UX Research
The Basic Idea
Imagine you’re designing a new project management tool for freelancers. You’ve been working on the application for months and you’re finally ready to release it to the world. As far as you can tell, everything is working as it should. You have no problem navigating the software or completing tasks, and you assume other users would have a similar experience.
However, after launching your software, you begin receiving complaints. Users find the interface overly complicated, they’re dissatisfied with the lack of customization options, and they wish the tool would integrate with other apps that are essential to their workflow. If you had done some user experience (UX) research, you could have identified and fixed these issues before launching your app.
UX research is the process of learning how end users interact with a product and how easily they can complete tasks. It involves checking if design solutions meet user needs based on real user behavior, rather than relying solely on assumptions.1
Importantly, UX research is a facet of the broader study of user research. While user research looks more broadly at needs and behaviors, UX research focuses on the user’s experience when interacting with a specific product or service. For example, user research might explore what customers think about a brand’s customer service strategy while UX research would focus on how smoothly customers can navigate the customer service page.
Designers turn to UX research to improve many types of products, from websites and mobile apps to banking solutions and government services. The value of UX research lies in the fresh perspective it brings to product design. Because it can be difficult for designers to experience their products through the eyes of their users, they often miss potential problems or frustrations. UX research reveals these valuable insights.
This form of research will highlight issues that might cause users to miss out on potential benefits, like a valuable app feature hidden so deep in the menu that users never find it. At the same time, UX research can pinpoint problems that frustrate users, like slow-loading web pages, complex navigation menus, or inadequate search functionality. Remember, users will only struggle with a product for so long before giving up and trying their luck with a competitor.
In a nutshell, UX research leads to user-centered design, which ensures products are designed to work for humans and meet our specific needs.
In an increasingly technological world, designing products with real people in mind helps us make sure that technology integrates in our lives in a human way. It’s a voice of reason, arguing that products and technology can support and even enrich our fundamental humanity.
- Leah Buley, Sr. Director of Consumer Insights and User Research at Lovevery
About the Author
Kira Warje
Kira holds a degree in Psychology with an extended minor in Anthropology. Fascinated by all things human, she has written extensively on cognition and mental health, often leveraging insights about the human mind to craft actionable marketing content for brands. She loves talking about human quirks and motivations, driven by the belief that behavioural science can help us all lead healthier, happier, and more sustainable lives. Occasionally, Kira dabbles in web development and enjoys learning about the synergy between psychology and UX design.
