As user experience (UX) gains prominence, so do the various research methodologies associated with it. After all, these techniques can generate insightful data that can amplify results, augment capabilities, and align your efforts with the desired outcomes.
However, the apt UX research methodology is subject to change depending on the nature and requirements of the project. As such, settling on one can prove to be tricky. On that note, let us take a look at some of the most popular UX research strategies for the various stages of the customer journey.
UX Research methods used most frequently
Discover
The Discovery stage marks the beginning of the journey where you attempt to sheds light on what you do not know about your prospects and their requirements. Carrying out activities related to discovery helps in gaining an understanding of the customer pain points so that you can propose products and services as a viable solution for it.
Top research techniques that you can employ here include:
- Field Study
- User Interview
- Stakeholder Interview
- Requirement and Constraint Gathering
- Usability Heuristics
- Sales and Customer Support Interview
- Support Interaction Monitoring
Explore
In the Explore stage, businesses shall indulge in ideation, which primarily involves the bouncing off of ideas to solve customer pain points. It allows a deeper understanding of the design scope and corresponding problems to discover a market fit while also leaving room for creativity.
The commonest UX research techniques for the explore stage include:
- Competition Analysis
- Design Review
- User Persona Building
- Task Analysis
- Journey Mapping
- Prototype Feedback and Testing
- User Stories
- Card Sorting
Test & Evaluate
Although Testing is mentioned as the third stage of the customer journey, it needs to be performed regularly throughout the development cycle so that issues are nipped right in the bud. Routine testing and validation help designs meet customer expectations and address potential problems before they turn grave.
The appropriate research methods for testing include:
- Qualitative Usability Testing
- Remote Panel Studies
- Remote Usability Testing
- Social Listening
- Benchmark Testing
- Accessibility Evaluation
- A/B Testing
- Beta Testing
- Concept Testing
Listen & Interpret
Even though the release of a product may be the end goal for the project, UX research does not come to a halt there. If anything, businesses should keep their eyes and ears peeled at every stage of the design process to keep up with the changing customer requirements, market trends, or consumption patterns.
That being said, the following are some methods to capture research information:
- Surveys
- KPI Review
- Analytics Review
- Search-log Analysis
- Usability-bug Review
- Frequently-Asked-Questions (FAQs) Review
- True-Intent Studies
- Feedback Review
- Q&A Discussions and Demos
Closing Thoughts
The above list of activities and ux research methodologies are purely indicative and not exhaustive by any means. So feel free to explore more options depending on the demands of your project. However, they serve as a starting point from where you can collect information and build on the existing knowledge base to create effective designs. Factor in variables such as the system maturity, nature of product or services, time constraints, and project concerns to locate the ones that work for you.
