User research methods: A guide for UX designers

User research, also known as UX research, is a crucial process in designing products that meet users' needs and can prevent costly post-launch fixes by investing time and resources into understanding user requirements and behaviors. Formative research methods such as surveys, interviews, field studies, diary studies, analytics, heatmaps, participatory design, and card sorting help identify and validate problems before designing, while summative methods like closed card sorting, tree testing, A/B testing, multivariate testing, and usability testing confirm and refine design solutions. The process is dynamic and tailored to specific business objectives, budgets, and risk levels, emphasizing the importance of strategic planning to avoid unnecessary or vanity-driven research. Tools like LogRocket can enhance this process by providing automated insights into user experiences, thereby streamlining the research journey and contributing to better product design and user satisfaction.