Customer Research

Types of research and when to use them

^{System Usability Scale survey}

A questionnaire used to evaluate the overall usability of the user interface.

‍When? When examining the overall usability of a system, application, or user interface.

Effects: SUS survey results provide a reliable assessment of the overall usability of the product, enabling designers to identify areas for improvement and make specific design decisions to enhance interface quality and increase user satisfaction.

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^{Net Promoter Score survey}

A tool for assessing customer satisfaction by examining their willingness to recommend a product/service.

‍When? When you want to survey customers' opinions about a product, brand, or service to assess their level of loyalty and potential for recommendation.

Effects: The results of an NPS survey enable you to quickly and easily interpret customer loyalty and engagement, allowing you to identify areas for improvement and focus your efforts on building positive customer relationships. This, in turn, can increase customer retention and contribute to business growth.

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^{Structured Interviews (IDI)}

A research method in the form of a scenario-based interviews conducted in a 1:1 model with product users.

When? When we need to get detailed feedback from users.

Effects: In-depth interviews (IDI) allow us to understand a broader context of users, with particular emphasis on their needs, current ways of addressing them, problems, and expectations related to the research area.

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^{User tests}

Research conducted to evaluate the interaction between users and the product. It involves engaging real users to test, evaluate, and provide feedback on the functionality, usability, and overall quality of the product.

When? When we want to eliminate errors in the finished prototype/product that users may encounter.

Effects: Tests allow designers and developers to identify issues and make improvements to better meet user expectations and needs, as well as reduce project risks.

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^{Survey research}

Research projects can be conducted in person, over the phone, online, or using traditional paper forms, and their questions can be closed (e.g. with multiple-choice answers) or open-ended, depending on the research objective.

When? When we want to gather opinions from a representative group of respondents, enabling analysis of their beliefs, behaviors, and opinions on a specific topic, which aids in decision-making in the project.

Effects: Survey research involves obtaining data on respondents' opinions, preferences, and behaviors, making it possible to analyze and understand trends, market needs, or public opinion.

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^{Dairy studies}

A research method involving the systematic collection of information from respondents about their daily experiences, activities, feelings, and other events over a specified period, typically using dairy entries or specially designed forms.

When? When we want to obtain contextual information about the daily actions and reactions of the participants.

Effects: Diary studies encompass a better understanding of daily patterns and changes in respondents' behaviors, allowing for the identification of trends, conditions, and factors influencing their experiences. With this data, more precise decisions can be made, and more effective strategies can be developed in business, health, education, or other areas, taking into account the real, daily contexts and needs of the respondents.

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^{Heatmap analysis}

A method of visual presentation of data reflecting user behavior often combined with anonymous session recordings showing the behaviors of real users.

When? When we want to understand which areas are the most attractive, active, or problematic for product users.

Effects: Thorugh heatmap analysis, researchers, designers, and decision-makers can identify focus areas, detect non-obvious patterns, and plan actions according to observed trends. This leads to the improvement of business strategies, informed investment decisions, and enhanced products and services.

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^{Card sorting}

A research method used in information and service design, involving asking users to group content or functionality on cards, which helps understand how users organize and prioritize information.

When? When designing or improving the information structure in user interfaces to optimize navigation and content layout.

Effects: The benefits of card sorting include a better understanding of how users categorize content, enabling designers to optimize the information structure and product navigation. This leads to a more intuitive and satisfying user experience, resulting in better user understanding of the system and fewer navigation and information search issues.

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^{Tree sorting (aka decision or concept tree)}

A method of organizing information and hierarchizing content in a tree-like structure, with main categories positioned at the top and more detailed subcategories beneath them.

When? When we aim to enhance navigation and make it easier for users to find the desired content in hierarchical systems.

Effects: Tree sorting allows for a better understanding of information structure, facilitating user navigation through products, websites, or systems, resulting in increased usability, efficiency, and user satisfaction.

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When is the best time to conduct UX research?

UX research is a very effective method for validating the functionality of a digital product based on real users.

It can be conducted both during the conceptualization phase, the design of a new solution, as well as the optimization of an existing one. These studies will help validate the new product concept and contribute to a better understanding of customer needs.

Here are some key moments in the product life cycle where research can be very helpful:

• At the beginning of the project: UX research should start at the very beginning of the project, when the goals, scope and requirements are defined. This allows for a better understanding of users and their needs, and early consideration of these aspects in project planning.
• When developing a new product or service: If you are planning to launch a new product or service, UX research can help you design the product according to user expectations and avoid potential problems before they arise.
• During the iterative process: UX research should be conducted on an ongoing basis, especially in the iterative design process. You can test prototypes and iterate interfaces to gradually improve your product or service.
• After changes or updates are made: If you're making significant changes or product updates, it's a good idea to do UX research to make sure the changes are positively received by users.
• Before launching on the market: Before launching a product or service to market, it's a good idea to conduct UX research to make sure it's ready to use, intuitive, and meets customer expectations.
• In response to user issues: If you receive complaints from users or notice problems in interacting with the product, UX research will help identify these problems and find solutions.
• In order to be competitive in the market: UX research helps to understand what innovations and improvements can bring a competitive advantage in the market. If the competition improves its products, it is worth following them and adjusting your own offers.
• When starting a new research project: If you are planning research on a new product or service, UX research at the initial stage helps determine what research questions are the most important to investigate and what research methods can be used.
• When making changes in accordance with new trends and technologies: New trends and technologies can affect user expectations. UX research helps you adapt to these changes and stay competitive.
• Cyclically to monitor usability: UX research should not be a one-time event. Cyclic studies allow you to monitor the usefulness of a product or service over time and adapt it to the changing needs of users.