User research is a crucial aspect of creating products and services that meet the needs and expectations of the people who use them. It involves studying behaviors, needs, and motivations (through various methods) to inform design and business decisions. User research helps businesses create better experiences, improve customer satisfaction, and increase adoption, and ultimately drive success.

Qualitative research focuses on understanding user behaviors, motivations, and attitudes through in-depth exploration. It provides rich, detailed insights into the "why" and "how" behind user actions.

Quantitative research involves collecting and analyzing numerical data to identify patterns, measure variables, and make generalizable conclusions based on statistically significant sample sizes.

Mixed-methods research qualitative and quantitative approaches to provide a comprehensive, holistic understanding of user experiences.

Inclusive research practices are essential for ensuring that products and services are designed to meet the needs of a diverse user base, and can reach and serve a wider audience. Engaging a diverse group of users provides a more comprehensive understanding of different needs, preferences, and pain points, and often leads to innovative ideas and solutions that might not emerge from a homogenous group.

By considering the perspectives and experiences of people from various backgrounds, abilities, and contexts, businesses can create more accessible, equitable, and effective solutions. CES Insights Lab is committed to integrating inclusive research practices into every stage of our process.

When to Use Different Types of Research

• Early Stages (Discovery and Ideation)

• Qualitative Research: To explore user needs, generate ideas, and understand motivations.

• Mixed-Methods Research: To gain a comprehensive understanding of user contexts and behaviors.

• Mid Stages (Design and Development)

• Quantitative Research: To validate concepts, measure user preferences, and test design variations.

• Mixed-Methods Research: To refine designs based on user feedback and usability testing.

• Late Stages (Launch and Optimization)

• Quantitative Research: To track user engagement, measure satisfaction, and identify areas for improvement

• Qualitative Research: To gather detailed feedback on specific issues and iterate on designs

Qualitative Research

This is by no means an exhaustive list of all qualitative methodologies, but an example of some of the most commonly used. 

1:1 Interviews

• What it is: Individual conversations with users to gather detailed information about their experiences, habits, needs and perceptions.

• When to use: Ideal for exploring new ideas, understanding nuanced, complex behaviors, and uncovering deep insights into the “why” which might not emerge in other settings.

• Example: You are developing a new feature for a health tracking app and want to understand how users currently track these metrics, along with their habits, preferences, and challenges with tracking in general.

Heuristic Evaluations

• What it is: A usability evaluation method where usually more than one expert reviews a product against established usability principles (heuristics) to identify potential issues and delivers recommendations based on a consensus opinion.

• When to use: Best for quickly identifying usability problems early in the design process without needing user involvement, or when time and budget constraints will not allow for any other kind of feedback.

• Example: You are in the early stages of developing a new mobile app and want to identify and address potential usability issues with it in a quick and cost-effective manner, reducing the need for major changes later.

Focus Groups

• What it is: Group discussions led by a trained moderator to gather diverse perspectives on a particular topic.

• When to use: Useful for generating ideas, understanding group dynamics, and collecting a range of opinions.

• Example: You are developing a new mobile app and want to explore user reactions to the concept, features, and potential use cases before moving on to the development stage.

Ethnography and Contextual Inquiry

• What it is: Observing users in their natural environment to understand their real-world behaviors and contexts.

• When to use: Best for gaining a deep understanding of user environments and identifying unmet needs.

• Example: You want to identify usability issues, inefficiencies, and opportunities for improving the functionality and user experience of the CRM software your sales team uses in their daily work to manage customer relationships and sales processes.

Quantitative Research

Surveys

• What it is: Structured questionnaires distributed to a large number of users to gather measurable data.

• When to use: Ideal for validating hypotheses, measuring satisfaction, and collecting feedback at scale.

• Example: You want to understand customer satisfaction and identify areas for improvement after launching a new website feature, and want to gather statistically significant data on overall satisfaction, user preferences and pain points.

A/B Testing

• What it is: Comparing two versions of a product or feature to see which performs better.

• When to use: Best for optimizing design elements, improving conversion rates, and making data-driven decisions.

• Example: You want to determine the most effective call-to-action button on a website.

Product and Site Analytics

• What it is: Analyzing data from digital interactions to understand user behavior and identify trends.

• When to use: Useful for tracking user engagement, identifying usage patterns, and optimizing user journeys.

• Example: You want to know which pages on your web site have the highest bounce rates (and you can then do some usability testing or 1:1 interviews to dig into the “why” of the bounce.)

Mixed-methods Research

Usability Testing

• What it is: Observing users as they interact with a product to identify usability issues and gather both qualitative and quantitative data.

• When to use: Ideal for identifying and fixing usability problems before product launch.

• Example: You are preparing to launch a new mobile app and want to ensure it is intuitive, user-friendly and resolve any issues users have with navigation, understanding features, and other aspects of use before the public release.

Diary Studies

• What it is: Asking users to record their activities, experiences, and thoughts over a period of time.

• When to use: Best for understanding long-term behaviors, experiences, and contexts.

•  Example: You are developing a new wearable device and want to understand how users integrate the device into their daily routines and identify any long-term usability issues or gaps in functionality.

Card Sorting

• What it is: A method where users organize information into categories that make sense to them.

• When to use: Useful for designing intuitive information architectures and improving navigation.

• Example: You are redesigning your website and want  to improve the navigation structure to make it easier for users to find products. You want to understand how users of your site would naturally group and categorize products; possibly even what kind of language they might use for those groupings.