Understanding the Purpose and Importance of UX Research: A Guide to Why and When to Conduct
A quick guide to deciding when to conduct UX Research for improved UX.
When we talk about UI/UX or Product Design, the term “User Research” is still one of the most important topics. As designers, researchers, or even product managers, we always want to create a product people love and solve their problems. But, the question is how are we supposed to do it? As people who have experience in creating a real digital product, we know that it’s not as simple as that. Creating a good user experience requires more than just guesswork and assumptions. That’s where the term “User Research” comes in handy. No wonder, it’s the most important topic in Product Design.
However, there are still a lot of questions about User Research such as;
What is User Research?
What is the purpose of UX Research?
Why is it important?
When to conduct it?
I gained these questions by researching this topic on the Answer ThePublic site. So, here in this article, we will explore the purpose and importance of UX Research, and provide practical advice for knowing when and why to conduct User Research.
What is User Research?
The definition of research itself means collecting data. So, in a simple definition, user research is the process of collecting data from users. However, for the further context, we can say that user research is the systematic study of target users and their requirements, to add realistic contexts and insights to design processes.
What is the purpose of UX Research? & Why is it important?
Now we know what user research means, so what is the purpose of user research and why is it important? Based on the definition, the purpose of user research is to add realistic contexts and insights to design processes. It means that UX research is about finding insights to guide successful designs.
By conducting user research, designers and researchers can understand more about users’ needs and behaviours. This can help them in creating more effective and successful products or services. In short, user research is important because it helps to create products and services that are user-centred, validated, efficient, and effective.
When to conduct user research?
In general, user research could be conducted in any stage of product development from strategizing or ideation until the product has been launched. However, it would be better if user research was conducted in the early stage of the design process because it can help designers and researchers to identify users’ needs and preferences, and also ensure that the final product meets users’ expectations. In fact, user research should be conducted whenever there is a major change or update to the product to ensure that the changes are effective and well-received by users.
However, the exact timing of user research can depend on factors such as project goals, timelines, and available resources. So, it’s also important to choose the right user research method based on the goal of the research itself, the resources availability, and the current stage of your product. The research method you choose for your product will depend on the current stage of development. Different stages may require different research methods to effectively gather the necessary insights and data.
Check this article to learn more about it:
The next question is “How to conduct user research?”
In general, there are six steps to do UX research, whatever the type of data you need. Those steps are defining the problem, selecting the research method, planning and preparing for the research, collecting the data, analysing the data, and reporting the results. To learn more about how each step, you can read this article;
Thank you for reading!
