UX/UI design roadmap: 1. Design Research
How to conduct a successful research project, from planning to interpretation: A blog post about how to design a successful research project.
What is Design Research?
Design Research is a vital step in the overall product development process. It helps you develop sustainable products that meet your end users’ needs, and create better experiences for them.
In this article, I’ll break down every step of Design Research and explain each of them.
1. Primary Research
- Interviews
- Surveys
- Contextual Inquiry
- Competitive Research
- SWOT Analysis
2. Explore and Experiment
- Task Analysis
- Analytics
- A/B Testing
- Card Sorting
3. Planning and Analysis
- Research Planning
- Analysis of Findings
- Research Repository
Interviews
An interview gives you the chance to meet with your customers face to face. Whether talking about a product, service, or idea, interviews provide valuable information about your target audience.
If you want to learn more, here are useful links:
✅ UX/UI templates:
UX Research Template
Article:
Effective Guide for a UX Interview
Video:
The 3 Types of User Interviews
Do here:
userinterviews.com
Surveys
Surveys allow you to collect information from your users in the form of detailed feedback on their experience. They help you get to the heart of what needs to be improved, the bugs that need fixing or new features that need adding so you can do more of the things your users love.
If you want to learn more, here are useful links:
✅ UX/UI templates:
UX Research Template
Article:
Conduct a UX Survey
Video:
Create Effective Surveys like a Pro
Do here:
Google Forms
Contextual Inquiry
Contextual inquiry is a friendly, efficient, and effective way to determine how people really use products — when, where, how, and why. It takes advantage of our natural ways of learning by asking people to show us, instead of telling us.
If you want to learn more, here are useful links:
✅ UX/UI templates:
UX Research Template
Article:
Contextual Interviews
Competitive Research
Competitive research can help you better understand how your competitors are doing, and where opportunities may lie in the industry. It is a valuable tool for identifying market segments and key players, analyzing important trends, and understanding a product’s strengths and weaknesses
If you want to learn more, here are useful links:
✅ UX/UI templates:
UX Research Template
Article:
A Guide to Competitive Analysis
SWOT Analysis
A SWOT Analysis is an effective planning and management technique that helps you to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats as well as overall project goals.
If you want to learn more, here are useful links:
✅ UX/UI templates:
UX Research Template
Article:
Let’s Talk About SWOT Analysis
Task Analysis
Task analysis helps you understand the actions a user performs in order to reach his or her goal. Knowing the steps he or she will go through can help you design better products and applications.
If you want to learn more, here are useful links:
✅ UX/UI templates:
UX Research Template
Article:
Task Analysis
Analytics
UX analytics is a set of techniques and methods for collecting, processing and analyzing user data in order to evaluate if the application meets the needs of its users.
If you want to learn more, here are useful links:
✅ UX/UI templates:
UX Research Template
Article:
Getting started with UX analytics
Do here:
Google Forms
A/B Testing
A/B Testing is a method for validating design and interaction changes. With A/B testing you evaluate changes one by one, without the risk of applying many changes at the same time.
If you want to learn more, here are useful links:
✅ UX/UI templates:
UX Research Template
Article:
7 steps of A/B testing
Video:
A/B Testing
Do here:
VWO
Card Sorting
Card sorting is a user research technique that will help you get to know your customers. It can be used to develop a new product, website, or app, or it can be used to evaluate existing options.
If you want to learn more, here are useful links:
✅ UX/UI templates:
UX Research Template
Research Planning
The goal of a research planning document is to inform your stakeholders about the products in development that they need to support your testing needs. A well-managed plan helps to support open and frank discussions about testing, as well as allow for important decision points regarding the direction of the product and project.
If you want to learn more, here are useful links:
✅ UX/UI templates:
UX Research Template
Article:
The UX Research Plan
Analysis of Findings
Analysis of findings is simply the process of extracting meaningful results from data. The results that you extract will become the basis for reports, which are then stored in online repositories.
If you want to learn more, here are useful links:
✅ UX/UI templates:
UX Research Template
Article:
Quicker UX Research Synthesis
Research Repository
A research repository is a shared collection of UX-related activities. It allows organizations to participate in UX work and grow awareness of UX within the company.
If you want to learn more, here are useful links:
✅ UX/UI templates:
UX Research Template
