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Imagine this: A small web development company receives a new project. The client provides a detailed technical document outlining all the features and functionalities they want. The deadline is tight, and the budget is limited. The project manager quickly gathers the team, and the UX designer (probably the only one on the team who is more like a UX generalist) starts creating functional designs in Figma because the client wants to see how it will look as soon as possible. Are we surprised? No. Before long, the developers are coding, and the project is well underway. Everything seems to be progressing “smoothly,” but one critical step has been skipped — user research.
I wish the scenario above was purely imagined, but sadly, it’s not. While I’d like to say that it’s been a while since something like this happened to me, unfortunately, that’s not the case. For many small companies out there, this is reality. In this article, I will speak from my previous experiences and explore why small development companies often bypass the research phase, the impact of this decision, and practical solutions to ensure that user research becomes an integral part of the project lifecycle.
The Role of User Research in the UX and Product Management Cycle
User research is a fundamental component of the UX and product management cycle. It involves gathering insights about users’ needs, behaviors, and pain points to inform design decisions.
This phase helps teams prioritize features, create user-centered designs, and ultimately build products that resonate with their target audience.
Importance and Impact of User Research:
- Informed Decision-Making: Research provides data-driven insights that guide design and development decisions.
- Enhanced User Experience: Understanding user needs leads to the creation of intuitive and satisfying user experiences.
- Reduced Development Costs: Identifying issues early in the design process prevents costly revisions later.
- Increased User Satisfaction: Products that align with user expectations result in higher satisfaction and loyalty.
One of the most overlooked aspects of user research, especially when clients provide a ready technical document, is the prioritization of product features. Tools like closed card sorting can be invaluable in this process.
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As a UX generalist, I found myself creating functional designs in Figma based on the client’s detailed technical documents, believing that additional user research was redundant. When small development companies receive detailed technical specifications from clients, they often skip feature prioritization methods like closed card sorting, assuming it’s redundant. Tight deadlines and limited budgets further discourage this step, as teams prioritize immediate deliverables over long-term benefits. Additionally, smaller teams might lack the expertise or awareness of the value these methods bring. However, even with clear client directives, validating assumptions through user research remains crucial.
Imagine building a house based solely on an architect’s blueprint without consulting the future homeowners. The house might have all the specified rooms, but without knowing the occupants’ daily routines and preferences, it could miss essential elements like storage spaces or the optimal kitchen layout.
Similarly, feature prioritization through methods like closed card sorting ensures that the product aligns with actual user needs and preferences, not just the client’s initial vision. It provides nuanced insights, enables iterative improvements, and mitigates risks by identifying potential issues early, ultimately saving time and resources. By incorporating user feedback, small companies can enhance the user experience, leading to more successful and satisfying products.
Challenges Faced When Skipping Research
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Skipping the research phase in product development can lead to numerous challenges for small companies. Without user input, products often misalign with actual user needs, resulting in low engagement and adoption rates. This oversight can cause increased development costs as usability issues are discovered later, necessitating expensive revisions.
Additionally, miscommunications between stakeholders and development teams become more likely, leading to conflicts and misunderstandings.
Ignoring user feedback typically results in reduced user satisfaction, higher churn rates, and missed market opportunities due to unrecognized emerging trends or user needs. Inefficient resource allocation can occur when features that users do not value are prioritized, and poor user experience often follows, resulting in negative reviews. These issues can delay the product’s time-to-market, hinder product differentiation from competitors, and ultimately lower the return on investment. Overall, skipping research can lead to a product that fails to meet both business goals and user needs, causing potential financial losses and reduced market success.
Practical Solutions
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From my experience working in a small company, I’ve found that integrating user research, even with limited resources, can significantly improve project outcomes. Here are some practical solutions that can help you overcome the challenges of skipping the research phase:
- Educate Stakeholders on the Value of UX Research: Highlight the long-term benefits of user research, such as improved product success and reduced development costs. Use case studies to demonstrate the positive impact of research on similar projects. When stakeholders understand the value of research, they are more likely to support its inclusion in the project scope. This understanding fosters a culture that values user insights, making it easier to allocate time and resources for research.
- Integrate Lean UX Methods: Implement lean UX research techniques like guerrilla testing, quick user interviews, and online surveys. Use tools that provide actionable insights quickly without requiring extensive resources. Lean methods fit within tight timelines and budgets while still providing valuable user insights. This approach ensures that even with limited resources, user feedback can inform design decisions, enhancing the overall user experience.
- Leverage Existing Data: Utilize research and data from previous projects or industry reports relevant to the current project. Tap into publicly available resources to gain foundational insights. Existing data can offer useful information without the need for extensive new research. This can help validate assumptions and guide the development process, ensuring that the product aligns with user needs.
- Prioritize Critical Research Areas: Focus on key areas that will significantly impact the user experience, such as usability testing for core functionalities. Conduct rapid prototyping and testing to validate design assumptions early. Targeted research ensures that critical issues are addressed without overextending resources. This approach helps to identify and resolve potential problems early, saving time and reducing costs in the long run.
- Collaborate Closely with Clients: Propose integrating a research phase into the initial project plan and explain its benefits to clients. Involve clients in the research process to align their expectations with user needs. Collaboration fosters a user-centered approach and ensures that both client and user needs are met. This alignment can prevent misunderstandings and create a more harmonious working relationship.
- Implement Phased Development: Break the project into phases, starting with a minimal viable product (MVP) and iteratively improving it based on user feedback. Conduct continuous research and testing throughout the development process. Phased development allows for ongoing user input, making it easier to adapt and improve the product incrementally. This approach ensures that the final product is more polished and user-friendly.
- Utilize Tools like Lyssna for Efficient Research: Use Lyssna, a tool that streamlines the process of finding relevant research users and templates. Lyssna’s closed card sorting feature helps gather user input quickly and effectively. In a short period, finding relevant research users or creating templates can be challenging. Lyssna saves time by providing ready-to-use resources and tools that facilitate the research process. Its closed card sorting feature helps prioritize product features based on user feedback, significantly impacting the product’s alignment with user needs and improving overall user satisfaction.
What would I have done differently
Here’s what I would have done if I had known about these tools back then. Now, there are even more powerful tools available that can validate requests and ideas without spending extensive time on research. You can effectively use these tools after reviewing the technical documentation provided by the client. Plus, you can use Lyssna to find participants directly.
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Conclusion
From my experience, skipping the research phase might seem like a quick fix for small companies, but it usually creates more problems than it solves. I’ve seen firsthand how it can lead to misaligned products and costly revisions. However, by teaching stakeholders about the benefits of user research, using simple UX methods, relying on existing data, focusing on key areas, working closely with clients, developing in phases, and leveraging tools like Lyssna, we can make research a seamless part of the process. These strategies don’t have to break the bank or slow us down. Instead, they can lead to better products and happier users. By valuing user research, even small companies like my previous ones can create products that truly meet user needs and stand out in the market.