UX Research
The systematic study of users and their interactions with products or services to inform design decisions. Distinct from market research in its focus on the specific interaction, not the broader market landscape.
Definition: The systematic study of users and their interactions with products or services to inform design decisions. Distinct from market research in its focus on the specific interaction, not the broader market landscape.
UX Research (often used interchangeably with User Research) is a core discipline focused specifically on the interaction between a user and a product or service. While market research looks at the broad consumer landscape, UX research zooms in on how people actually use and experience what you build.
Two Primary Goals
UX research generally falls into two categories:
Generative Research aims to uncover user pain points, unmet needs, and generate ideas for new products. It answers questions like "What are users missing?" and "What problems should we solve?"
Evaluative Research seeks to inform the design and development of a specific solution. This can be further subdivided by timing:
- Formative evaluation is done during development to find problems and improve a design-in-progress
- Summative evaluation happens at the end of a cycle to measure a finished product's success
Core Methods
UX research is built on three foundational Building Blocks—Asking, Observing, and Testing—which combine to form three Core Methods:
- UX Tests combine all three blocks to assess task completion and gather behavioral and attitudinal data
- User Interviews use structured asking for deep exploration
- Surveys enable asking at scale with standardized questions
What It Is Not
UX research is not "just talking to users." It is structured inquiry with defined goals, standardized protocols, and systematic analysis. The difference matters: unstructured conversations produce anecdotes; structured research produces insights you can act on with confidence.
Related Terms
UX Test
A Core Method combining all three Building Blocks: testing task completion (effectiveness and efficiency), observing behavior and non-verbal cues, and asking questions about the experience. The most comprehensive single research method.
User Interview
A Core Method of structured asking designed for deep exploration of user needs, behaviors, and motivations. Distinguished from casual conversation by its defined goals, protocol, and systematic approach.
Survey
A Core Method of asking at scale using standardized questions. Enables data collection from larger samples but sacrifices the depth of interviews for breadth and standardization.
Generative Research
Research aimed at uncovering user pain points, unmet needs, and generating ideas for new products or features. Answers 'What should we build?' rather than 'Does this work?'
Evaluative Research
Research that assesses whether a specific solution works, either during development (formative) or after completion (summative). Answers 'Does this work?' rather than 'What should we build?'
Mentions in the Knowledge Hub
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