user-research

User Research

Overview

User research bridges the gap between what we think users need and what they actually need. This skill covers the full research lifecycle — from planning and conducting studies to synthesizing findings and making them actionable. Works for both qualitative (interviews, diary studies, field visits) and quantitative (surveys, analytics, logs) approaches.

When to Use

• Starting a new initiative and need to understand user needs
• Making a product decision where the cost of being wrong is high
• Building a research repository for your team
• Validating or invalidating assumptions about user behavior
• Don't use for: trivial UI decisions (A/B test or gut check is faster), already-well-understood problems

Instructions

Phase 1: Plan the Research

1. Define the research question — What decision will this research inform? Frame as: "We need to decide X. What do we need to learn to make that decision confidently?"
2. Choose the method:
   • Generative (uncover unknown needs): interviews, diary studies, field observation
   • Evaluative (test a concept): usability tests, concept tests, A/B tests
   • Descriptive (measure behavior): surveys, analytics, log analysis
3. Recruit participants — Define screener criteria. Aim for 5-8 per segment for qualitative, 200+ for surveys

Phase 2: Conduct the Research

For qualitative:

1. Follow the customer-interviews skill for unstructured interviews
2. For usability tests: give tasks, don't guide. Measure success rate, time-on-task, and satisfaction
3. Take detailed notes. Record (with permission). Use a second observer if possible

For quantitative:

1. Design surveys to avoid bias (no leading questions, balanced scales, randomize order)
2. Use analytics to measure actual behavior, not self-reported behavior
3. Triangulate: survey findings should be validated against behavioral data

Phase 3: Synthesize Findings

1. Affinity mapping — Group observations by theme on a virtual or physical wall
2. Thematic analysis — Identify 5-7 core themes. Each theme should have 3+ supporting data points
3. Create research artifacts:
   • Insight statements: "We learned X, which means Y, so we should do Z"
   • Journey maps showing pain points
   • Opportunity areas ranked by evidence strength
4. Rate confidence — How many sources support each finding? High (5+ sources), Medium (3-4), Low (1-2)