) questionnaire. I’m sure you’ve had to execute a questionnaire during one of your UX courses at some point. As you’ve probably seen, you can get a lot of data from these questionnaires. To finish this section, here’s a list of other quantitative UX research methods.

(Online) questionnaires
A/B testing
Market analysis

Pros and cons

For quantitative UX research, the biggest pro is the speed and scope you can reach. Without too much effort, you can ask a lot of people a lot of questions. It is a great way to get started.

The con is that your results will help you get started but not more. As a result, your data will remain superficial, and you will have to dig deeper to get more valuable insights.

Qualitative UX research

Next up is qualitative UX research. Let’s say you have gathered a lot of data during the initial research phase of your design thinking project. After carefully analyzing your data, you find several interesting views, insights, and user needs.

Because of this, you want to take a deep dive into your new insights to do further research. That’s where qualitative UX research methods come into play. Instead of big superficial data, the techniques found in this category are all about interacting with a few people at a deeper level.

You could, for example, organize user interviews. In UX research, you can do individual user and group interviews.

The advantage of group interviews is time management. When you have limited time and budget for your project, it will save lots and lots of time.

In addition, if you put users with a different perspective in the same room, you will get a lot of valuable insights if you let them have a discussion. Then, all you have to do is facilitate that discussion to ensure it doesn’t go off the rails.

Individual user interviews can sometimes be perceived as an examination by the participant. Group interviews are less stressful for participants since they are not alone in the room.

And finally, here’s a list of other qualitative UX research methods.

Co-create methods like workshops and online collaboration sessions.
User interviews
Group discussions
Storyboarding
Card sorting

For qualitative UX research, the pros and cons are the opposites of quantitative research methods.

It means that the individual and small group nature of these research methods will take more time to prepare and execute, but the insights will be more valuable.

Exploring and validating UX research methods

You can divide both research categories mentioned above into explorative and validation methods.

UX research methods in the first half of your design thinking projects are usually quantitative. That half of your project is your explorative phase. It means that most quantitative research methods are explorative as well. Another word for these techniques is generative UX research.

The second phase of design thinking, where you create and validate concepts, mainly uses qualitative research methods. However, these still fall in the explorative category.

Only a few ways of doing UX research are a part of the validating category. These are validation testing, guerrilla testing, and user testing .

How to pick the right UX research method

Picking the right UX research method starts with understanding your UX project, what it needs, and how far along you are within the project. You start with a UX project briefing before you start the project.

Such a UX project briefing is when you ask a lot of questions and then proceed to discuss the scope of the project and the expectations of your stakeholders.

With experience, you’ll learn how to recognize the UX method needed at any given point of a UX project. Even more so, you will even start to see that not every question needs a full-on research approach.

In some cases, you can answer a small question based on your expertise as a UX designer. For example, I once got a question about a sign-up form within a bigger user flow. Should we put all questions on one screen or have a one-question-per-screen design solution?

It is a solid question that you can easily spend hours on to find a solution. But does it need UX research? It seems so, but I wouldn’t do that right away. Here’s why.

First of all, this issue seems bigger than just one project. How you present a sign-up form is not unique to your project. Use existing design patterns or a design system to find a solution that works.

In addition, there are hardly any projects with the budget to do comprehensive UX research for every step of the user flow. So choose your battles carefully!

UX research methods cheat sheet

But when to use which UX research method? This brings us to the UX research methods cheat sheet.

There’s so much info on different research categories, right? And I haven’t even discussed all the ways you could use UX research as a designer.

To help you out, I’ve created a UX research methods cheat sheet for you to use in your next project. It contains a list of UX research methods, a summary of what they are, and when to apply them. Download it for free here.

How to present your UX research

The best way to present your UX research is by creating a presentation where you introduce your stakeholders to the initial research questions, the methods applied, and your insights.

Sometimes, you can also mention the next steps and what you will do with the insights.

Let’s discuss that presentation structure some more. I assume that there are people in the audience that haven’t seen your work before. That’s why you start with the UX research question. But, even for the people that know your work, this is a good reminder of why you’re doing your research.

Up next is your process. It is a natural segue to go from question to how you’re going to answer that question. Mention your UX research methods here, but keep it brief.

Finally, the insights and results of your UX research. That’s why people are here. Mention what came out of your research.

User pain points
Design challenges
Customer journey

One thing that always works very well is to include a user quote. Nothing hits harder than a customer that says on record that it was very difficult or impossible to use your product.

Should you use personas

You only need to use a persona in UX research when you want to present hours of research in an easy-to-understand way to stakeholders that weren’t present for most of the design thinking project.

It means that a user persona isn’t a deliverable in and of itself. However, when you do use a persona, make sure to focus on user pain points and needs. Stay away from fake names and hobbies outside of the project scope. It doesn’t matter for the project.

That’s it for UX research methods and when to use them. There are so many ways to find user insights and use them to create a fantastic product.

In short, you can divide UX research methods into quantitative and qualitative research. Quantitative research is a quick way to get started, while qualitative research takes more time but gets you more valuable results.

In most projects, you start with quantitative research and use the initial insights to select a qualitative research method after that.

Check out the UX research methods cheat sheet included in this post. It will help you pick the technique that is right for you within your current project.

By the way, if you’re looking for more UX research help, I can recommend to watch the recording of a talk I did for UXPressia. I’ve embedded it just above.

Do you have feedback on this article? Missing something? Or just a question? Reach out to me and I’ll get back to you!

About the author

Hi! I'm Nick Groeneveld , a senior designer from the Netherlands with experience in UX, visual design, and research. I'm a UX coach that supports other designers and have completed design projects in finance, tech, and the public sector.

Through The Designer's Toolbox, I'm an Educational Partner for Interaction Design Foundation.

☎️ Book a 1:1 mentor meeting with me or let's connect on LinkedIn , Twitter and Medium .

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UX Research Techniques and Their Applications

UX research techniques and their applications will result in better designs that avoid costly mistakes such as cost overruns, guesswork, following best practices, and reliance on industry knowledge.

By Michael Craig

Michael is an experienced designer whose research-driven design process has resulted in purposeful user experiences that delight users.

PREVIOUSLY AT

If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it? —Albert Einstein

User research existed long before it became a part of the user experience (UX) process. In the early 1900s, Frank and Lillian Gilbreth pioneered motion study . In order to gain a better understanding of efficiency, they observed how people moved in space by watching bricklayers at construction sites. Motion study consisted of a variety of procedures for the description, systematic analysis, and means of improving work methods.

These observations led to the infamous time and motion studies, which paved the way for modern-day user research as a means to improve products through methodical and investigative user observations.

User research has improved vastly since then. Everything from an app to a kitchen blender has a design team with an embedded researcher trying to figure out ways to attract attention and improve the user experience.

UX research techniques have led to better design.

Prior to the influence of user research, products were made to be utilitarian with no attention being paid to UX. And while this may have resulted in designs that worked (sometimes), the lack of a user-centric approach led to failed products which were the result of guesswork and best practices.

Without UX research methods, we were subject to poor types of interfaces.

“We’re reducing risk, which is ultimately what user research does,” says Ashley Sewall , Senior User Researcher at Cvent. “We make sure designers, product managers, and developers have enough information to make effective decisions that are going to decrease their risk.”

There’s a lot of information on how to conduct UX research and create UX research assets, but little on how to use these assets. It’s not about the technique, it’s knowing how to apply the results that lead to better user experiences and improved product designs.

UX Research Methods and Frameworks

Let’s take a look at some popular user research methods before diving into how they are applied.

Personas and Empathy Maps

Without knowledge of who our users are, the following UX research techniques will not be as effective. This is where personas and empathy maps play an important role.

Personas and empathy maps serve as guides to better understand who the core users are and what is going on in their minds. They are typically used when a designer is seeking to address tasks that need to be performed, pain points that are blocks, how users feel, and what they are trying to achieve.

A good UX research strategy is to begin by developing personas.

User Interviews

User interviews are one-on-one sessions that can be conducted in a variety of ways (in-person, focus groups, etc.), though increasingly they are performed remotely using video apps such as Skype or Zoom. Another popular method is the guerrilla style of interview where a user researcher performs “drop-in” style interviews on a random selection of users (such as at a coffee shop).

User interviews require a lot of skill in order to obtain valuable information. The UX researcher is attempting to learn how a user feels about a specific topic, product, service, etc., and it’s important they do more listening than talking, record qualitative feedback, observe, and avoid leading questions.

Research has shown that five user interviews will uncover 80% of issues , and selecting these five users will give more accurate results if we remember to use the personas developed prior to performing the research.

Surveys are scalable, inexpensive, and a quick way to collect specific information from users who fit the personas we defined early on in the research process.

The strength of surveys can also be their weakness. Because they are easy and less costly, there is a danger in using surveys and avoiding any further UX research methods. While surveys are certainly a great tool, they shouldn’t be used exclusively.

Card Sorting

Card sorts are another popular UX research method and are useful in determining the information architecture of websites and apps. They can be open, closed, or hybrid. A user is presented with a set of ideas/topics which they arrange into categories, either of their own choosing (open card sort), or pre-made (closed card sort) by the researcher.

As with surveys and interviews, card sorts should be performed with users who fit the user personas.

A/B Testing

When there is a need to test designs variations in order to find the most effective one, A/B testing , used primarily for conversion optimization, can also be used as a quantitative UX research method.

Users are presented with two different versions of a design, and pick which one they prefer; this also works to determine which features a user finds most useful, such as a button vs. a link.

With A/B testing, it’s a good idea to switch out the pool of testers. Over time, due to their familiarity with the product, the same people testing the same products can become biased and complacent.

Usability Testing

Usability testing is performed when designers want to observe how products are used by a representative user group.

During a usability test, users complete tasks while the UX researcher observes and takes notes. The researcher gathers both qualitative and quantitative data in order to find usability issues.

Usability testing is a UX research technique that helps researchers test websites and apps.

To run an effective usability test, it’s good practice to think about which user personas would be a good fit, and recruit early in the process. Incentives are often offered to users, but some UX researchers believe this adds a strong element of bias to the test, i.e., are the users only doing this for the incentive?

Practical Applications of UX Research Results

Unless there is an effort to analyze and act on the results of the UX research data, all of the work that went into the research loses its effectiveness.

If we think of UX research as part of the scientific method, then it will follow this format:

Make an observation – Interviews, surveys
Form a hypothesis – Make an assumption and draft a prototype
Perform the experiment – Usability studies, A/B testing, card sorts
Analyze the data – Perform analysis on the qualitative/quantitative feedback
Report the findings – Discuss with the team and the client
Invite others to reproduce the results – Collaborate and iterate

Using each of the above UX research methods, let’s look at a few ways to apply actionable insights from the research data gathered.

Applying Personas and Empathy Maps

Personas and empathy maps are a powerful set of tools that UX researchers can use for usage scenarios, characters for experience maps and storyboards, and as a focal point for ideation.

For example, if we have a persona attribute that signals “impatient/busy/always in a hurry,” we can make certain design decisions which enable this user to take shortcuts within the product and thus save them time.

Another use of personas is getting everyone (product, engineering, marketing, sales, and customer service) on the same page about who the users are, thereby facilitating a more unified user experience.

Implementing User Interview Data

User interviews result in qualitative data. With this data, we can use frameworks such as thematic analysis , which is the process of identifying patterns and themes using qualitative data.

User interviews are one of the user research methods for gathering qualitative data.

An example is a user interview with the goal of getting feedback for a set of reports produced by an application.

The user interviews are completed and the data is analyzed using thematic analysis which shows a theme of customization . We can make an assumption that our users want to be able to customize their reports and have more control over them. This assumption can then be tested with further UX research.

Another practical use of user interviews is the opportunity to listen and observe. Users tend to give a lot of clues during an interview, such as making verbal side-comments, or non-verbal gestures. These observations can give insights into how users are truly feeling and thinking.

Employing Survey Results

Surveys provide a flexible set of data to work with. For example, we could have an idea to build a car-buying application that automatically calculates the car insurance rate for each listing.

Before spending the time and money to build out the application, surveys can be used to quickly gather information from a large number of users to see if it’s something people actually need.

If surveys are combined with usability testing, they can help find the answers to questions that pure analytical methods of UX research can’t tell us. For example, heat maps (a form of usability test), can tell us where users are interacting the most (and least) with an app or website, but they don’t tell us why.

Use surveys to ask why the user takes the actions they do, and then use this information to improve the product.

Using Card Sorting Data

A practical use of card sorting is to help determine how users would classify and organize topics for a website or app. The results of the card sort can then be used to construct an information architecture that fits their needs and goals.

An example is a florist website. We may have an idea of how users will want to navigate the site; however, when we do a card sort and ask users to provide categories, we learn that they look for flowers based mainly on color, not seasonality or special occasion.

Practical Use of A/B Testing Data

The data from an A/B test is mostly quantitative and binary; the user likes one version of something, or the other version.

One practical application which received a lot of coverage was Spotify testing their “burger menu.” Spotify used the standard three-line menu icon on their mobile app for a long time but decided to do an A/B test. To their surprise, this popular design was not a winner with their audience. Instead, users preferred a tab bar.

This had a major impact since there are millions of users who use the app daily. Changing to the new tab bar resulted in a better user experience and decreased subscription churn.

A/B testing is a user research strategy which helps uncover which version a user prefers.

Applying Usability Testing

Usability testing produces both qualitative and quantitative data. There are several advantages that can be had with this data depending on the type of testing done and the presumed outcomes.

An example is a moderated usability test in which we observe a user during the checkout process of a new shopping app. What we see is the user trying to add a product to the cart several times, but unable to do so, finally abandoning the process altogether. Taking this feedback, we would go back to the drawing board to revise the checkout flow.

A second way of applying usability tests is validation of a prototype or MVP. For example, we might be redesigning a mobile coupon app and realize that there is no way for a user to perform a search for deals because they get stuck in the category they initially chose. This realization leads the design team to focus on the user flow within the app and improve the user experience.

Today’s experience economy shapes industries, transforms businesses, and helps companies build deeper, more meaningful, and more profitable relationships with their customers. By selecting appropriate UX research techniques and applying them diligently, designers can come up with products that serve both customers and businesses more effectively.

Understanding the basics

How do you do ux research.

UX research is done using certain methods and frameworks which is decided based on the project and needs of the researcher. It is done by first identifying a specific type of user, then picking a research method, performing the research, and then analyzing the results.

What's a UX researcher?

A UX researcher is someone, usually from the UX field, who specializes in doing research using a methodical and investigative set of procedures to learn more about users needs, wants, and behaviors.

Why is UX research important?

UX research is important to both the design process and the business. It helps avoid guesswork, costly mistakes, and not creating products which are delightful and actually used by the audience intended.

What is a heat map chart?

A heat map chart shows where users interact the most and least with an interface, such as a web page. Heat map charts use both color and percentages to indicate where users have either clicked or scrolled to the most and the least.

What does a heat map tell you?

A heat map tells you where users interact with a web page or app the most or least using color and percentages. They are used to help researchers make more informed decisions to improve the user experience.

Product Design

Michael Craig

Albany, GA, United States

Member since November 7, 2016

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6 User Research Methods & When To Use Them

Learn more about 6 common user research methods and how they can be used to strengthen your UX design process.

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User research is the process of understanding user needs and desires through observation and feedback.

It's one of the most important aspects of UX design, and it's used to inform all aspects of the design process, from initial sketches to the final product. Through user research, we can answer important questions about our design, such as Who are our users? and What do they need?

In this blog post, we will discuss six common user research methods, what they are, when to use them, and some common challenges associated with each one.

Let’s get started …

What is User Research?

Why is user research integral to the ux process, 6 common user research methods, how to get started with user research in ux design projects, key takeaways.

User research is a process of gathering data about users in order to design better products that meet their needs .

It's used in every part of the design process, from the initial market research and concepting stages, through the final interface design testing and iteration stages.

The goal: to gather data that will allow you to make informed decisions as you create design solutions.

White text against a dark background with the words: User research is a process of gathering data about users in order to design better products that meet their needs.

Term Check: User Research vs. UX Research

Depending on what you read, you might come across the terms user research , UX research , or simply design research —all used interchangeably.

While they all tend to refer to the process of collecting user-centric data, there is some distinction that can be applied:

The term user research is often used when you want to learn more about the target audience for a product or service; who they are, how they think, what their goals are, etc.

UX research , on the other hand, tends to be used when you’re conducting research that focuses on how users interact with a product or service.

In this article, we’ll be looking at user research holistically, whether specifically talking about the users themselves, or learning more about how they interact with and experience your design work.

User research is an integral part of the design process: it ensures you have enough data and insights to make informed decisions about the design work you produce, reducing the risk of making assumptions and creating something no one truly wants.

Successful UX design requires a deep understanding of the people who will be using your product and how they interact with it. No matter how experienced you are as a designer, there is no way to validate your assumptions about design solutions without data. And the only way to acquire this understanding is by collecting data from the users themselves.

There are a variety of user research methods, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Here are 6 common methodologies that are easy to incorporate into your UX design process.

1. User Interviews

Interviews are a type of user research method in which the researcher talks with participants to collect data. This method is used to gather insights about people's attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and experiences. Interviews are a great way to gather in-depth, qualitative data from users.

Interviews are best conducted in a live conversation, whether that takes place in person, on a video call, or even on the phone. They can be structured or unstructured, depending on what best fits your research needs:

Structured interviews follow a set list of questions
Unstructured interviews are intended for more open-ended conversation

Challenges:

When deciding whether to use interviews as a user research method, it is important to consider the goals of the research, the target audience, and the availability of resources. Interviews are extremely time-consuming, both for the interviewer and the interviewee. However, if the goal of the research is to observe behavior in a natural setting, or if the target audience is not available to participate in interviews, then another user research method may be more appropriate.

Surveys are a user research method in which participants are asked to answer a series of questions, usually about a specific topic. Surveys are well suited for collecting data that can be quantified, but they are not as well suited for collecting qualitative data, since answers are often nuanced and lack appropriate context.

Surveys are best used when …

Since surveys can be easily distributed to a large number of people, they’re often a good choice for gathering information from people who might not be able—or willing—to participate in other types of user research (such as usability testing).

Since surveys rely on self-reported data, it’s important to avoid phrases or words that might influence the users’ answers. Furthermore, this type of user research often provides data without context, since you aren’t able to follow up and understand some of the nuances of the responses.

3. Focus Groups

Focus groups are a type of user research method in which a group of people are brought together to discuss a product, service, or experience. Focus groups provide an opportunity for users to discuss their experiences and opinions with each other in a guided setting. When done correctly, focus groups can provide valuable insights that can help shape both product design and marketing strategies.

Focus groups are best used when …

Focus groups can help uncover user needs and perspectives that may not be apparent through individual interviews or surveys.

Tips to make it work:

To get the most out of a focus group, it is important to carefully select participants that are representative of the target audience, as well as those who represent various accessibility needs, which might otherwise be overlooked or receive less consideration. The moderator should also be skilled in leading discussions and facilitating group dynamics to avoid participants from influencing each other.

4. A/B Testing

A/B testing is a user research method in which two versions of a design are created, then tested against each other to determine which is more effective.

These versions can be identical except for one small change, or they can be completely different. Once the two versions have been created, they are then assigned to users at random. The results of the test are then analyzed to see which version was more successful.

A/B testing is best used when …

You can incorporate A/B testing at any stage of the design process, but you might find you get the most helpful insights when you’re in a state of refinement, or are at a crossroads and need some data to help you decide which route to take.

Once you have your design variations ready to test, it’s up to the developers (or an A/B testing software program) to make the test live to users. It’s important to let the test run long enough so that any statistical significance is steady and repeatable. (If the test does not provide statistically significant results, it’s time to go back to the drawing board and try out a different variation.)

5. Card Sorting

Card sorting is a user research method that can be used to help understand how people think about the items in a given category. Card sorting involves providing users with a set of cards, each of which contains an item from the category, and asking them to sort the cards into groups. The groups can be based on any criteria that the users choose, and the sorted cards can then be analyzed to identify patterns in the way that the users think about the items. Card sorting can be used with both small and large sets of items, making it a versatile tool for user research.

Card sorting is best used when …

You are looking for insight into categorical questions like how to structure the information architecture of a website.

For example, if you were designing a website for a library, you might use card sorting to understand how users would expect the website's content to be organized.

Like the other research methods mentioned so far, a successful card sorting exercise requires a significant amount of thought and setup ahead of time. You might use an open sorting session , where the users create their own categories, if you want insight into the grouping logic of your users. In a closed sorting session , the categories are already defined, but it’s up to the participants to decide where to file each card.

6. Tree Test

Tree testing is a user research method that helps evaluate the findability and usability of website content. It is often used as a follow-up to card sorting, or when there are large amounts of website content, multiple website navigation structures, or changes to an existing website.

To conduct a tree test, participants are asked to find specific items on a website, starting from the home page. They are not told what the navigation options are, but are given hints if they get stuck. This helps researchers understand how users find and interact with the website content.

Tree testing is best used when ...

This method is most effective when combined with other user research methods, such as interviews, surveys, and focus groups. This is because it’s really a way to finesse the user’s experience at the end of the design process, rather than a method of collecting the preliminary data that’s needed to arrive at this point.

Tree testing can be a challenging method to conduct, as it requires specific instructions and data collection methods for each test. In addition, participants may not use the same navigation paths that you intended, making it difficult to analyze the results. To account for this, it’s important to have a large enough sample size to be able to differentiate between outliers and general trends.

User research is a critical part of any project or product development process. It helps you to understand the needs and expectations of your target users, and ensures that your final product meets their requirements.

There are many different ways to conduct user research, but the most important thing is to start early and to continually iterate throughout the development process.

For this, you’ll need to make sure that you have enough resources to incorporate the research successfully, which includes:

A budget that accounts for the various expenses incurred during the research process, whether that’s subscribing to a user research tool or compensating participants for their time.
An awareness of your own personal biases, and how they might affect the data you collect and the interpretation of results.
Time for research and analysis , since you might need to adjust the research method, or number of participants, that you were initially planning on including.
Buy-in from stakeholders , since the results might be jarring and contradict some of the assumptions that the project was built on.

Finally, it is important to be aware of your own personal biases. Despite these challenges, user research is an essential tool for designers, as it provides insights into how people interact with products and what their needs and wants are.

User research is essential for designing products that meet the needs of your target audience.
By understanding your users, you can design better products that meet user needs and improve the overall user experience.
Getting started with user research can be daunting, but there are a few common methods that are easy to learn and incorporate into your design process.
By being aware of the challenges involved in conducting user research, you can create a research plan that minimizes potential problems and maximizes the chances of obtaining valuable insights.
Once you have collected your data, it is important to analyze and interpret it so that you can use it to improve your product or design process.
User research can be challenging, but by following best practices and being prepared for common challenges, you can conduct successful user research studies that will help you create better products.

To learn more about establishing a UX design practice rooted in research and user-centered data, check out UX Academy Foundations , an introductory course that teaches design fundamentals with practical, hands-on projects and 1:1 mentorship with a professional designer.

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2024 UX research methods: A complete guide

Last updated

2 June 2024

Reviewed by

Miroslav Damyanov

UX impacts how people interact with designs, how they feel as they use them, and how quickly they can complete tasks.

Research is the first crucial step to provide delightful user experiences. It ensures that you’re backing your decisions with data, there are proof points for success, and you’re considering the end user at every stage of the process.

Without UX research, UX could be considered just an afterthought. Bringing your customer into the decision-making process is the key to success. Let’s dive into the best 2023 methods.

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What is UX research?

UX comprises all design aspects, including:

Development

Functionality

UX research matters throughout the entire design process. It looks at how users think and behave, including their motivations and pain points.

Research enables product teams to deeply understand their end customer, so they can create better products for them.

You can conduct UX research through various methods to observe user behavior, assess user attitudes, and identify user challenges.

These insights and data points inform the design process to create truly user-centered products.

Why is UX research critical?

Designing with people in mind is fundamental to creating products that delight the end user while solving their problems in the best possible ways.

Research enables this.

Valuing UX research means respecting the people you’re designing for: You stop relying on assumptions and design products that solve problems.

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Value per visit

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Lost revenue / year

What results can I expect from UX research?

We can’t overstate the value of UX research. If you complete it accurately and bake it into product designs, UX can be the difference between a product thriving or flopping.

UX research can result in:

Improved customer loyalty : Customers who feel like you’re listening to them are more likely to stay loyal to your brand.

Higher conversion rates: Continual research and listening can smooth areas of friction, helping new customers join and convert seamlessly.

Increased sales : Research removes the guesswork, ensuring you’re creating a product that solves a real-world issue worth paying for.

Better reviews : With user-centricity at the forefront and decisions stemming from accurate data, you’re more likely to have happy customers and positive word-of-mouth.

Positive brand reputation : A company that prioritizes UX research can build a reputation for being innovative because its products are not merely beautiful but functional, easy to use, and solve customer problems.

Reduced development costs : Addressing potential issues early in the development cycle will result in fewer changes.

Continual learning : It’s essential to keep listening to customers and continually make improvements through feedback loops to stay on the leading edge.

Value-centered design : Valuing UX research means putting users first and creating a UX-focused company culture.

The most common UX research methods

Some of the most valuable user research methods include:

User interviews

One of the most common ways of gaining feedback from your users is by interviewing them. This method can provide a broad range of insights relatively quickly.

Unlike focus groups, user interviews are with just one user at a time.

You can conduct user interviews at any stage of the design process. This is vital in providing valuable information to the product design and development teams.

You can hold user interviews in person, via video call, or over the phone.

We recommend these best practices for interviews:

Prepare thoroughly to ensure the conversation is relevant and doesn’t take too much of the participant’s time.

Identify relevant participants for your interviews who represent your target market.

Ensure your interviewees are comfortable and have the time to answer your questions.

Avoid leading and closed questions which can result in inaccurate, unhelpful information.

If a participant raises something new, follow up with questions to ensure you fully understand them and don’t miss relevant points.

Usability testing

Another way to create user-centered products is through usability testing. This research technique tends to occur later in the development and design process once you’ve developed prototypes or a beta version of the product.

Usability testing ensures products are fit-for-purpose, simple to use, and better than alternatives.

In a usability test, researchers typically take a small number of participants through a series of exercises to see how they respond to the product. They’ll also share feedback.

A neutral party or a UX team will observe the participants and take notes. They mustn’t assist participants. This ensures the test highlights areas of difficulty to the team.

A few main objectives with usability testing include:

Learning about user behavior and needs

Recognizing areas of potential improvement

Highlighting issues, roadblocks, or clucky design aspects

Confirming whether users enjoy using the product and can easily perform tasks

For best practice, you should continually perform usability testing as products progress. This ensures they’re the best they can be.

Usability testing templates

Field studies.

Rather than conducting research in a study context – say in an office or lab – field research puts researchers into context.

In field studies, users are in their own environment – whether that’s their home, workplace, or another local setting. This helps researchers gain a deeper understanding of their daily lives.

Field studies can help teams better serve people and their real-life needs, as a field study can provide context that a lab study can’t.

Imagine a company designing a smartwatch. Seeing users use their smartwatches while doing their daily chores or walking to a park provides much greater context.

It might help a team improve features, generate new considerations, and see where unexpected interruptions or multi-tasking occur.

Field studies ultimately provide more information, giving designers a greater understanding of how the user will actually use their product.

Focus groups

Focus groups are a well-known UX research method. They can help a research team quickly discover a large amount of valuable information.

Focus groups are useful in interactive systems development, including SaaS, social apps, and multiplayer games.

Unlike user interviews, focus groups involve eight or fewer demographically similar people. They come together to discuss products, pain points, and preferences.

Typically a moderator or neutral person conducts the group. They set out a series of questions, help everyone have their say, and keep the group on topic.

To conduct best practice focus groups , we recommend:

Allowing everyone in the room to speak : In a group environment, it’s common for louder voices to sway the group, so you must ensure everyone can share their opinion for accurate insights.

Encouraging varying responses : You’re not looking for one answer but enough answers to really understand your target market.

Listening for spontaneous responses : New insights are the real benefit of focus groups, and people will often say things you didn’t expect, which can prove valuable.

Having a list of relevant questions : Ask open-ended questions to ensure you deeply understand how your users feel.

Choosing a relevant group : Your participants should represent your target market, but you should also pay attention to inclusive design to ensure your products are usable by as many people as possible.

Seeking to understand : Consider how you can better serve your customers by understanding their pain points and challenges.

Companies often use surveys to gain insights from customers. Surveys ask a series of targeted questions, and they tend to be popular as they’re relatively fast and cost-effective to create.

With many online survey creation tools, organizations often send surveys through email, online questionnaires, or chatbot conversations. Companies also commonly conduct in-person and phone surveys.

To conduct best practice surveys, consider the following:

Surveys are only as useful as their questions : All questions should be relevant with measurable results. To see whether a question is appropriate for your project, ask “How does this relate to our overall goals?”

Use open-ended questions : These help you get more information and greater insights.

Use a consistent ranking scale : When users rate their experience, measuring those results is simple.

Keep your surveys short : The longer the survey, the more likely participants will drop out. Keeping the experience relatively brief will ensure more completions.

Card sorting

Another research technique is card sorting. The process can be beneficial to see how participants naturally understand and categorize information.

During card sorting, researchers give participants cards representing categories, ideas, or concepts.

The participants sort the cards into different categories that make sense to them. The researcher doesn’t guide how they should sort the cards; instead, the sorting is about how the user feels.

Card sorting can make a website or app’s information architecture logical, easy to use, and simple to access.

There are two main variations of card sorting: Open and closed.

In open card sorting, users can generate names for groups they create from a card stack. In closed card sorting, users organize the card stack into predetermined categories.

For example, the designers of a language learning app might use card sorting to make better decisions about where they house information. The cards could represent aspects like:

Learning history

Achievements

Menu options

App language preference

Asking users to sort these cards will help designers identify patterns that inform the menu structure and layout of the app. The resulting layout will likely reflect a more natural flow.

Tree testing

Like card sorting, tree testing is a UX research method focused on information architecture. While card sorting is generally the first step to categorizing information, tree testing takes the technique further.

In tree testing, researchers give users a basic product structure and ask them to organize categories into a tree formation that makes sense to them.

This generates feedback on your product’s structure, which can help you improve menus and sequences.

Like card sorting, tree testing ensures your app or website’s structure matches what users naturally gravitate towards. That means it’s intuitive and more usable.

Five-second testing

Ever heard that first impressions matter ? This testing method is all about those.

Five-second testing analyzes users' very first reaction to a product. After a user views a product or feature for five seconds, they answer a series of questions so the researcher can understand their perspective.

Five-second testing is common in web or app page tests to ensure the intended message comes across quickly.

After running a five-second test, it can be helpful to ask questions such as:

What is the page designed to do?

What do you think was the intended message?

Who is the intended audience?

What was your first thought?

What type of [service/product/feature] is on offer here?

Did the company appear trustworthy?

Diary studies

A diary study is a user research method where participants keep a diary of their experiences, activities, and thoughts over a period.

Diary studies usually last up to a week. They can provide context for your product and how it fits into someone’s day. Diary studies can also be a fast, simple way to gain information.

This method can be helpful for:

Gaining an understanding of user habits

Getting a perspective on user thoughts

Understanding more about user journeys

Giving the product a real-world context

The downside is that not all life events are relevant, so setting parameters is essential. This includes telling the participants what they should take notes of, which ensures the data is valuable for your project.

Diary study templates

How to choose the right user experience research method

It’s helpful to understand the different types of research to choose the correct method. Many researchers choose multiple research types to gain as much relevant information as possible. This is known as mixed methods research .

Research methods generally fall into these groups:

Qualitative and quantitative

Attitudinal and behavioral

Generative and evaluation research

Qualitative vs. quantitative research

Qualitative data comes directly from users through focus groups, usability testing, field studies, and interviews. This data provides insight into why users do things and their challenges.

Quantitative data consists of numerical value measurements that you gain indirectly from users. Things like surveys, metrics, and user tests provide this information. Typically, the data involves measurements like how much, how many, and how often.

Attitudinal vs. behavioral research

Attitudinal research is what users think about things. This includes what they think about something or what they think they will do in a particular situation.

Behavioral research looks at what people actually do in certain situations. It’s an important distinction. Although people might feel a certain way, their behavior may say otherwise.

Generative vs. evaluation research

Generative research focuses on a problem you’d like to solve. Researchers discovering more about users helps them innovate and generate new solutions.

Evaluation research applies later in the design process, focusing on a specific solution to see whether it solves a problem for users. This may be at a prototype, beta, or similar stage.

Powerful examples of UX research success

Research can boost ROI, customer retention , and sales, among other benefits.

Let’s consider UK-based clothing retailer Matalan. Matalan’s online shopping cart had high drop-offs, and the team wasn’t sure why. To solve the issue, the team sought user responses to website changes. User feedback meant they could optimize their checkout process. The company boosted its conversions by 1.23% .

In another example, the digital agency Turum-burum saw a large influx of visitors to its site, but it didn’t know how to maximize conversions. By leveraging the power of surveys, the agency discovered their checkout was too complicated. Turum-burum used this information to streamline the process, boosting its conversion rate by 54.68% .

UX research is the power behind product success

Quality UX is behind all good products. It impacts all aspects of the process and can be the difference between a product succeeding or failing in the marketplace.

UX research is the critical first step to success. Research ensures that you continually give customers what they want and need, helping you stand out from the crowd.

Learn more about UX research platforms

What’s a good sample size for ux research.

How many people you choose for UX research can heavily impact the results. Too many people can confuse your results, and too few can reduce the information you gain.

The right number also depends on the type of research.

In usability testing, five participants are enough. However, rather than looking for a specific number, it’s best to test until themes begin to repeat and you stop discovering new information.

For statistical analysis, 20–40 participants or more are necessary to gain a high level of accuracy in some quantitative research types.

Surveys will likely have much larger numbers, even into the thousands.

The number you choose will depend largely on the type of research you’re conducting, your budget, and the project goals.

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The demand for UX/UI designers proficient in UX research has surged. Companies like the design-led Airbnb recognize the critical role of staying in sync with customer needs. ... Choose the right UX research methods. Select research methods that align with your objectives, utilizing qualitative methods like interviews for exploratory research ...
6 Different Types of UX Research Methods: Ultimate 2024 Guide
More concretely, all of those different types of UX research methods fall into four broad categories; generative research, descriptive research, evaluative research and casual research. UX design depends on the valuable insights these testing methods produce; it makes the design process more efficient. Many design decisions will be directly ...
The 4 types of research methods in UI/UX design (and when to use them)
Improve your designs based on data-driven research. Though there are many different ways to collect data and do design research, they can broadly be categorized as either primary, secondary, exploratory, or evaluative research. In this article, we'll explain these four types of research methods in the context of UI/UX design and when you ...
UX research methods and when to use them
The second phase of design thinking, where you create and validate concepts, mainly uses qualitative research methods. However, these still fall in the explorative category. Only a few ways of doing UX research are a part of the validating category. These are validation testing, guerrilla testing, and user testing.
UX Research Techniques and Their Applications
If we think of UX research as part of the scientific method, then it will follow this format: Make an observation - Interviews, surveys. Form a hypothesis - Make an assumption and draft a prototype. Perform the experiment - Usability studies, A/B testing, card sorts.
11 Research Methods Every UX Designer Should Know
And while UX research is itself a distinct profession that requires formal training, UX/UI designers should still familiarize themselves with common UX research methods if they want to up their game. "Empathy is at the heart of design," said Tim Brown, CEO of design firm IDEO. "Without understanding what others see, feel, and experience ...
The Ultimate Guide to UX Research Methods
Description. Format (s) A Comprehensive Guide to Remote User Research: How to Unearth Essential Insights. This guide is a true start-to-finish look at effective, efficient, and powerful remote user research. By the time you finish it, you'll feel confident tackling almost any research question or methodology remotely.
6 User Research Methods & When To Use Them
Here are 6 common methodologies that are easy to incorporate into your UX design process. 1. User Interviews. Interviews are a type of user research method in which the researcher talks with participants to collect data. This method is used to gather insights about people's attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and experiences.
A Guide to UX Research Methods 2024
UX research is good for business growth, too, as adopting good UX practices can give you a competitive advantage. Research shows that design-led companies who intentionally design with positive user experiences in mind have a 41% higher market share and 50% more loyal customers than those who don't.

What Is User Research, and What Is Its Purpose?

Qualitative vs. Quantitative data: What’s the difference?

2. What is the purpose of user research?

Why is it so important to conduct user research?

User research helps you to design better products!

User research saves time and money!

User research can be done on a budget

3. How to plan your user research

4. When to use different user research methods

Qualitative Methods:

Quantitative Methods:

Further reading

What is UX Research: The Ultimate Guide for UX Researchers

Make informed design decisions with user research

UX research: Your ultimate guide to nailing user experience and exceeding expectation

Is UX research the same as user research?

Involve your users at every stage of your design process

Why is conducting UX research important?

Make informed decisions based on data

Reduce bias in the UX design process

Test and validate concepts

Work on solutions that bring real value to customers

Market your product internally and externally

Types of UX research

Moderated research

UX research methods for moderated research

Unmoderated research

UX research methods for unmoderated research

Remote research

UX research methods for remote research

In-person research

UX research methods for in-person research

Generative research

UX research methods for generative research

Evaluative research

UX research methods for evaluative research

Behavioral research

UX research methods for behavioral research

Attitudinal research

UX research methods for attitudinal research

Quantitative research

UX research methods for quantitative research

Qualitative research

UX research methods for qualitative research

💡 Product tip:

When should you conduct UX research?

Before developing the product

When you want to validate your decisions

To evaluate product accessibility

Once your product is live

TL;DR: Why, how, and when to conduct UX research

Frequently asked questions

UX research methods: The complete guide for 2024

User experience (UX) research is essential in creating products that meet users' needs and expectations. It's the backbone of successful design, guiding teams with data-driven insights and human-centric understanding.

What are UX research methods?

Types of UX research

Qualitative vs. quantitative research

Attitudinal vs. behavioral research

Generative vs. evaluative research

Moderated vs. unmoderated research

‍ Remote vs. in-person

10 of the most common UX research methods

User interviews

Focus groups

Diary studies

Field studies

Card sorting

Tree testing

Usability testing

Prototype testing

A/B testing

How to choose the right UX research method

First, consider your research goals

Next, consider the stage of the product development lifecycle

Also, consider your constraints

Furthermore, the data type needed to inform your design decisions is essential

Finally, remember the importance of mixed-methods research.

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Jack Wolstenholm

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