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.