Our Senior Designer, Lee, wanted to level up his User Experience (UX) design skills. Here’s a peek into his journey and the top things he’s learned along the way!
Read more: Understanding the foundations of UX Design
Unlocking better UX designs with user research
In UX design, research isn’t just a box to tick—it’s the foundation of great design. Before jumping into solutions, we need to truly understand the problem by talking to users, listening to their feedback, and watching how they interact. A user-first approach means making decisions based on real insights, not guesswork.
As Steve Black put it, “There are no facts inside your building. So get outside.” That pretty much sums up UX research—if we want to create designs that actually work, we need to connect with real users.
Why research is the heart of UX design
Research is where problem-solving starts. It helps us spot user pain points, understand their behaviour, and see how they interact with a product. Without it, we risk creating something that just doesn’t click with users.
UX design relies on a mix of research methods, each giving us different insights:
Quantitative research gives us hard data and trends—great for spotting patterns at scale.
Qualitative research dives deeper into user behaviour and motivations through usability tests, focus groups, and open-ended surveys.
Observational research lets us see how users actually interact with a product, without relying on what they say.
We also tap into attitudinal research, where we listen to users through interviews and surveys, and A/B testing, which helps us compare different designs to see what works best.
Key takeaways from user research
User research helps us answer key questions about our designs, like:
What are users actually trying to do?
How do they interact with the product?
What challenges or frustrations do they face?
How does our product stack up against the competition?
These insights don’t just make the user experience better—they also help align design decisions with business goals. Talking to stakeholders, for example, gives us a clearer picture of company priorities and helps create a shared vision for success.
Usability testing: a cornerstone of UX research
Usability testing is one of the most valuable tools in UX design. Watching real users interact with a product gives us direct insight into their frustrations, behaviours, and goals. It’s useful at every stage:
During research to understand what users need.
In prototyping to test if our solutions actually work.
Post-launch to spot issues and improve the experience.
Why is usability testing so important?
It shows us exactly how users think.
It gets everyone on the same page.
It proves (or disproves) our assumptions.
It gives solid evidence to settle internal debates.
Competitive benchmarking and data-driven decisions
UX research isn’t just about understanding users—it’s also about learning from competitors. Competitive benchmarking helps us see how the best in the industry tackle similar problems. By spotting what works (and what doesn’t), we can find ways to make our product stand out.
Then there’s A/B testing, which lets us compare two designs to see which one performs better. This trial-and-error approach keeps us improving and making smarter, data-driven design decisions.
Lessons learned: always put the user first
A key rule in UX design: “You are not the user.” It’s easy to design based on what we like, but that often leads to products that miss the mark. User research keeps us focused on what actually matters—real people and their needs.
And when it comes to assumptions? Even the best ones need to be tested. They’re a great starting point, but they should always be backed up with real user feedback and research.
Looking ahead: the future of UX research
As UX design keeps evolving, research is becoming even more crucial. To stay ahead, we need to get really good with tools like usability testing, A/B testing, and competitive benchmarking. By constantly improving how we research, we can create products that go beyond what users expect.
At its core, UX design is all about solving real problems for real people. With strong research backing us up, we can make designs that truly make a difference.
❓Need some help with your design? Get in touch today.
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