UX Research Mastery Skill

Overview

UX Research = Understanding users to make data-driven design decisions

This skill covers:

• 🔬 Research Methods (Qualitative & Quantitative)
• 👥 User Personas & Journey Maps
• 🧪 Usability Testing
• 📊 Analytics & Data Analysis
• 📝 Research Planning & Reporting
• 🎯 Actionable Insights

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Part 1: UX Research Fundamentals

1.1 Types of UX Research

Qualitative (Why & How)

Goal: Deep understanding of user behavior/motivations
Methods:
├─ User Interviews
├─ Usability Testing
├─ Field Studies
├─ Diary Studies
└─ Focus Groups

Output: Insights, themes, patterns
Sample size: 5-10 users often sufficient

Quantitative (How Many & How Much)

Goal: Measure behavior at scale
Methods:
├─ Surveys
├─ Analytics
├─ A/B Testing
├─ Card Sorting
└─ Tree Testing

Output: Numbers, statistics, metrics
Sample size: 100+ for statistical significance

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1.2 When to Use Each Method

Discovery Phase (What to build?)
├─ User interviews
├─ Field studies
├─ Competitive analysis
└─ Surveys

Design Phase (How to build?)
├─ Card sorting (information architecture)
├─ Tree testing (navigation)
├─ Usability testing (prototypes)
└─ Heuristic evaluation

Launch Phase (Is it working?)
├─ A/B testing
├─ Analytics
├─ User feedback
└─ Post-launch usability testing

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Part 2: Qualitative Research Methods

2.1 User Interviews

Types:

Structured       Fixed questions (like survey)
Semi-structured  Flexible (ask follow-ups)
Unstructured     Open conversation

Best: Semi-structured (balance flexibility + consistency)

Planning:

1. Define goals (what do you want to learn?)
2. Recruit participants (5-10 per segment)
3. Write discussion guide (questions)
4. Schedule sessions (60 min each)
5. Prepare tools (Zoom, recording, notes)

Discussion Guide Example:

1. Introduction (5 min)
   - Thank participant
   - Explain purpose
   - Get consent to record

2. Background (10 min)
   - "Tell me about your role..."
   - "How often do you [task]?"

3. Current Behavior (20 min)
   - "Walk me through how you [task] today"
   - "What tools do you use?"
   - "What frustrates you?"

4. Needs & Pain Points (15 min)
   - "What would make [task] easier?"
   - "If you had a magic wand..."

5. Wrap-up (10 min)
   - "Anything else to add?"
   - Thank & compensate

Best Practices:

✅ Do:
- Ask open-ended questions ("How do you...?")
- Follow up ("Tell me more about that")
- Embrace silence (let them think)
- Record session (with permission)

❌ Don't:
- Ask leading questions ("Don't you think...?")
- Interview friends/family (biased)
- Ask what they want (ask what they do)
- Talk too much (80/20 rule: them talk 80%)

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2.2 Usability Testing

What is Usability Testing?

• Watch users complete tasks with your product
• Identify where they struggle

Types:

Moderated (with facilitator)
├─ In-person
└─ Remote (Zoom)

Unmoderated (self-guided)
├─ UserTesting.com
├─ Maze
└─ Lookback

Process:

1. Define tasks (3-5 tasks)
   "Find a blue shirt in size M and add to cart"

2. Recruit participants (5-8 users)
   Nielsen: 5 users find 85% of usability issues

3. Run sessions (30-45 min)
   - Give task, don't help
   - Ask "think aloud" (verbalize thoughts)
   - Observe struggles

4. Analyze findings
   - Where did users get stuck?
   - What confused them?
   - Success rate per task?

5. Report & prioritize fixes

Think Aloud Protocol:

Facilitator: "Please think aloud as you work"

User: "Hmm, I'm looking for the search... 
       Oh, here it is, top-right. 
       I'll type 'blue shirt'...
       Wait, why are there only 2 results? 
       I expected more..."

→ Reveals mental model, expectations, confusion!

Metrics to Track:

Task success rate:      80%+ is good
Time on task:           Compare to baseline
Error rate:             # mistakes per task
Satisfaction (SUS):     System Usability Scale (0-100)

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2.3 Field Studies (Contextual Inquiry)

What?

• Observe users in their natural environment
• See actual behavior (not self-reported)

Example:

Research goal: Improve hospital nurse software

Don't: Interview nurses in conference room
Do: Shadow nurses during shift

Observations:
- Nurses interrupted every 5 min
- Use software while walking
- Need quick access, not complex menus

Insight: Design for mobile, minimal taps

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2.4 Card Sorting (Information Architecture)

What?

• Users organize content into categories
• Reveals mental models

Types:

Open Card Sort
├─ Users create category names
└─ Discovers unexpected groupings

Closed Card Sort
├─ You provide category names
└─ Tests if categories make sense

Process:

1. Create cards (one per content item)
   Example: "User Profile", "Settings", "Billing", "Support"

2. Ask users to group cards
   "Group these into categories that make sense to you"

3. Analyze patterns
   - Which items grouped together?
   - What category names used?

4. Design navigation based on results

Tools:

OptimalSort (online)
Maze
UserZoom
In-person: Physical cards

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Part 3: Quantitative Research Methods

3.1 Surveys

When to Use:

• Collect feedback from many users (100+)
• Measure satisfaction, preferences
• Validate qualitative findings

Question Types:

Multiple Choice
├─ "How often do you use our app?"
    □ Daily □ Weekly □ Monthly □ Rarely

Rating Scale (Likert)
├─ "How satisfied are you with checkout?"
    1 (Very dissatisfied) → 5 (Very satisfied)

Open-Ended
├─ "What would improve your experience?"
    [Text box]

Best Practices:

✅ Do:
- Keep short (5-10 min max)
- One question at a time
- Use simple language
- Include progress bar
- Offer incentive ($10 gift card)

❌ Don't:
- Leading questions ("Don't you love our app?")
- Double-barreled ("Is the app fast and easy?")
- Too many open-ended questions (users skip)

Survey Tools:

Google Forms (free)
Typeform (beautiful)
SurveyMonkey
Qualtrics (enterprise)

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3.2 A/B Testing

What?

• Show variant A to 50% users, variant B to 50%
• Measure which performs better

Example:

Hypothesis: Green CTA button will increase clicks

A (Control):    Blue button "Sign Up"
B (Variant):    Green button "Sign Up"

Run test for 2 weeks:
- A: 10% click rate
- B: 12% click rate

Result: B wins! Green button is +20% better

What to Test:

Headlines:        "Get Started" vs "Try Free"
CTA buttons:      Color, size, text
Page layout:      Order of sections
Pricing:          $9/mo vs $99/year
Images:           Product photo vs lifestyle photo

Sample Size Calculator:

Need ~1,000 visitors per variant minimum
Use: https://abtestguide.com/calc/

Example:
- Baseline conversion: 5%
- Minimum detectable effect: 20% increase (5% → 6%)
- Required sample: 8,000 visitors per variant

Tools:

Google Optimize (free, sunsetted 2023 → use GA4)
Optimizely (enterprise)
VWO
Statsig

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3.3 Analytics (Behavioral Data)

Key Metrics:

Traffic Metrics:
├─ Sessions:           # visits
├─ Users:              # unique visitors
├─ Pageviews:          # page loads
└─ Bounce rate:        % leave after 1 page

Engagement Metrics:
├─ Time on page:       How long users stay
├─ Pages per session:  How many pages viewed
└─ Scroll depth:       How far users scroll

Conversion Metrics:
├─ Conversion rate:    % who complete goal
├─ Goal completions:   # signups, purchases
└─ Funnel drop-off:    Where users abandon

Google Analytics 4:

Events to track:
├─ Button clicks:      "CTA_Click", "Add_to_Cart"
├─ Form submissions:   "Form_Submit", "Signup_Complete"
├─ Video plays:        "Video_Start", "Video_Complete"
└─ Scroll depth:       25%, 50%, 75%, 100%

Heatmaps (Hotjar, Crazy Egg):

Click Heatmap:         Where users click most
Scroll Heatmap:        How far users scroll
Move Heatmap:          Where users move mouse

Insight: If CTA below fold and 60% don't scroll → Move CTA up!

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Part 4: User Personas & Journey Maps

4.1 User Personas

What?

• Fictional character representing user segment
• Based on research data (not assumptions!)

Persona Template:

Name: Sarah the Busy Mom

Demographics:
├─ Age: 35
├─ Location: Suburban Chicago
├─ Occupation: Marketing Manager
├─ Family: Married, 2 kids (5, 8 years old)
└─ Tech savvy: Medium

Goals:
├─ Order groceries quickly (30 min max)
├─ Find healthy meals for family
└─ Stay under $200/week budget

Pain Points:
├─ No time to visit physical store
├─ Previous app had confusing checkout
└─ Wants personalized recommendations

Behaviors:
├─ Shops online 2× per week
├─ Uses mobile app (not desktop)
├─ Prefers saved lists (repeat orders)
└─ Price-conscious but values quality

Quote: "I just want to get groceries done quickly 
        so I can focus on my kids"

How to Create:

1. Conduct user research (interviews, surveys)
2. Identify patterns (common goals, behaviors)
3. Segment users (e.g., Budget Shopper vs Premium Shopper)
4. Create 2-4 personas (not 20!)
5. Validate with team (does this feel real?)

Use Personas For:

✅ Design decisions ("Would Sarah understand this?")
✅ Prioritization ("Does this solve Sarah's pain point?")
✅ Team alignment (shared understanding of users)

❌ Not for:
- Stereotyping users
- Making up data (always research-based!)

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4.2 Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD)

Framework:

When [situation],
I want to [motivation],
So I can [expected outcome].

Example:
"When I'm hungry at work,
 I want to order lunch quickly,
 So I can get back to my meeting in 15 min."

Better than:

Traditional: "Millennials want fast food"
JTBD: "Busy professionals need lunch in < 15 min"

→ Focuses on context + motivation, not demographics!

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4.3 User Journey Map

What?

• Visual story of user experience over time
• Shows pain points, emotions, touchpoints

Journey Map Structure:

Persona: Sarah the Busy Mom
Scenario: Ordering groceries online

Stages:
├─ 1. Awareness (discovers app)
├─ 2. Consideration (downloads, explores)
├─ 3. First purchase (creates account, orders)
├─ 4. Ongoing use (reorders weekly)
└─ 5. Advocacy (recommends to friends)

For each stage:
├─ Actions (what user does)
├─ Touchpoints (where they interact)
├─ Emotions (happy, frustrated, confused)
├─ Pain points (struggles)
└─ Opportunities (improvements)

Example Stage:

Stage 3: First Purchase

Actions:
1. Opens app
2. Creates account
3. Browses products
4. Adds items to cart
5. Checks out
6. Receives confirmation

Emotions:
1. 😊 Excited (new app!)
2. 😐 Neutral (signup okay)
3. 🤔 Confused (can't find organic section)
4. 😊 Happy (found what I need)
5. 😡 Frustrated (checkout has 5 steps!)
6. 😌 Relieved (order placed)

Pain Points:
- Hard to find organic products
- Checkout too long (5 steps)
- No saved payment method

Opportunities:
- Add "Organic" filter
- One-page checkout
- Save payment for next time

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Part 5: Research Analysis & Synthesis

5.1 Affinity Mapping

What?

• Organize research findings into themes
• Bottom-up pattern recognition

Process:

1. Write observations on sticky notes (one per note)
   - "User couldn't find search button"
   - "User expected back button top-left"
   - "User abandoned after seeing price"

2. Group similar notes together
   Theme: Navigation Issues
   ├─ Couldn't find search
   ├─ Expected back button
   └─ Confused by menu structure

3. Name themes
   - Navigation Issues
   - Pricing Concerns
   - Performance Problems

4. Prioritize themes (which impact most users?)

Tools:

Physical: Sticky notes on wall
Digital: Miro, Mural, FigJam

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5.2 Research Insights (not findings!)

Finding vs Insight:

Finding: Observation (what happened)
Insight: Interpretation (why it matters + what to do)

❌ Finding only:
"5 out of 8 users clicked the wrong button"

✅ Insight:
"Users expect 'Next' button on bottom-right (mental model from other apps).
 Our button is top-left, causing confusion.
 → Move 'Next' button to bottom-right, increase size to 44×44pt."

Insight Template:

Observation: [What we saw]
Impact: [Why it matters]
Recommendation: [What to do]

Example:
Observation: 60% of mobile users abandon cart at checkout
Impact: Losing $50K revenue/month
Recommendation: Implement Apple Pay / Google Pay for 1-tap checkout
Expected result: Reduce abandonment by 30% (+$15K/month)

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5.3 Research Report Structure

Executive Summary (1 page):

- Goals of research
- Methods used
- Key insights (top 3-5)
- Recommendations (prioritized)

Methodology:

- Participants (who, how many)
- Methods (interviews, testing, etc.)
- Timeline (when conducted)

Findings:

For each finding:
├─ Quote from participant
├─ Screenshot/video clip
├─ Supporting data (% of users)
└─ Recommendation

Prioritization Matrix:

High Impact + Easy → Do first!
High Impact + Hard → Plan for later
Low Impact + Easy → Nice to have
Low Impact + Hard → Don't do

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Part 6: Research Planning & Recruitment

6.1 Writing a Research Plan

Template:

1. Background
   - Why are we doing this research?
   - What decisions will it inform?

2. Goals & Research Questions
   - What do we want to learn?
   - What questions need answers?

3. Methodology
   - Which methods? (interviews, testing, etc.)
   - Why these methods?

4. Participants
   - Who will we recruit? (criteria)
   - How many? (sample size)

5. Timeline
   - Week 1: Recruit participants
   - Week 2: Conduct sessions
   - Week 3: Analyze & report

6. Deliverables
   - Research report (PDF)
   - Presentation to stakeholders
   - Prototype with recommendations

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6.2 Participant Recruitment

Screener Survey:

Goal: Find right participants

Questions:
1. How often do you shop online?
   □ Daily □ Weekly □ Monthly □ Never
   → Reject "Never" (not our target)

2. What devices do you use?
   □ iPhone □ Android □ Desktop
   → Need mix of mobile users

3. Age range?
   □ 18-24 □ 25-34 □ 35-44 □ 45+

4. Have you worked in UX/design?
   □ Yes □ No
   → Reject "Yes" (biased)

Recruitment Channels:

User Testing Platforms:
├─ UserTesting.com ($100/participant)
├─ Respondent.io
└─ UserInterviews

Your Own Users:
├─ In-app popup ("Want to give feedback?")
├─ Email list
└─ Social media

Friends & Family:
├─ Use only for early-stage concepts
└─ Never for final validation (biased!)

Incentives:

Interviews (60 min):          $50-100 gift card
Usability tests (30 min):     $25-50 gift card
Surveys (10 min):             $10 gift card or raffle

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Part 7: Heuristic Evaluation

7.1 Nielsen's 10 Usability Heuristics

1. Visibility of System Status

✅ Good: Loading spinner when fetching data
❌ Bad: No feedback after clicking submit

2. Match Between System and Real World

✅ Good: "Trash" icon for delete
❌ Bad: Technical jargon ("Error 404: Not Found")

3. User Control and Freedom

✅ Good: Undo button, back button
❌ Bad: No way to cancel action

4. Consistency and Standards

✅ Good: Save button always top-right
❌ Bad: Save button moves per page

5. Error Prevention

✅ Good: Confirm before deleting ("Are you sure?")
❌ Bad: Delete immediately, no undo

6. Recognition Rather than Recall

✅ Good: Show recent searches
❌ Bad: Force users to remember complex IDs

7. Flexibility and Efficiency of Use

✅ Good: Keyboard shortcuts (Cmd+S to save)
❌ Bad: Only mouse clicks supported

8. Aesthetic and Minimalist Design

✅ Good: Clean interface, focused content
❌ Bad: Cluttered with ads, popups, unnecessary info

9. Help Users Recognize, Diagnose, and Recover from Errors

✅ Good: "Email invalid. Please use format: user@example.com"
❌ Bad: "Error 42"

10. Help and Documentation

✅ Good: Contextual help tooltips
❌ Bad: No help available

Severity Ratings:

0 = Not a problem
1 = Cosmetic (fix if time)
2 = Minor (low priority)
3 = Major (high priority)
4 = Catastrophic (fix immediately!)

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✅ Final Summary Checklist

Research Planning

• Define research goals (what to learn?)
• Choose methods (qual vs quant, discovery vs validation)
• Write research plan (background, goals, methodology)
• Recruit participants (5-10 for qual, 100+ for quant)

Qualitative Methods

• Conduct user interviews (5-10 participants, 60 min)
• Run usability testing (5-8 users, 3-5 tasks)
• Perform field studies (observe in context)
• Do card sorting (information architecture)

Quantitative Methods

• Create surveys (5-10 min, multiple choice + rating)
• Run A/B tests (1,000+ visitors per variant)
• Analyze analytics (Google Analytics, heatmaps)
• Calculate sample sizes (statistical significance)

Analysis & Synthesis

• Affinity mapping (organize findings into themes)
• Convert findings to insights (observation + impact + recommendation)
• Prioritize issues (impact vs effort matrix)
• Create research report (executive summary, findings, recommendations)

Personas & Journeys

• Create user personas (2-4, research-based)
• Define jobs-to-be-done (context + motivation + outcome)
• Map user journeys (stages, actions, emotions, pain points)

Testing & Evaluation

• Run heuristic evaluation (Nielsen's 10 heuristics)
• Test accessibility (WCAG, screen readers)
• Validate with real users (not friends/family!)

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🎓 Congratulations!

You've mastered UX Research!

Total Content: ~1,200 lines

Resources:

• Nielsen Norman Group: https://www.nngroup.com/
• UXPA (User Experience Professionals Assoc): https://uxpa.org/
• UserTesting Blog: https://www.usertesting.com/blog
• Books:
  • "Don't Make Me Think" by Steve Krug
  • "The Mom Test" by Rob Fitzpatrick
  • "Just Enough Research" by Erika Hall

Remember: Good design is research-informed design. Don't guess - test with real users!

Good luck researching! 🔬🚀

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