User Research

User research provides valuable insights that inform product design and validate product features are intuitive and meet user needs. User research can give certainty and perspective where uncertainty and assumptions may exist. By leveraging data analytics, conducting surveys and interviews, and experimenting with A/B and usability testing methods, you can gain a deeper understanding of a user’s behavior and empathize with their story.

Process

  1. Identify research goals and objectives: Identify what you want to learn through user research and what questions you want to answer
  2. Determine research methods: Our team uses best-fit research methods including interviews, focus groups, usability testing, surveys, and online analytics. The appropriate methods will depend on the research goals and the target audience
  3. Recruit participants: Once the research methods have been determined, the next step is to recruit participants who represent the target audience for the product
  4. Conduct research: This involves carrying out the research methods and collecting data from the participants
  5. Analyze data: The collected data needs to be analyzed in order to identify patterns and insights that can inform the design process
  6. Share findings: The results of the user research should be shared with the design team and relevant stakeholders to inform the design process
  7. Iterate: User research is an ongoing process, and it is typically conducted at various stages throughout the design process in order to continually gather feedback and refine the design

Conducting user research helps to identify pain points and opportunities for improvement in the user experience, and can also help validate design ideas and decisions. It can be used to test prototypes and gather feedback, which can help refine and improve the final design.

Learn more: Unlocking product potential

Scenic West led user research and product design across several projects at Earth Networks over a 2 year period. Scenic West was instrumental in designing an iOS and Android app for enterprises that needed current conditions, forecasts and severe weather alerts from a single weather authority.

Jeff M.
Director of Product Management, Earth Networks
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