| name | user-research-techniques |
| description | Master user interviews, usability testing, surveys, and research synthesis. Use when planning research, gathering user insights, or validating assumptions. |
User Research Techniques
Overview
Comprehensive guide to qualitative and quantitative research methods for understanding users, validating ideas, and informing product decisions.
When to Use This Skill
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research-ops - For research methods, planning, and best practices
Use when you need:
- Planning research studies
- Choosing research methods
- Conducting interviews or tests
- Analyzing research data
- Validating product decisions
Research Methods Matrix
Quantitative ← → Qualitative
(What & How Many) (Why & How)
│
Behavioral ─┼─ Analytics Usability Testing
(What they │ Surveys Field Studies
do) │ A/B Tests Diary Studies
│
Attitudinal ─┼─ Surveys Interviews
(What they │ NPS Focus Groups
say) │ Questionnaires Concept Tests
Qualitative Methods
1. User Interviews
Types:
- Discovery: Understand problems and needs
- Validation: Test solution fit
- Evaluative: Assess existing product
Best Practices:
- Open-ended questions
- Listen more than talk (80/20 rule)
- Ask "why" 5 times
- Avoid leading questions
- Record and take notes
Interview Structure (60 min):
Introduction (5 min)
- Build rapport
- Explain purpose
- Get consent
Warm-up (5 min)
- Background questions
- Context setting
Main Questions (40 min)
- Behavioral: "Walk me through..."
- Pain points: "Tell me about a time when..."
- Goals: "What are you trying to achieve?"
Wrap-up (10 min)
- Anything missed?
- Who else to talk to?
- Thank you
Sample Questions:
Discovery:
- "Walk me through the last time you [task]"
- "What's most frustrating about [process]?"
- "Tell me about a time when [problem] occurred"
Validation:
- [Show concept] "What's your initial reaction?"
- "How would you use this?"
- "What concerns do you have?"
2. Usability Testing
Types:
- Moderated: Facilitator guides session
- Unmoderated: User completes alone
- Remote: Video call or tool-based
- In-person: Lab or coffee shop
Process:
- Recruit: 5-8 participants (80% of issues)
- Prepare: Tasks, scenarios, prototype
- Test: Think-aloud protocol
- Analyze: Issues, patterns, severity
- Report: Findings and recommendations
Task Format:
Scenario: "You want to [goal]"
Task: "Using this prototype, [specific action]"
Example:
Scenario: "You want to find last month's sales report"
Task: "Find and download the December 2024 sales report"
Think-Aloud Protocol:
- "Please speak your thoughts out loud"
- "What are you looking for?"
- "What do you expect to happen?"
- Don't help unless stuck >2 minutes
Metrics:
- Task completion rate
- Time on task
- Errors
- Satisfaction (SEQ: Single Ease Question)
3. Field Studies (Ethnography)
When: Understand context and environment
Methods:
- Contextual Inquiry: Observe in natural setting
- Shadowing: Follow user through day
- Diary Studies: Users log activities
Process:
- Observe silently
- Take field notes
- Ask clarifying questions
- Look for workarounds
- Identify pain points
4. Card Sorting
Purpose: Understand mental models, organize information
Types:
- Open: Users create categories
- Closed: Users sort into given categories
- Hybrid: Start closed, allow new categories
Tools: OptimalSort, UserZoom, Miro
5. Focus Groups
Format: 6-10 participants, moderated discussion
When to Use: Explore opinions, generate ideas
When NOT to Use: Validation (groupthink risk)
Quantitative Methods
1. Surveys
Types:
- NPS (Net Promoter Score): "Likelihood to recommend" (0-10)
- CSAT (Customer Satisfaction): "How satisfied?" (1-5)
- CES (Customer Effort Score): "How easy?" (1-7)
- Custom: Specific questions
Survey Design:
Good Question:
"How often do you use [feature]?"
□ Daily
□ Weekly
□ Monthly
□ Rarely
□ Never
Bad Question:
"Do you love our amazing new feature?"
(Leading, biased)
Best Practices:
- Keep short (< 10 questions)
- One question per topic
- Mix question types
- Avoid double-barreled questions
- Pilot test first
Sample Sizes:
- 100+ for directional insights
- 384+ for 95% confidence, ±5% margin
- Calculator: surveymonkey.com/mp/sample-size-calculator
2. Analytics (Behavioral Data)
Metrics to Track:
- Engagement: DAU, WAU, MAU, session duration
- Conversion: Funnel drop-offs, completion rates
- Retention: Cohort retention curves
- Feature Adoption: % users using feature
Tools: Mixpanel, Amplitude, Heap, Google Analytics
3. A/B Testing
Process:
- Hypothesis
- Design variants
- Determine sample size
- Run test (1-2 weeks)
- Analyze (significance)
- Ship or iterate
(See experiment-designer skill for details)
Research Synthesis
Affinity Mapping
Process:
- Write observations on sticky notes
- Group similar notes
- Label themes
- Identify patterns
- Extract insights
Tool: Miro, FigJam, physical wall
Thematic Analysis
Steps:
- Familiarize: Read all data
- Code: Tag recurring concepts
- Theme: Group codes into themes
- Review: Refine themes
- Define: Name and describe themes
- Report: Write findings
Jobs-to-be-Done Framework
Job Statement:
"When [situation], I want to [motivation], so I can [outcome]"
Example:
"When I'm preparing for a client meeting, I want to quickly find relevant past conversations, so I can provide informed recommendations"
Interview Questions:
- "What job were you trying to get done?"
- "What were you using before?"
- "What triggered you to switch?"
- "What obstacles did you face?"
Research Planning
Define Research Questions
Good Research Questions:
- "How do users currently [task]?"
- "What prevents users from [goal]?"
- "Which features drive retention?"
Bad Research Questions:
- "Will users like this?" (too vague)
- "Should we build X?" (not research question)
Choose Method
Decision Tree:
What vs Why?
├─ What/How Many? → Quantitative
│ ├─ Behavior → Analytics
│ └─ Attitudes → Survey
└─ Why/How? → Qualitative
├─ Discover → Interviews
├─ Validate → Usability Test
└─ Context → Field Study
Recruit Participants
Screener Questions:
1. How often do you [relevant behavior]?
○ Daily (CONTINUE)
○ Weekly (CONTINUE)
○ Monthly (SCREEN OUT)
○ Never (SCREEN OUT)
2. Do you work at [Competitor/Partner]?
○ Yes (SCREEN OUT)
○ No (CONTINUE)
Incentives:
- $50-100 for 1-hour consumer interview
- $150-300 for B2B professional
- Gift cards, credits, or cash
Sources:
- User Interviews, Respondent.io
- Your user base (email list)
- Social media, communities
Best Practices
1. Avoid Bias
Confirmation Bias: Seek disconfirming evidence
Leading Questions: Ask neutral questions
Selection Bias: Recruit diverse participants
Observer Effect: Users behave differently when watched
2. Sample Sizes
Qualitative:
- 5-8 users per segment (diminishing returns)
- 15-20 total for diverse product
Quantitative:
- 100+ for trends
- 384+ for statistical significance
- Use power calculations
3. Triangulate
Combine Methods:
- Interviews (why) + Analytics (what)
- Usability tests + Surveys
- Quantitative → Qualitative → Quantitative
4. Continuous Discovery (Teresa Torres)
Weekly Touchpoints:
- Talk to 2-3 customers per week
- Mix research types
- Share with team
- Document insights
- Map to opportunities
Common Mistakes
Avoid
- Asking what users want (they don't know)
- Leading questions ("Do you love this?")
- Only talking to power users
- Research without action
- Skipping synthesis
Do
- Observe behavior, not just opinions
- Ask open-ended questions
- Recruit diverse participants
- Act on findings
- Share insights widely
Tools
Research Platforms:
- UserTesting, Maze (unmoderated testing)
- User Interviews, Respondent.io (recruitment)
- Lookback, Zoom (moderated testing)
Analysis:
- Dovetail, Airtable (synthesis)
- Miro, FigJam (affinity mapping)
- Typeform, SurveyMonkey (surveys)
Analytics:
- Mixpanel, Amplitude (product analytics)
- Hotjar, FullStory (session replay)
- Google Analytics (web analytics)
Templates
Research Plan
# Research Plan: [Topic]
## Goals
- [Research question 1]
- [Research question 2]
## Method
- Type: [Interviews / Testing / Survey]
- Timeline: [Dates]
- Participants: [N, criteria]
## Questions/Tasks
1. [Question/Task 1]
2. [Question/Task 2]
## Analysis
- [How we'll synthesize]
- [Key metrics]
## Deliverables
- [Report, insights, recommendations]
Resources
Books:
- "The Mom Test" - Rob Fitzpatrick
- "Just Enough Research" - Erika Hall
- "Continuous Discovery Habits" - Teresa Torres
- "Don't Make Me Think" - Steve Krug
Online:
- Nielsen Norman Group articles
- IDEO Design Kit
- Google Ventures Research Sprint
Quick Guide
Need to understand why? → Interviews
Testing usability? → Usability Tests
Measure satisfaction? → Survey (NPS/CSAT)
Understand behavior? → Analytics
Validate solution? → Prototype Test
Deep context? → Field Study
Always: Define questions, recruit right users, synthesize, act on insights
