Have you ever used a product that just didn’t quite meet your needs or expectations? The trick to prevent these frustrations lies in effective user research. But what is user research? Well, you’ve come to the right place. However, before we dive in, let’s get one thing straight: user research is not optional. It’s not something you do if you have time and resources leftover. It’s not just for big new projects, or something you do once in a blue moon.
If you’re serious about creating a great product that delivers a fantastic user experience, user research is non-negotiable. You see, user research helps us understand how people go about achieving their goals. It gives us context and perspective and helps us create designs that are tailored to user needs and behaviors.
In other words, user research focuses on understanding user expectations, behaviors, needs, and motivations through investigative methods. And the insights we gain from this research are used to make sure that all product design decisions benefit the user. But here’s the thing: you are not your user. This is why user research is so crucial.
It helps us identify and address our own biases and misconceptions, which could otherwise be detrimental to the success of the product. Without user research, we run the risk of creating products that don’t meet the needs of our users, and that’s a recipe for failure.
So, what does user research look like in practice? There are a ton of different techniques out there, ranging from qualitative methods like user interviews and focus groups to quantitative methods like surveys and usability testing. The right method will depend on the research questions being asked, as well as the stage of product development and the target user group.
And let me tell you, having experienced user researchers on your team is a game changer. They’ll make sure that any studies you conduct follow best practices and yield valuable insights. There are two main types of user research: generative and evaluative.
Generative research is all about learning more about a particular set of users and a specific problem area. It can provide insights into the user’s broader concerns and their end-to-end experience. This type of research is often used at the beginning of a project, when you’re trying to understand the user’s needs and goals and come up with ideas for potential solutions.
Evaluative research, on the other hand, is all about evaluating a specific product or design. It can be used to identify areas for improvement and optimize the user experience. This type of research is typically conducted later in the product development process, when you have a specific product or design that you want to test.
Now, I know what you might be thinking: user research sounds great, but it’s a lot of work. And you’re not wrong. But the benefits are well worth the effort. By understanding the needs and goals of our users, we can create products that deliver a fantastic user experience. And that’s what it’s all about, right?
But it’s not just about avoiding product failure. User research can also help us identify unarticulated needs and fill in gaps in our knowledge about our users, context of use, challenges, and opportunities. It can help us align our product and business strategies with the core needs and goals of our users. In other words, user research is a key part of creating truly great.
We need to take user research seriously. It should start with having a team of user research professionals from a diverse academic and cultural backgrounds, who knows how to use a variety of research methods to provide the right insight at the time within the product design and development lifecycle. We need to ensure that every product development decision should benefit our users.
Our goal should be simple: to build a culture that puts the user experience above all else. We can do this by systematically observing and measure the moments where knowledge and meaning transact between humans and technology, and our aim should be to make sure that every product we create is optimized for our users.
User research is gaining recognition and importance in the design industry in India due to the growing emphasis on human-centric design and the proliferation of digital tools and platforms.
As the country’s population and economy have grown, the demand for effective and relevant products and services that meet the needs of diverse user groups has also increased. User research is helping designers and organizations understand the unique needs and behaviors of their target audience, particularly the “next billion users” coming online for the first time in emerging markets.
User Research is helping inform the design of various products and services in India, including mobile apps for farmers, messaging apps, and community-based counselling services. As more design schools in India focus on educational curriculum and certifications related to user research, the practice is expected to become more widespread in the future.
So, there you have it. User research is not optional. It’s not a one-time thing, or something you do only when you have extra resources. It’s an essential part of creating great products that deliver a fantastic user experience.
Whether you’re just starting to incorporate user research into your product development process, or you are looking to expand your research activities, make sure you have a clear understanding of your goals and objectives, and select the appropriate user research methods to meet those needs. Trust me, the benefits are well worth the effort.
(The author is Mr. Arin Bhowmick, EVP & Chief Design Officer, SAP, and the views expressed in this article are his own)
