User Experience Research Basics
Estimated Time: 30 minutes
What is User Experience Research?
User experience (UX) research is the process of studying the behaviors, needs, attitudes and motivations of users in order to improve the design of software, services or products. UX researchers conduct various types of research, including interviews, surveys, usability tests in order to gather data from users and identifies opportunites for impact.
Quantitative vs. qualitative research
Two main types of UX research methods are quantitative and qualitative.
Quantitative research
Quantiative UX research collects and analyzes numerical data. This can include surveys, A/B testing, usage logs, or other methods that provide data for statistical analysis. Quantitative research is useful to
- Generate data from a large sample size
- Make generalizations about a large population
- Test hypotheses and identify trends or patterns in user behavior
Some questions a researcher might answer with quantiative research include:
- How many active users does the product have each day or each month?
- What share of people find the call to action on the page?
- What is the average satisfaction level of users with the product or service?
Qualitative research
Qualitative research is less focused on collecting and analyzing numerical data. Instead, the goal of qualitative research is to understand the underlying reasons behind user behavior and preferences, and explore the subjective experiences of users. This type of research is often used to:
- Identify trends or patterns that may not be immediately apparent from numerical data
- Gain a deeper understanding of user motivations and behaviors
Qualitative research typically involves conducting interviews, focus groups, observations, or other activities that allow researchers to probe users' thoughts and experiences in greater detail. Qualitative research often involves smaller sample sizes and is used to generate detailed insights into user behavior and preferences.
Attitudinal vs. behaviorial research
Another set of research methods is attitudinal vs. behaviorial. The difference in these two approaches draws from the insight that what people say and believe (their attitudes) are often different from what they actually do (their behavior). To build the right thing, it's important to understand both what users believe and how they behave.
Attitudinal research
Attitudinal research aims to understand the attitudes and beliefs of a user. It typically involves conducting surveys, interviews, or other methods that allow researchers to explore people's attitudes and beliefs in greater detail. This type of research is often used to:
- Identify potential problems or issues with a product or service
- Gauge the effectiveness of marketing campaigns
- Understand the underlying reasons behind user attitudes and beliefs
Behaviorial research
Behavioral research aims to understand the actions and behaviors of users in relation to a particular product or service. It typically includes studies of how users interact with the product or service, how they navigate through different features or pages, or how they respond to different design elements. Behavioral research might involve using tools like heat maps or click tracking software. This type of research is often used to:
- Inform the design of specific user flows, e.g., onboarding
- Personalize product experience, e.g., by providing user-specific recommendations
- Identify areas for improvement in a product or service
UX Design principle: Mix it up!
💡 When conducting research, use a mix of both quantitative and qualitiative research, as well as a mix of attitudinal and behavioral approaches. This enables you to get the clearest and most naunced view of a design problem.