What is it? User experience research studies the specific experiences someone expects, desires, or has with a product, website, application, or service design. Uncovering user behaviors, needs, and motivations informs product and service design decisions to overcome pain points and provide optimized solutions.

While “consumer/customer” research is at the center of Market Research, “users” are at the heart of user research that originated from originated from tech driven product and service design. 

User researchers may employ qualitative and quantitative research methods. For example, A/B tests, diary studies, observation, surveys. ethnographies, interviews, contextual inquiries card sorts, click tests, concept testing and various visualization techniques such as journey maps. Often times, “mixed methods” are applied. That is, more than one method leveraged within a study, commonly a qualitative and quantitative method together.

When it is best used? User research is best employed continuously throughout the design process to inform iterative design decisions. 

What does it entail?  A trained researcher, or another member of the team. leads user research activities. They are responsible for creating the research plan, sourcing users to gather information. These tasks  may be delegated to other collaborators.

Related terms: Design research, applied research, usability research, HCI Research

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Books

Articles

• [IDF] What Is UX Research? 

• [IBM] The Vital Role of User Research

• [Microsoft] Skip User Research Unless You’re Doing it Right

Videos

• [Career Foundry] What is UX Research, And What Is Its Purpose?

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