Conducting actionable UX research
There is no “right way” to do UX research… but there are wrong ways. Let’s walk through a few common pitfalls that can get in the way of design researchers having the impact they want.
Before we start, keep in mind that no one is perfect and rules are meant to be learned enough so they can be broken with intention. Take what serves you from this and ignore the rest.
Pitfall #1: “I don’t know why I’m doing this research.”
Research for the sake of checking a box that said you did research isn’t research, it’s collecting data. Data is only as valuable as the lens with which it is understood.
Avoid falling into this trap by taking the time to properly define your project:
- Specify and align with your team on why this research is needed now
- Define what the business is trying to achieve & how this work will fit into or influence said goals
- Establish (no more than 3) research goals that will drive the work forward and define your scope
In other words, write a research plan and keep it current. As your project evolves, so should your test plan.
Pitfall #2: “I treated assumptions as fact.”
People like to make statements. Sometimes those statements are grounded in data and facts. A lot of the time, they’re not. Make sure you know the difference.
Suss out what assumptions are influencing different perspectives by:
- Asking questions to dig deeper into the implications of a given statement
- Talking to multiple different people one-on-one to try to gather different takes
- Keeping your mind (and your questions) open to being changed by users
Research that is grounded in faulty assumptions will incorrectly validate those assumptions, if you’re not careful. Ensure your study design accommodates the possibility that the team’s assumptions are wrong — better to find out sooner than later.
Pitfall #3: “I researched the wrong people.”
All products have target users (or, at least, they should). These are the people that the team is designing for. The users whose problems the product should solve for.
All research projects have target participants. These are the people whose thoughts and experiences are needed in order to meet your research goals.
For qualitative research, your target participants should be representative of your target users, but selected with more care.
Get specific with who your target participants are based on what you need to learn. Aim for variety, when appropriate, and don’t forget the power of understanding edge use cases.
Pitfall #4: “I didn’t consider what actions need to be taken based on my research.”
You did a bunch of research. You share your findings and nothing happens. Nothing changes, nothing progresses. There’s a few things that could’ve gone wrong (namely, pitfalls 1–3), but even if you had strong research goals, questioned assumptions, and researched the right people, your work could fall flat.
How you share back the research will directly affect its impact. Anyone can provide data for others to interpret, but a design researcher’s superpower is often in the story they can tell with the data.
Everything you write into a findings deck and any artifact you create should have a purpose. Ask yourself, “What do I need my audience to do next?” and help lead them there in a clear and intentional way. This means:
- Never forgetting to share the ‘so what?’ — the implication of the finding
- Leading with the most important part of your story (making sure it’s not missed in the details)
- Having a stance and sharing it
When planning for and conducting research, a design researcher must be as impartial and unbiased as humanly possible. But once you are ready to share your findings, it’s imperative to have a perspective, because you are the one who knows the data best. Help people understand what to take away from your research and what to do next.
Pitfall #5: “I went off on my own to do research & now I can’t get anyone to care about what I found.”
Research is a team sport. While the researcher may be the team captain, all the other players are just as, if not more, important. Here are a few ways to build your team:
- Have a proper kick off where you find out what questions stakeholders have and get buy in on your research approach
- Pick your research team, let them know they’re part of it, and set clear expectations for them
- When conducting interviews, invite the research team to every session and schedule a quick debrief to discuss the session right after to keep people engaged
There are a lot of other ways to tackle getting folks involved in research. The most important piece is to tackle it. Try out different approaches and see what works best for the people you work with.
Let’s wrap this up.
To sum it up, research is only as actionable as the intention with which it is designed and executed, but, if you can pull it off, actionable research expedites the decision making process and builds shared confidence in the decisions being made. Plus it’s a bundle of fun — what more could you want?
