ux-research

UX Research

Plan, conduct, and analyze user research that produces actionable insights for product design. This skill provides frameworks, methods, and practical guidance for every stage of the research process — from defining the right question to presenting findings that drive decisions.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• Planning a research study (choosing methods, defining scope, writing a plan)
• Writing interview scripts or discussion guides
• Creating usability test plans with tasks and success metrics
• Recruiting participants and writing screener surveys
• Analyzing qualitative data (affinity diagrams, thematic analysis)
• Synthesizing research into personas, journey maps, or opportunity maps
• Setting up continuous discovery practices (weekly interviews, OSTs)
• Presenting findings and recommendations to stakeholders

Core Principle

Research is a tool for reducing risk, not a deliverable. The goal is always to inform decisions — not to produce documents. Research is not asking people what they like, not a political tool, and not science. It's applied inquiry that helps you solve the right problem.

Research Types

Choose your research type based on what decisions are in play:

Generative / Exploratory

When: Before you know what you're building. You need to define the problem. Methods: Interviews, field observation, contextual inquiry, diary studies, literature review Output: Problem definition, opportunity areas, personas, mental models

Descriptive

When: You have a design problem and need to fully understand the context. Methods: Contextual inquiry, fly-on-the-wall observation, journey mapping, card sorting Output: Current-state maps, workflow diagrams, mental models

Evaluative

When: You have potential solutions and need to test them. Methods: Usability testing, heuristic evaluation, A/B testing, click testing, tree testing Output: Severity-ranked issues, task completion rates, recommendations