Plan research studies

UX researchers can choose from a variety of data sources to gather the data they need. These include observing users as they interact with a product or system, or gathering user expectations and beliefs to better understand their demands.

In addition, the following actions are critical to a successful study:

• Formulate clear and concise research objectives and use an effective research methodology.

• Carefully select study participants, more on this here

• Prepare appropriate survey tools and discussion guides

• Recruit study participants, prepare questions for individual interviews.

To find study participants, UX researchers can work with existing users, recruit online, interview in person or randomly. When selecting study participants * inside, it is important to know what exactly is to be studied and what benefits are expected from the survey.

Conducting the research

After selecting the research method, it is up to the UX researcher to conduct it. This involves collecting qualitative and quantitative data. Quantitative data is measurable, e.g., the number of users who visit a website or application. Qualitative data provides information about why the users visited the website.

In addition, UX researchers distinguish between behavior-disposing and behavior-descriptive characteristics.
Behavior-disposing characteristics describe individuals and their circumstances, including demographic characteristics such as age, gender, occupation, etc., geographic characteristics such as region or place of residence, and psychographic characteristics such as moral understanding and personal values.
Behavioral descriptive characteristics provide information about users' consumption behavior, their purchase decisions, volume and frequency, their price and quality behavior, and their brand awareness.

UX researchers choose from a combination of approaches to get the most out of their research.

Evaluation of the data

After data is gathered from various measures, this data is analyzed and broken down into actionable next steps to share with the design team. This organization and analysis can take some time, especially if the data is in various formats.
There may be written transcripts or audio recordings of in-person interviews, handwritten notes, or survey questionnaires. These data sets must then be standardized to make them comparable. In analyzing and organizing the data collected, the original research objective should be kept in focus.

Presentation of results

With all research and analysis complete, it is now time to present the results.
Whether a visual presentation is given or the results are written, the research findings should be presented in an organized, actionable manner.

It is important to understand what problems the users had process.
For example, if the problem was that users could not access a certain part of a website, the design team can work on a solution to make a particular webpage more accessible.
Part of the UX Researcher's job is to advocate for the product and users, to provide ongoing feedback in the prototyping process to point out potential problems with the design.

Conclusion

The demand for UX Researchers continues to grow as the need for empathetic and user-centered design approaches continues to rise. UX Researchers are an indispensable part of a product team that lays the groundwork for creating the most user-friendly experiences based on data and critical thinking, and without them, designs simply wouldn't be as valuable.