Effective UX research uses different methods at different stages of the product lifecycle. Understanding when and how to apply each research technique ensures you get actionable insights when they're most valuable.
Research methods by product stage:
- Discovery Phase
- Contextual inquiry: Observing users in their environment
- Stakeholder interviews: Understanding business goals
- Competitive analysis: Evaluating existing solutions
- Market research: Sizing opportunities and needs
- Definition Phase
- User interviews: Understanding needs and pain points
- Surveys: Gathering quantitative data on preferences
- Card sorting: Creating intuitive information architecture
- Journey mapping: Visualizing current user experiences
- Design Phase
- Preference testing: Comparing design directions
- First-click testing: Assessing intuitiveness
- Tree testing: Validating navigation structures
- Prototype testing: Evaluating interactive experiences
- Development Phase
- Usability testing: Identifying friction points
- Accessibility evaluation: Ensuring inclusive design
- A/B testing: Comparing variations with metrics
- Analytics review: Understanding actual usage patterns
- Post-Launch Phase
- Satisfaction surveys: Measuring sentiment
- Support ticket analysis: Identifying common issues
- Session recordings: Observing real usage
- Longitudinal studies: Tracking changes over time
Research planning considerations:
- Qualitative vs. quantitative needs
- Research timeline and budget constraints
- Recruitment requirements
- Fidelity of materials needed
- Research questions to answer
The most effective UX research combines multiple methods to triangulate findings, balancing qualitative insights with quantitative validation.