ux-research-plan

UX Research Plan Skill

This skill creates a complete, ready-to-execute UX research plan. Output covers everything from research objectives to screener questions, discussion guide, and synthesis framework.

Required Inputs

Ask the user for these if not provided:

• Research question (what decision will this research inform?)
• Product area or feature being researched
• Research type (Generative / Evaluative / Usability testing / Diary study / Survey)
• Stage (Discovery / Concept validation / Prototype testing / Live product)
• Target participants (role, demographics, behaviour — who should we talk to?)
• Timeline and number of sessions
• Existing assumptions or hypotheses (optional but valuable)

Output Structure

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UX Research Plan: [Study Title]

Product area: [Area] Research type: [Type] Date: [Timeline] Researcher: [Leave for user]

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1. Research Objectives

State 2–4 clear research objectives. Each objective should map to a decision that will be made differently depending on what you find.

Objective [N]: Understand [specific thing] so we can [decision this informs].

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2. Research Questions

[5–8 questions — the actual questions you want research to answer. These are not the interview questions; they're the knowledge gaps. Organised under each objective.]

Objective 1:

• RQ1.1: [Research question]
• RQ1.2: [Research question]

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3. Methodology & Rationale

Method chosen: [e.g. Semi-structured interviews / Usability testing / Concept testing]

Why this method: [2–3 sentences. Match method to research type. If evaluative: usability testing. If generative: contextual inquiry or interviews. If testing comprehension: 5-second test or concept test.]

What this method will and won't tell us:

• Will tell us: [What this method is good at revealing]
• Won't tell us: [What's out of scope — be honest about limits]

Sample size: [Recommended number of sessions and why — e.g. "5–6 moderated interviews for generative research; 5–8 usability sessions to identify top issues"]

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4. Participant Screener

Recruitment criteria:

Criterion	Must Have / Nice to Have	Disqualify if
[e.g. Uses project management software daily]	Must Have	[Never uses any PM tool]
[e.g. Works in a team of 5+]	Must Have	—
[e.g. B2B industry]	Nice to Have	—

Screener questions (5–8 questions):

[Q1] [Screening question — clear, not leading]

• [Answer options — flag which qualify/disqualify]

[Q2] ...

Incentive recommendation: [Amount and format — e.g. "£50 gift voucher for a 60-min session is standard in the UK for professional participants"]

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5. Discussion Guide

Structure the session:

Opening (5 min)

• Introduce yourself and the study
• "We're testing the design, not you — there are no wrong answers"
• Permission to record
• Warm-up: [1–2 easy questions to build rapport — e.g. "Tell me about your role and what a typical week looks like"]

Core Questions (by section)

Section [A]: [Topic] (~X min)

1. [Open question — start broad] [Probe: Tell me more about...]
2. [Follow-up to go deeper] [Probe: Can you walk me through what happened?]
3. [Specific scenario or past behaviour question]

Section [B]: [Topic] (~X min) [Continue with 2–3 questions per section]

Usability tasks (if applicable):

"I'm going to ask you to try a few things with this prototype. Please think aloud as you go."

• Task [N]: [Clear task instruction — write from the user's perspective, not "click on X" but "find where you would go to do Y"]
  • Success criteria: [What "completing this task" looks like]
  • What to observe: [Where friction typically appears]

Closing (5 min)

• "Is there anything about [topic] we haven't covered that you think is important?"
• "If you could change one thing about [product/concept], what would it be?"
• Debrief and thank

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6. Synthesis Framework

After sessions, use this framework to synthesise findings:

Step 1: Session notes → Key observations For each session: 3–5 specific observations (behaviours, quotes, reactions — not interpretations yet)

Step 2: Affinity mapping Group observations by theme across all sessions. Aim for 4–7 clusters.

Step 3: Insight statements For each cluster: "When [context], users [behaviour/experience], because [underlying need or mental model]."

Step 4: Implications For each insight: "This means we should [design/product implication]" or "This challenges our assumption that [assumption]."

Step 5: Research report structure:

• Key findings (3–5 headlines)
• Supporting evidence per finding
• Design recommendations
• Open questions for next research cycle

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Quality Checks

• Research objectives map to real decisions
• Discussion guide opens broad before going specific
• Screener criteria are specific enough to get the right participants
• Tasks (if usability) are written from the user's perspective
• Synthesis framework is included
• Incentive recommendation is included

Anti-Patterns

• Do not write a research plan without clearly stated research objectives — every methodology choice must flow from the objectives
• Do not design a plan that mixes generative and evaluative research without clearly separating them
• Do not omit screener criteria — recruiting unqualified participants invalidates the research
• Do not write discussion guide questions that are leading — questions must be neutral and open-ended
• Do not skip the incentive recommendation — uncompensated research has lower participant quality and completion rates

Example Trigger Phrases

• "Write a research plan for [feature or product area]"
• "Create a discussion guide for user interviews about [topic]"
• "Plan a usability test for [prototype or feature]"
• "Write screener questions for [target user type]"