| name | user-research-synthesis |
| description | Synthesize user interviews, survey results, feedback, and support tickets into structured insights. Identifies themes, pain points, and opportunities. Generates research reports ready for stakeholders. |
| argument-hint | [paste interview notes, survey data, or describe what you have] |
User Research Synthesis Skill
Turn raw user research data (interviews, surveys, feedback, support tickets) into structured, actionable insights.
When to Use
- User has interview notes and needs to synthesize findings
- User has survey results to analyze
- User wants to identify patterns across user feedback
- User says
/user-research-synthesis followed by research data
- Any time qualitative or quantitative user data needs structure
Framework: Research Synthesis (5 Steps)
Step 1: Organize Raw Data
- Source type: Interviews / Surveys / Support tickets / App reviews / Usage data
- Sample size: How many data points?
- User segments: Who was included? Any notable gaps?
- Timeframe: When was this data collected?
Step 2: Code & Theme
Identify recurring themes across the data:
| Theme | Frequency | Sentiment | Example Quote |
|---|
| [Theme 1] | X of Y participants | Positive/Negative/Mixed | "..." |
| [Theme 2] | X of Y participants | | "..." |
Group themes into categories:
- Pain Points: What's frustrating or broken
- Unmet Needs: What users want but don't have
- Bright Spots: What's working well (don't break these)
- Surprises: Unexpected findings
Step 3: Prioritize Insights
For each insight, assess:
- Prevalence: How many users mentioned this? (1 = rare, 5 = universal)
- Severity: How painful is this? (1 = minor annoyance, 5 = deal-breaker)
- Actionability: Can we do something about this? (1 = hard, 5 = clear path)
Priority Score = Prevalence x Severity x Actionability
Step 4: Generate Recommendations
For the top 3-5 insights:
- Insight: Clear statement of what we learned
- Evidence: Supporting data points and quotes
- Implication: What this means for the product
- Recommendation: Specific next step (build, test, investigate further)
- Confidence: High / Medium / Low (based on data quality)
Step 5: Research Report
Executive Summary (2-3 sentences):
What we studied, what we found, what we should do.
Key Findings (3-5 bullet points):
The most important insights with supporting data.
Detailed Findings:
Each theme with quotes, data, and implications.
Recommendations:
Prioritized action items.
Methodology & Limitations:
How research was done, sample biases, confidence level.
Input Formats Supported
- Raw interview notes: Paste them in, the skill will code and theme them
- Survey results: Paste summary stats or raw responses
- Support tickets: Paste representative tickets for pattern analysis
- App store reviews: Paste reviews for sentiment and theme analysis
- Mixed: Combine multiple sources for triangulated insights
Output Format
Generate a clean research report in markdown. Use tables for theme coding. Include direct quotes as evidence. Be specific about confidence levels and limitations.
Tips for Better Synthesis
- Look for contradictions — users who say opposite things often reveal a segmentation opportunity
- Pay attention to workarounds — what users hack together reveals unmet needs
- Note what users do vs. what they say — behavioral data trumps stated preferences
- Flag sample bias — if you only talked to power users, say so
