Hey all.
I’d like to think of myself as a realist, someone who recognizes the confines we all operate within, and who accepts that best practices are often more of an aspiration than a reality.
User Research: The Need and The Catch
Consider, for example, my stance on user research. I firmly advocate for at least some form of user research, no matter how modest or imperfect, as opposed to conducting none.
But here’s the catch: this perspective only holds true if we’re aware of the limitations of our research.
A Real-World Incident
Let me share a recent incident to illustrate my point. I recommended conducting user research to a client who seemed to be backing an approach I believed was inherently flawed. They responded by saying they had already undertaken some research and the results aligned with their perspective.
Upon digging deeper, I discovered their research was merely gathering feedback from family friends. Sure, these individuals matched their target demographic, but who among them would bluntly tell them their concept was off the mark?
The issue wasn’t that their research was restricted or flawed—it indeed offered some useful insights. The trouble was they weren’t aware of the inherent limitations in their methodology, which led them to overvalue the feedback they received.
Common Misconceptions
It’s a common occurrence. For instance, I’ve often had marketing teams tell me they’ve created personas or conducted surveys, thereby making additional research unnecessary. However, the information I need as a UX consultant and the type of personas I craft are fundamentally different from what a marketing team requires.
See also: How to Improve Your Projects With Lean User Research
The Shelf Life of Research
Another factor to consider is the shelf life of research. User needs and organization direction evolve over time, making the findings outdated eventually. If only every piece of user research had an expiry date like food products. After all, outdated research can make your digital service very sick indeed!
How Research Can Be Flawed
There are countless ways for research to be flawed—poorly constructed survey questions, engaging with the wrong demographics at the wrong time, unintentionally influencing respondents to give desired answers—the list goes on.
One particularly glaring issue is using incorrect research tools. In my previous newsletter, I touched upon the inappropriateness of always resorting to customer journey mapping. People tend to make sweeping assumptions about their audience based on a handful of user interviews. Similarly, others often rely on quantitative research methods to decipher user behavior when they could simply ask the users.
The Takeaway: Tread Carefully
All this serves as a reminder to tread carefully. I’m not suggesting you avoid research unless it’s ‘perfect’. If you have the resources and time, by all means, bring in an expert to get the job done right.
What I am recommending is that you be fully aware of the limitations of your research methods, and take the findings with a grain of salt.
By doing so, even the most hurried and basic research can hold some value, if for nothing else, at least to stimulate you and your stakeholders to consider user needs.
Best of luck in your future user research endeavors.
