research-discovery

name

research-discovery

description

UX research and discovery skill covering user research methods and research synthesis. Use when planning or conducting user research, usability testing, A/B testing, survey design, persona development, journey mapping, empathy mapping, competitive analysis, ethnographic research, or analytics interpretation. Also use when synthesizing research findings via affinity mapping, insight generation, stakeholder interviews, jobs-to-be-done framework, or heuristic evaluation. Triggers on: user research, usability test, interview guide, research plan, persona, journey map, empathy map, competitive analysis, A/B test, survey, analytics, affinity map, insight synthesis, heuristic evaluation, JTBD.

Research & Discovery

UX research methods for understanding users, validating decisions, and synthesizing findings into actionable insights. Covers 10 user research methods and 5 synthesis frameworks.

Method Selection Guide

Choose the right method based on what you need to learn:

Question	Method
Why do users behave this way?	User Interviews, Ethnographic Research
Does this design work?	Usability Testing
What do users feel/think/do?	Empathy Mapping
What are users trying to accomplish?	Jobs-to-be-Done
Which version performs better?	A/B Testing
What do users think at scale?	Survey Design
What does the data show?	Analytics Interpretation
Who are our users?	Persona Development
Where do users struggle across the full journey?	Journey Mapping
What are competitors doing?	Competitive Analysis
What themes emerge from data?	Affinity Mapping
What does research mean for design?	Insight Generation
What does the business need?	Stakeholder Interviews
Does this interface follow usability principles?	Heuristic Evaluation

Research Phase Sequencing

Discovery (understand problem space)
  └── Stakeholder Interviews → User Interviews → Ethnographic Research

Definition (understand users)
  └── Persona Development → Empathy Mapping → Journey Mapping → Jobs-to-be-Done

Validation (test solutions)
  └── Usability Testing → A/B Testing → Survey Design

Measurement (track outcomes)
  └── Analytics Interpretation

Synthesis (at any phase)
  └── Affinity Mapping → Insight Generation → Heuristic Evaluation

Reference Files

• User research methods — Read .claude/skills/research-discovery/user-research.md for: interviews, usability testing, ethnographic research, surveys, A/B testing, analytics, personas, journey mapping, empathy mapping, competitive analysis
• Research synthesis methods — Read .claude/skills/research-discovery/research-synthesis.md for: affinity mapping, insight generation, stakeholder interviews, JTBD framework, heuristic evaluation