User Research: Been There, Done That? Maybe Not. . .

Elyse Sanchez, Monday, March 5, 2007 @ 11:45 am

Research is an integral component of Pathfinder’s UXD methodology, and we strive to incorporate research strategies throughout the design process and beyond, into post-development usability assessments. However, some clients are confused by—or worse, resistant to—the idea of front-end “user research.” How, they ask, do our activities and findings differ from the analyses and resultant charts, graphs and PowerPoint presentations provided to the firm by the Marketing department?

The first stumbling block is largely semantic: many business stakeholders regard their customer segments as their “users,” and fail to make the (sometimes subtle) distinction between buyers, the target of market research and end-users, the focus of UXD consideration. In lieu of the term “user research,” several firms have adopted the title “design research,” thus taking the emphasis off the subject and placing it on the ultimate goal. While this is a step forward in clarity, it may present a different semantic stumbling block for those who think of design strictly in terms of visual look-and-feel.

After some brainstorming, our team came up with the descriptor “Behavioral Analysis.” We feel this term gets to the heart of the essential difference between market and user research—our goals are to observe and explore what people actually do, as opposed to what they might say in the context of market research. We see Behavioral Analysis as an inclusive rubric that includes our various techniques, including site visits, contextual inquiry, ethnographic studies and interviews, as well as usability assessments.

Certainly, there is no hard line between market and UXD research. Initiatives such as “Voice of the Customer,” in which cross-functional teams pay site visits to their customers to see their environment first-hand, is essentially a business-oriented ethnographic study. Market segmentation studies are the first step in the creation of personas, providing UXD a valuable roadmap for focusing their attention on potential interviewees. However, market research, no matter how thorough, can never substitute for front-end user research, and we need to make the distinction clear to our clients and articulate the value of both.

Related posts:

1. The new market research is the old user research
2. Ideas for User Research
3. Why User Research Matters
4. Unanswered Questions of User Research
5. On the Benefits and Pitfalls of Competitive Research

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