Executing user research in the design/build process of a product or service is an essential step in the decision making process for deciding what to build. User research allows businesses to capture and analyze qualitative and quantitative data to understand how people experience the products and services the business provides. User research informs decision makers to make better decisions. User research can also reveal otherwise unknown information about how a product or service is currently being used by people (current state) or how it could be made better for users (future state). In this way, decision makers can make informed and strategic decisions for the direction of the product or service.
User research directly impacts the products we design and build by taking into consideration three primary design requirements:
- Fulfills its business requirements (otherwise it wouldn’t exist)
- Is possible to make (developmentally or physically feasible)
- Helps a user complete a specific goal
User research is a critical component to goal-driven design. Goal-driven design merges the goals of the business with the goals of the users. User research makes finding the balance between these considerations much easier. When user research is not included in the design/build process of a product or service, assumptions become costly. Changing a design during its development extends the development timeline and ultimately, increases costs. Even worse, when a product is released and doesn’t fulfill its intended goal, revising the product requires a new timeline and more resources altogether. User research is a low stakes and low cost way of providing assurance to a decision maker that the proposed design is the right thing to build.
By balancing business and development requirements with fulfilling user goals, products and services are built faster at lower costs and with higher success rates, providing users with delightful experiences.