# UX Research

> Conduct comprehensive UX research to understand user needs and inform design decisions. Use for: user interviews, usability testing, surveys, field studies, persona creation, journey mapping, research synthesis, and data-driven design validation.

- Skill: `majiayu000/ux-research-3` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add majiayu000/ux-research-3`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/majiayu000/ux-research-3/raw
- Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Research & Search
- Author: majiayu000 (https://skillmd.com/u/majiayu000)
- Updated: 2026-09-09
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/majiayu000/ux-research-3

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# UX Research

Conduct comprehensive user research to understand needs, behaviors, and motivations, informing data-driven design decisions.

## Overview

UX research encompasses methods and techniques for understanding users through observation, feedback, and analysis. It informs design decisions with real-world insights rather than assumptions.

## Research Dimensions

### Attitudinal vs. Behavioral

**Attitudinal Research** (What People Say):
- Stated beliefs and perceptions
- Self-reported preferences
- Expectations and opinions
- Methods: Interviews, surveys, focus groups
- Limitations: May not match actual behavior

**Behavioral Research** (What People Do):
- Observed actions and interactions
- Actual usage patterns
- Real-world behavior
- Methods: Usability testing, analytics, field studies
- More reliable for predicting actual use

### Qualitative vs. Quantitative

**Qualitative Research**:
- Answers "why" and "how"
- Direct observation and conversation
- Rich, detailed insights
- Small sample sizes
- Methods: Interviews, usability tests, field studies
- Generates hypotheses

**Quantitative Research**:
- Answers "how many" and "how much"
- Numerical data and statistics
- Large sample sizes
- Statistical significance
- Methods: Surveys, analytics, A/B tests
- Tests hypotheses

### Context of Use

**Natural Use**:
- Minimal interference
- Real-world context
- High external validity
- Methods: Field studies, diary studies

**Scripted Use**:
- Controlled tasks
- Focus on specific features
- Methods: Usability testing, benchmarking

**Not Using Product**:
- Broader context
- Brand perception
- Competitive analysis
- Methods: Interviews, surveys

## Research Methods

### User Interviews

**Purpose**:
- Understand user needs and motivations
- Explore problems and pain points
- Gather qualitative insights
- Build empathy

**Interview Types**:
- **Structured**: Fixed questions, consistent
- **Semi-structured**: Flexible, conversational
- **Unstructured**: Open-ended exploration

**Best Practices**:
- Prepare interview guide
- Ask open-ended questions
- Listen more than talk
- Probe for details ("Tell me more...")
- Avoid leading questions
- Record with permission
- Take notes

**Sample Questions**:
- "Tell me about your experience with..."
- "What challenges do you face when..."
- "Walk me through how you..."
- "What would make this easier?"

### Usability Testing

**Purpose**:
- Identify usability issues
- Observe real user behavior
- Validate design decisions
- Measure task success

**Testing Process**:
1. Define tasks and scenarios
2. Recruit representative users
3. Prepare test environment
4. Observe users completing tasks
5. Ask follow-up questions
6. Analyze findings
7. Prioritize issues

**Moderated Testing**:
- Facilitator present
- Can probe and clarify
- Rich qualitative data
- Think-aloud protocol

**Unmoderated Testing**:
- Users test independently
- Scalable and cost-effective
- Quantitative metrics
- Less contextual insight

**Metrics**:
- Task completion rate
- Time on task
- Error rate
- Satisfaction ratings
- System Usability Scale (SUS)

### Surveys

**Purpose**:
- Collect data from large samples
- Measure attitudes and satisfaction
- Quantify user preferences
- Track metrics over time

**Survey Design**:
- Clear, concise questions
- Avoid bias and leading language
- Mix question types (multiple choice, scale, open-ended)
- Logical flow and grouping
- Test before deploying

**Question Types**:
- **Multiple choice**: Predefined options
- **Likert scale**: Agreement/satisfaction ratings
- **Open-ended**: Free-form responses
- **Ranking**: Prioritize options
- **Matrix**: Multiple items, same scale

**Distribution**:
- Email to user base
- In-app prompts
- Website intercepts
- Social media
- Panel services

### Field Studies

**Purpose**:
- Observe users in natural context
- Understand real-world usage
- Identify environmental factors
- Discover unarticulated needs

**Ethnographic Research**:
- Immersive observation
- Extended time in user environment
- Cultural and contextual understanding
- Rich qualitative data

**Contextual Inquiry**:
- Observe and interview simultaneously
- Users perform actual tasks
- Ask questions in context
- Understand workflow and environment

**Best Practices**:
- Minimize disruption
- Observe before asking
- Take detailed notes
- Photograph environment (with permission)
- Look for workarounds and pain points

### Diary Studies

**Purpose**:
- Track behavior over time
- Capture experiences in the moment
- Understand patterns and changes
- Longitudinal data

**Process**:
1. Recruit participants
2. Provide diary format (app, journal, video)
3. Define logging frequency and prompts
4. Participants record experiences
5. Collect and analyze entries
6. Follow-up interviews

**Applications**:
- Daily habits and routines
- Product usage over time
- Emotional responses
- Behavior change

### Card Sorting

**Purpose**:
- Understand user mental models
- Inform information architecture
- Organize content and navigation
- Validate structure

**Types**:
- **Open**: Users create categories
- **Closed**: Predefined categories
- **Hybrid**: Mix of both

**Process**:
1. Prepare cards (content items)
2. Users sort into groups
3. Users label groups (open sorting)
4. Analyze patterns and clusters
5. Inform site structure

**Tools**:
- Physical cards
- Online tools (Optimal Workshop, UserZoom)
- Remote or in-person

### Tree Testing

**Purpose**:
- Test information architecture
- Measure findability
- Validate navigation structure
- Identify confusing labels

**Process**:
1. Create text-based hierarchy
2. Define tasks (find specific items)
3. Users navigate tree structure
4. Measure success and paths taken
5. Identify problem areas

**Metrics**:
- Success rate
- Directness (optimal path)
- Time to complete
- Where users get lost

### A/B Testing

**Purpose**:
- Compare design variations
- Measure impact on behavior
- Data-driven decisions
- Optimize conversion

**Process**:
1. Identify element to test
2. Create variations (A and B)
3. Randomly assign users
4. Collect data
5. Analyze statistical significance
6. Implement winner

**What to Test**:
- Headlines and copy
- Call-to-action buttons
- Layout and design
- Images and media
- Form fields

**Requirements**:
- Sufficient traffic
- Clear success metric
- Statistical significance
- Controlled variables

## Research Synthesis

### Affinity Mapping

**Purpose**:
- Organize research findings
- Identify patterns and themes
- Collaborative sense-making
- Generate insights

**Process**:
1. Write observations on sticky notes
2. Place on wall or board
3. Group similar items
4. Label groups with themes
5. Identify relationships
6. Synthesize insights

### Personas

**Purpose**:
- Represent user segments
- Build empathy
- Guide design decisions
- Communicate user needs

**Persona Components**:
- Name and photo
- Demographics
- Goals and motivations
- Behaviors and preferences
- Pain points and frustrations
- Technology proficiency
- Quote or scenario

**Creating Personas**:
1. Analyze research data
2. Identify patterns and segments
3. Define 3-5 primary personas
4. Develop detailed profiles
5. Validate with stakeholders
6. Use throughout design process

### Journey Maps

**Purpose**:
- Visualize user experience over time
- Identify pain points and opportunities
- Understand emotional journey
- Align team on user perspective

**Components**:
- Stages or phases
- User actions
- Thoughts and emotions
- Pain points
- Opportunities
- Touchpoints

**Creating Journey Maps**:
1. Define scope and user
2. Research user experience
3. Identify stages
4. Map actions and emotions
5. Highlight pain points
6. Identify opportunities
7. Visualize and share

## Research Planning

### Research Questions

**Defining Questions**:
- What do we need to learn?
- Why is this important?
- How will insights inform decisions?
- What are our assumptions?

**Good Research Questions**:
- Specific and focused
- Answerable with chosen methods
- Relevant to design decisions
- Unbiased and open-ended

### Method Selection

**Considerations**:
- Research questions
- Project phase (discovery, design, evaluation)
- Time and budget
- Available resources
- User access

**Combining Methods**:
- Triangulate findings
- Qualitative + quantitative
- Multiple perspectives
- Validate insights

### Recruiting Participants

**Defining Criteria**:
- Target user characteristics
- Demographics
- Behaviors and experience
- Screener questions

**Recruitment Methods**:
- Existing user base
- Social media and forums
- Recruitment agencies
- Guerrilla recruiting
- Panel services

**Sample Size**:
- Qualitative: 5-8 per segment
- Quantitative: Statistical significance
- Usability testing: 5 users find 85% of issues
- Surveys: Hundreds to thousands

## Analysis and Reporting

### Data Analysis

**Qualitative Analysis**:
- Transcribe recordings
- Code and categorize data
- Identify themes and patterns
- Generate insights
- Support with quotes

**Quantitative Analysis**:
- Clean and organize data
- Calculate metrics
- Statistical analysis
- Visualize with charts
- Identify trends

### Insight Generation

**From Data to Insights**:
- Observations: What we saw/heard
- Patterns: Recurring themes
- Insights: Why it matters
- Recommendations: What to do

**Good Insights**:
- Actionable
- Specific
- Supported by data
- Relevant to goals
- Surprising or validating

### Research Reports

**Report Structure**:
- Executive summary
- Research objectives
- Methodology
- Key findings
- Insights and recommendations
- Appendices (data, materials)

**Presentation Tips**:
- Lead with key insights
- Use visuals and quotes
- Tell stories
- Connect to business goals
- Provide clear recommendations

## Ethical Considerations

### Informed Consent

**Requirements**:
- Explain research purpose
- Describe what participation involves
- Clarify how data will be used
- Ensure voluntary participation
- Allow withdrawal at any time

### Privacy and Confidentiality

**Best Practices**:
- Anonymize data
- Secure storage
- Limit access
- Follow regulations (GDPR, etc.)
- Respect user privacy

### Inclusive Research

**Considerations**:
- Diverse participant recruitment
- Accessibility accommodations
- Cultural sensitivity
- Avoid bias in questions
- Represent all user groups

## Conclusion

UX research provides the foundation for user-centered design. Combine methods, involve users throughout the process, and let insights guide decisions. Continuous research ensures products meet real user needs and deliver value.