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UX Research is an important step for a successful digital product project. In this post, we’ll talk briefly about how to start with User Experience Research in a quick and pleasant method.
What is UX Research?
UX, or User Experience, is the set of emotions that a user experiences when using a product (usually digital).
They can be positive, like comfort and happiness, and can also be negative, like annoyance and boredom.
To achieve great UX, it’s important to follow good practices.
UX research is one of the most fundamental practices, and involves collecting feedback from its users. The end goal is to form maps detailing how, when and why the users felt the way they did while using the product. This can inform the customer about the viability of their intended product.
Nowadays, customers already expect digital products to follow UX principles because, thanks to a well-conducted study, we can create a product that will satisfy our recipients. And what could be better than a satisfied customer?
Remember that User Experience is not only important in digital products but also in everyday life.
Want specialists to perform UX Research on your product? – talk with us to see how we can help you.
Why is UX Research so Important?
Thanks to UX tests, we are able to examine the functionality of our product based on the observation of its users.
The analysis of user experience research allows us to check the experiences of a selected group of consumers, ensuring the results are reliable.
After completing such research, we receive feedback on our product, its idea, and functionality.
Already at an early stage of research, we are able to verify concepts and better understand the needs of our consumers.
Such information is very useful at the very beginning of creating an application, website, or online store; as a result, we are able to determine whether our idea will be well received by our consumers. Whenever we receive such feedback, we are able to make improvements to our product.
Sometimes, however, it happens that it is worth rethinking the whole idea, because the consumers may not be able to understand what our product is about. Doing UX Research at the start of a project makes that decision less costly.
„Design is really an act of communication, which means having a deep understanding of the person with whom the designer is communicating.“
Donald Norman, The Design of Everyday Things
Value From UX Research
- generates valuable feedback from the target client
- defines the product at the stage of assumptions
- increases profits
- ensures consumers are pleased
- raises satisfaction with the implemented product on the market
First Steps to Carry Out a UX Study
1. Understand “Who”
At the beginning, try to ask yourself for which group of people your product is targeting.
2. Ask Yourself “What”
What problem do you want to solve?
Think about the functionalities that would solve it.
3. Develop Prescreener
Create a ‘Prescreener’ to which you will receive feedback and figure out whether your idea has a chance for success.
4. Think About Persons
Create an archetype of the consumer presented in the form of John Smith.
Describe the characteristics, skills, needs, and goals that you need to complete your product.
Creating these ‘Persons’ will be a good way of illustrating the target consumer to your client.
5. Prepare UX Research Interview
Prepare a list of questions that you need answered to realize the project.
Think about the context of the interview and choose the appropriate leading questions that will allow you to extract the most valuable information from your consumer.
6. Identify Touchpoints
The various steps of contact where the customer interacts with your brand – before, during or after purchasing the product.
7. Draw Empathy Map
Consider the consumer’s needs as well as the problems.
Ask yourself a few questions about what your consumer thinks and feels, sees, says and does, and what they hear.
That way, you will get a clear picture of how to reach your consumers and how you can improve your product.
Remember that the most effective way in which to empathize with your consumer is to ensure your product does not hinder their lives.
8. Complete an User Journey Map
That is a visual presentation of the list of customers’ interactions with our brand.
This will allow you to understand the consumer’s needs and feelings throughout their user experience.
UX Around Us
All of us have some not very positive experiences with everyday objects which have caused us plenty of headaches, but in theory, they should be easy to use.
For example, think of a can opener.
Probably many of you have ruined at least a few shirts before you found one that opens the can without any problems. In the case of these “not-so-friendly” can openers, if UX experience research was conducted prior to their launch on the market, we might not have ruined a few nice shirts before we found a product that worked for us!
More UX curiosities coming soon!
