Search User Research

Find and analyze user research insights about: $ARGUMENTS

Your Task

Search Dovetail for user research related to the topic above. Synthesize findings into actionable insights that support evidence-based product decisions.

Steps

1. Define Search Query

   • Using "$ARGUMENTS" as the primary search topic
   • Identify related key search terms and synonyms
   • Specify time range (if relevant)
   • Define scope (projects, tags, insights)

2. Search Dovetail

   • Query Dovetail MCP for research matching "$ARGUMENTS"
   • Search across projects, insights, and highlights
   • Filter by tags and categories
   • Retrieve matching research data

3. Analyze Findings

   • Identify common themes and patterns
   • Extract key insights and quotes
   • Quantify frequency of mentions
   • Note conflicting evidence

4. Synthesize Results

   • Summarize key findings
   • Highlight most relevant insights
   • Link to specific research artifacts
   • Provide actionable recommendations

5. Present Evidence

   • Structure findings clearly
   • Include direct quotes from users
   • Show frequency of themes
   • Link to source material in Dovetail

Search Patterns

By Topic

Search for specific product areas or features:

• "onboarding experience"
• "search functionality"
• "collaboration features"
• "pricing concerns"

By User Segment

Search for specific user types:

• "enterprise customers"
• "academic users"
• "new users"
• "power users"

By Problem/Pain Point

Search for user challenges:

• "pain points"
• "frustrations"
• "confusing"
• "difficult to use"

By Opportunity

Search for positive signals:

• "feature requests"
• "wishlist"
• "would love to"
• "missing functionality"

Output Format

Research Summary

Search Query: [What was searched]
Projects Searched: [Number and names]
Date Range: [If applicable]
Total Insights Found: [Count]

Key Findings

Theme 1: [Primary theme]

• Frequency: [How often mentioned]
• Sentiment: [Positive/Negative/Neutral]
• Key Insights:
  • Insight 1 with context
  • Insight 2 with context
• Representative Quotes:

  "Direct quote from user research" "Another relevant quote"

• Source: [Link to Dovetail project/insight]

Theme 2: [Secondary theme]

[Same structure as above]

Patterns Observed

• Pattern 1: Description
• Pattern 2: Description
• Pattern 3: Description

Conflicting Evidence

[Note any contradictory findings]

Gaps in Research

[Areas where more research is needed]

Recommendations

Based on the research findings:

1. Recommendation 1 with supporting evidence
2. Recommendation 2 with supporting evidence
3. Recommendation 3 with supporting evidence

Next Steps

• Additional research needed on [topic]
• Validate findings with [method]
• Incorporate into [PRD/roadmap]

Examples

Example 1: Feature Validation

User: "Search our research about export functionality"

[Command searches]:
- Queries Dovetail for "export" mentions
- Identifies 15 relevant insights across 5 projects
- Extracts themes: bulk export, format options, scheduling
- Shows frequency and user quotes
- Recommends feature scope based on evidence

Example 2: Problem Exploration

User: "What are users saying about our onboarding?"

[Command analyzes]:
- Searches for "onboarding" across all projects
- Identifies pain points and friction
- Quantifies issue frequency
- Provides specific improvement recommendations

Example 3: Segment Understanding

User: "What challenges do enterprise customers face?"

[Command finds]:
- Filters for enterprise-tagged research
- Extracts common themes
- Compares with SMB customer feedback
- Highlights unique enterprise needs

Use Cases

Product Discovery

• Validate new feature ideas
• Identify user pain points
• Discover unmet needs
• Understand user workflows

Feature Prioritization

• Assess demand for features
• Quantify problem severity
• Compare user segment needs
• Support RICE scoring

PRD Development

• Ground requirements in user needs
• Include user quotes
• Validate solution approaches
• Define success criteria

Competitive Analysis

• Understand why users choose competitors
• Identify feature gaps
• Assess positioning opportunities
• Validate differentiation strategy

Best Practices

Do:

• Search broadly first, then narrow down
• Look for patterns across multiple users
• Include direct quotes for context
• Note the source and date of research
• Identify gaps in current research
• Consider user segment differences

Don't:

• Cherry-pick quotes that fit your bias
• Over-rely on single user feedback
• Ignore contradictory evidence
• Forget to validate old research
• Take quotes out of context

Integration with Other Commands

• Use before /analyze-feature-request for evidence
• Inform /create-prd with user insights
• Support /prioritize-backlog decisions
• Ground /competitive-analysis in user needs

Related Commands

• /analyze-feature-request - Analyze specific features
• /create-prd - Document requirements
• /prioritize-backlog - Data-driven prioritization