user-research

User Research

When to Use

When you need to understand user needs, validate a concept, or test whether a design works before or after building.

Core Jobs

1. Choose the Research Method

Method	Use When	Output
User interviews	Understand problems, motivations, context	Qualitative insights
Usability testing	Test if design works	Issues + severity
Survey	Quantify attitudes at scale	Stats + verbatims
Diary study	Understand longitudinal behavior	Behavioral patterns
Card sorting	Information architecture	Navigation structure

2. Write the Discussion Guide (Interviews)

Structure:

• Intro (5 min): purpose, permission to record, "no wrong answers"
• Warm-up (5 min): their role, context, how they currently solve the problem
• Core questions (30 min): open-ended, one topic at a time
• Concept test (optional, 10 min): show prototype, ask to think aloud
• Wrap-up (5 min): anything else they'd like to share, referrals

Rules:

• Start broad ("tell me about your workflow") before specific
• Never lead: "Do you find it confusing?" → "What do you think of this?"
• Silence is OK — let them fill it

3. Run the Session

• Recruit 5–8 participants per segment (enough to see patterns)
• Two people: one facilitates, one takes notes
• Record (with permission)
• Note quotes verbatim, not paraphrases

4. Synthesize Findings

• Affinity mapping: group observations by theme
• Write insights: "Users who X tend to Y because Z"
• Don't report "5 users said X" — report what it means

Key Outputs

• Research plan (goals, methods, recruit criteria)
• Discussion guide / test script
• Synthesis report with actionable insights
• Recommendations linked to design or product decisions

Anti-Patterns

• Research after building (too late to change)
• Leading questions that confirm existing beliefs
• Recruiting friends/coworkers (not real users)
• Reporting what users said without interpreting what it means