Clarify Your Purpose – “What Are We Solving, Why Is This Problem Key?” (User Research Focus)

If you jump into UX Research without a clear question—like “Why do users abandon checkout?” or “Is this button invisible or just unappealing?”—you’ll be collecting data aimlessly. A solid research aim is your compass: Which feature might be cut or improved? What user pain point are you trying to confirm? Without that focus, you’ll gather a mountain of data that just ends up collecting dust.

Method Selection – Survey, Interview, Observation? (Quantitative vs. Qualitative UX Research)

Think of User Research like a buffet: Surveys are your soup and salad (quantitative data), interviews are the main course (deep qualitative insights), and observation is a sweet dessert that reveals real-time user reactions (“Ugh, this form is too long!”). Some days you might only want the main course, other times you want the whole feast. Mixing methods gives you both the hard numbers and the emotional backstory behind user behavior.

Participant Selection – The Right Audience, Plus Diversity

Testing a gaming app with a group of finance-savvy retirees might be fascinating but not entirely relevant. Always ask: Who actually uses or could use this product? Once you’ve nailed that down, add diversity—age, gender, device preference—like spices to enhance your data. A single homogeneous group can mislead you, while variety helps unearth broader patterns and issues.

Collect and Act on Data – “Now What Do We Do with It?”

So you’ve got survey results, interview recordings, or observation notes. Great! But it’s not time to say “Huh, interesting” and do nothing. If users are stuck on a certain screen, loop in your design or product team to see whether you’ll shorten the flow or change the button color. Data is only as good as the actions you take from it—so don’t let those “Aha” moments go to waste.