User research

It’s easy to dive head-on into creating a website. You know what you want to get done, the team knows their stuff, so what’s stopping you?

Find out what users want

We all tend to think that we know what our users want—but often, user research shows that we assume too much. There’s a risk that making too many assumptions now will lead to expensive redesigns later.

Research the risk out of design

There are many approaches to user research, ranging from surveys and focus groups, to usability testing and gathering user feedback. Research can be formal or informal, involved or brief—but it’s definitely a good idea to include some in your process.

Generative research—explore users’ motivations

We’re recent converts to Indi Young’s generative research techniques, which she explains in her book, Mental Models: Aligning Design Strategy with Human Behavior. Generative research explores people’s motivations—their reasons for doing things—in order to create a mental model, a diagram which shows what your users are trying to do, and to what extent your offerings support them. It’s a great way to find gaps and areas for improvement, as well as forming a long-term design strategy for your organisation.