The beginner’s guide to user research

In the realm of user experience (UX) research, understanding the user's needs and grounding design decisions in qualitative data is crucial to creating effective and empathetic designs. The process begins at the project’s inception to establish a solid foundation, ensuring real problems are addressed rather than imagined ones. Yet, UX research should persist through all stages of development, offering insights that keep the project aligned with user needs. A clear research question and well-defined objectives are essential to avoid wasting time and effort. Selecting the appropriate research method depends on the project's goals, resources, and stage, with the Nielsen Norman Group identifying four primary stages: Discover, Explore, Test, and Listen. The discovery stage focuses on identifying unknowns, necessary features, and user needs to validate assumptions and provide accurate data for developers, underscoring the concept that good design is often unnoticed when functioning well but glaringly apparent when flawed.