In my research work, I use a method known as the Double Diamond process. This involves a mix of generative and evaluative techniques to gather and analyze data.
I usually divide the research types to 2 phases:
Discovery and Definition
Design and evaluationI
Discovery & Definition phase
Here The following methodologies take place
1
Interviews
Gain in-depth insights by talking directly with users about their needs, pain points, and goals.
2
Ethnography
Observe users in their natural environment to understand their real-world behaviors and contexts.
3
Surveys
Gather feedback from a wider audience to identify common trends and priorities.
4
Focus groups
Gathering a small group of individuals to discuss their opinions, experiences, and perceptions on a specific topic or product.
5
Competitor analysis
Evaluating the strengths, weaknesses, strategies, and offerings of other companies operating in the same market.
These research methods provide the insights needed to understand user pain points and prioritize them for product decisions.
What am I learning from these methods?
What frustrates users about our product?
How do users perceive and use our product?
What cultural elements influence how users accept and use our product?
What are the major trends in user preferences and behaviors?
What quantitative data can we collect about user satisfaction or features?
What similarities or differences do users have across different groups?
How does our product compare to those of our competitors from a user's perspective?
What usability problems occur during everyday use of the product?
Design and Evaluation phase
Here The following methodologies take place
1
Concept Testing
Validate initial ideas and designs with users to ensure the solution addresses their needs.
2
Card Sorting
Understand how users naturally organize information and features to inform the product's information architecture.
3
Usability Testing
Evaluate the product's intuitiveness and ease of use through moderated tests with representative users.
4
A/B Testing
objectively evaluate measure key metrics and optimize the performance of design elements.
5
Analytics
Analyze user behavior metrics to identify areas for improvement and opportunities to enhance the user experience.
These research methods provide deep insights into why the solution works (or doesn't) and how to iterate and improve the product for maximum user satisfaction. The findings inform the future roadmap and updates post-launch.
What am I learning from these methods?
Did we solve the problem to the user?
Do users understand the solution?
Do users use this solution?
Did we better the user experience by the solution?
When to use each Research Methodology?
Project discovery research
Conduct this generative research at the beginning of the project to define user pain points and generate initial ideation.
Evaluative Research
Gather feedback on concept designs, prototypes and beta test version to learn how users react to the solution.
Usability Research
Conduct this research after launching a new feature, making a major change to an existing solution, or validating a product hypothesis.
Remember
The research phase you're in and the insights you want to uncover will determine which methodologies to use.
Want to learn more of how methodology goes into practice?