Understanding UX Design and Research Roles

Aug 2, 2024

UX Design and Research Overview

Role of UX Designers

  • The role of UX designers varies across companies.
    • Larger companies (e.g., Google) may have dedicated UX research partners.
    • Smaller companies may require one designer to handle both UX research and design.
  • Importance of learning both UX research and design skills for job opportunities.

Basics of UX Research

  • Focuses on understanding user behaviors, needs, and motivations.
  • The goal is to prioritize user needs while meeting business objectives.
  • Helps bridge the gap between business assumptions and actual user needs.

Product Development Life Cycle

  • UX research is continuous throughout the product development life cycle (before, during, and after).

Phases of User Research:

  1. Foundational Research

    • Conducted before design begins.
    • Answers: "What should we build?"
    • Identifies user problems and pain points.
    • Reveals unexpected opportunities.
  2. Design Research

    • Conducted during the design phase.
    • Answers: "How should we build it?"
    • Focuses on user experiences with prototypes and usability.
  3. Post-Launch Research

    • Evaluates product performance after launch.
    • Answers: "Did we succeed?"
    • Assesses user experience and competitive performance.

Key Qualities of a Good UX Researcher

  • Empathy: Understanding users' feelings and thoughts.
  • Pragmatism: Focused on practical problem-solving.
  • Collaboration: Ability to work with diverse teams and personalities.

User Research Methods

  • Methods are categorized by:
    1. Who Conducts Research:
      • Primary Research: Conducted directly by the researcher (e.g., interviews, surveys).
      • Secondary Research: Utilizes existing information (e.g., articles, studies).
    2. Type of Data Collected:
      • Quantitative Research: Focuses on numerical data (e.g., surveys).
      • Qualitative Research: Focuses on observations and detailed insights (e.g., interviews).

Common Research Methods

  1. Interviews

    • In-depth discussions with users to gather detailed opinions.
    • Use open-ended questions for richer responses.
  2. Surveys

    • Gather feedback from larger groups.
    • Include a mix of quantitative and qualitative questions.
  3. Usability Studies

    • Test products with users to identify pain points.
    • Gather data for improving UX before and after launch.

Biases in UX Research

  • Understanding biases is crucial for accurate and effective research.

Types of Biases

  1. Confirmation Bias:

    • Focusing on information that confirms existing beliefs.
    • Overcome by asking open-ended questions and seeking diverse user input.
  2. False Consensus Bias:

    • Assuming others share the same views as you.
    • Overcome by surveying a broad user base.
  3. Recency Bias:

    • Remembering recent information more vividly.
    • Overcome by taking detailed notes during research.
  4. Primacy Bias:

    • Stronger memory of the first participant or data.
    • Consistency in interviewing can mitigate this.
  5. Implicit Bias:

    • Unconscious attitudes towards different demographic groups.
    • Overcome by reflecting on behaviors and seeking feedback on biases.
  6. Sunk Cost Fallacy:

    • Feeling compelled to continue a project due to time invested.
    • Break projects into phases with checkpoints for reevaluation.

Conclusion

  • Recognizing and addressing bias is important for effective UX design and research.
  • Continuous learning and application of these concepts will enhance UX research capabilities.