user research for beginners

The beginner's guide to user research

User research is the reality check every project needs. Here’s our guide to why you should be doing it — and how to get started.

Doing your research is a critical design step and the quality of your research will make or break your product. This guide will help you get it right.

The ancient Greeks believed that inspiration came from the Muses. Today, while we’re still always searching for those elusive Muses, we know that great design ultimately stems from the ability to observe, listen, sympathize, empathize, understand, glean insights, and tap into the user’s reality.

People ignore designs that ignore people.

–Frank Chimero

Why should you do UX research?

There are many reasons you should do UX research, but some of the most important are:

• To remove assumptions from the design process
• To avoid critical mistakes that would otherwise cost us extra time, money and resources
• To back up our design decisions with qualitative data

Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.

–Steve Jobs

When should you do user research for your project?

The most common question about user research is, “ When should I do user research?”

The best time to do user research is at the beginning of the project. It will help you set a solid foundation and ensure you’re tackling real problems instead of imaginary ones.

Recognizing the need is the primary condition for design.

–Charles Eames

However, user research should continue throughout all stages of the product development cycle. There’s something to learn in every phase and it will help you stay on the right track. If you feel like you haven’t done enough user research for your product until now, don’t waste time regretting it — get started! No matter what project stage you’re in, it’s never too late for a reality check. The earlier you begin, the quicker you’ll obtain valuable insights for your product.

Begin with a clear question in mind

Before delving into user research, define your research as clearly as possible. Otherwise, you might end up wasting your time. It may seem obvious, but one of the biggest problems with UX research is not knowing when to stop.

Formulate your problem using verbs like describe , identify , or evaluate . Avoid abstract words like explore , investigate , or understand .

Design is a solution to a problem. Art is a question to a problem.

–John Maeda

Once you establish what you want to find, it’s time to choose a suitable research method. Most of the time, it depends on your research objective, finances, time, and other resources. ‍

Nielsen Norman Group , a leading UX research agency, classifies user research methods into four stages:

Stage 1: Discover

The discovery stage is about illuminating what we don’t know.

• What product features are missing?
• What problem(s) should our product solve?
• What do our users need?
• What information do we need to start on the right foot?

Use the discovery methods listed below to introduce new features, products, validate, or remove assumptions and present accurate data to the developers.

Good design is like a refrigerator — when it works, no one notices, but when it doesn’t, it sure stinks.

Build complex interactions and animations without even looking at code.

Research methods for the discovery stage

Gather information for the project discovery stage with:

• Stakeholder interviews to understand the business requirements and constraints of the project
• Field studies to observe people interacting with problems that you’re trying to solve
• User interviews to get to know most frequent issues with the system
• Diary studies to better understand users’ behavior
• Competitive testing to discover the strengths, weaknesses and key features of competing products

Stage 2: Explore

The exploration stage revolves around understanding the problem at hand, defining the project scope, and addressing user needs the right way. We explore by comparing our product and features with competitors’, creating user personas, writing user stories, and doing design reviews.

Everything is designed. Few things are designed well.

–Brian Reed

Research methods for the explore stage

Some of the most popular methods used during the exploration stage are:

• Task analysis to analyze a task step by step, from a user's perspective
• Design reviews to identify weak spots in a product
• Journey mapping – to visually model a process to understand user needs and pain points
• Writing user stories to focus on user goals and priorities
• Competitive analysis to determine how a product performs against its competitors
• Persona building to create realistic representations of audience segments for reference
• Card sorting to find out how to structurize your navigation and information architecture
• Prototype testing to figure out the key problems

Stage 3: Test

Tests and other validation methods help us check if our designs work well while we develop them.

Pay attention to what users do, not what they say.

–Jakob Nielsen

Research methods for the testing stage

Common user research techniques for the testing stage are:

• Qualitative usability testing (in-person or remote) to gather detailed qualitative feedback from your users
• Benchmark testing to observe the product’s progress over time  
• Accessibility evaluation to ensure the universal access to your product

Stage 4: Listen

The listening stage runs throughout the entire UX design process. Gathering data and monitoring all the information related to the product will help you understand existing problems and identify new ones.  

A user interface is like a joke. If you have to explain it, it’s not that good.

–Martin LeBlanc

Research methods for the listening stage

The best methods for the listening stage are:

• Consumer surveys to get low-cost feedback
• User feedback review to see what people are saying about your product in reviews, complaints, social media messages, forum posts, and more
• Search-log analysis to discover what terms people use when searching for products / features like yours
• Usability-bug review to uncover common usability problems
• FAQ review to understand and answer user questions

If you have resources for only one user research method, use this

The discover, explore, test, listen cycle ends only when you stop improving your product. There are always new things to explore, consider, implement, and test.

Choose your user research methods according to your project type, constraints, available resources, and present issues. If your circumstances allow just one activity, Norman Nielsen Group recommends using qualitative usability testing for already existing products.

It’s a simple, cheap, flexible, and easy way to gather insights.

There are many ways to conduct user research, but you don’t have to use all of them in your project. The primary goal of user research is to be informed and inspired. As long as you’re doing that, you should be able to make the right decisions for your users — and business.

Subscribe to Webflow Inspo

Get the best, coolest, and latest in design and no-code delivered to your inbox each week.

Related articles

How to implement user testing for your website

Without website user testing, you risk losing potential customers. Read on to learn about metrics and methods to check your site’s usability.

User-centered design: 4 key principles and how to apply them in web design

User-centered design involves users at every stage of the process. Here’s how to apply the main principles of this approach to your web projects.

How to become a UX researcher (and what UX researchers actually do)

The UX design process usually begins with the UX researcher. Find out what the job entails and learn valuable advice on how to become a UX researcher.

MVP websites: Launch early and refine fast with these 6 best practices

Here’s how to approach MVP web design to ensure your MVP website includes the essentials when it launches — and how to iterate quickly with user feedback.

The complete guide to Lean UX

Lean UX is an efficient alternative to traditional UX design. Discover how to incorporate the best Lean UX practices to improve your workflow.

Four brilliant ways no-code platforms are improving user onboarding

Reduce friction and activate your users faster – here’s what the most innovative platforms are doing that’s working

Get started for free

Try Webflow for as long as you like with our free Starter plan. Purchase a paid Site plan to publish, host, and unlock additional features.

Transforming the design process at

• Interactions
• Localization
• Figma to Webflow Labs
• DevLink Labs
• Feature index
• Accessibility
• Webflow vs WordPress
• Webflow vs Squarespace
• Webflow vs Shopify
• Webflow vs Contentful
• Webflow vs Sitecore
• Careers We're Hiring
• Webflow Shop
• Accessibility statement
• Terms of Service
• Privacy policy
• Cookie policy
• Cookie preferences
• Freelancers
• Global alliances
• Marketplace
• Libraries Beta
• Hire an Expert
• Made in Webflow
• Become an Expert
• Become a Template Designer
• Become an Affiliate

• Case studies
• Expert advice

User research for beginners: best courses and books

User research is part and parcel of a successful design. Understand people who will use your design, apply this knowledge while creating personas and customer journey maps, put them into use, and you will nail it.

Like any other discipline, user research requires specific knowledge and skills. There is a flood of learning materials on UX both online and offline. But the sources are surprisingly scarce when it comes to user research.

I'm telling you this from my personal experience. When I was transitioning from cultural anthropology into UX, I spent much time figuring out how to apply my knowledge to a new setting.

At that time, I set out to create a list of useful learning assets for those who are new to user research.

Talking to UXPressia users from different countries, I found out that they were looking for something like my list. That’s why I decided to write a post to share with you the useful learning resources on user research for beginners I collected.

I’m going to introduce you to the courses, training, and books created by practitioners for practitioners, and even more. Read on the post to find learning sources that will work best for you.

Best online user research courses for novices

Some of the courses found in this section are free, some are paid. They vary in duration, content, and delivery. Dive in and see which one better suits your needs.

User Experience (UX): The Ultimate Guide to Usability and UX

I put this course first deliberately. It provides a great introduction to user experience and its scope is much wider than just user research. The course is a great starting point even for those who have some UX knowledge. This course will help you put user research in context, making it truly worth your time.

The course contains numerous excellent examples. In a nutshell, it tells a story that develops gradually from lesson to lesson and so does the learner’s understanding of the subject matter.

The course consists of short, easily digestible videos that give an overview of the most common research methods. It also guides you to additional resources to deepen your knowledge.

• In-depth course
• Explains the business value of UX
• Lots of examples
• Practical exercises
• Certificate of completion
• Broad in scope: not all topics cover user research

 User Research – Methods and Best Practices

User Research – Methods and Best Practices  is a part of the six-course series User Researcher Learning Path by Interaction Design Foundation. Whether you’re trying to break into user research and change your career or find some useful research techniques to help you in your current role, this course got you covered.

Combining video lectures with text-based learning materials, the course gives a detailed overview of qualitative research methods.

Don’t be surprised that quantitative research methods are not covered. Qualitative UX research is usually what a professional researcher does at the beginning of a new project. Applying these methods puts you in direct contact with the user. It also allows you to immerse yourself into the context to see the goals, motivations, and tasks from the user’s perspective.

Pay special attention to the lecture on ROI of user research — it may help you convince your boss to invest in UX research.

Tip:  if you have zero experience with UX, check out User Experience: The Beginner’s Guide and Design Thinking: The Beginner’s Guide in the same course series.

• A great mix of educational materials
• Tests with open-ended questions evaluated by the instructor
• Discussion forums
• Requires a basic understanding of UX
• Time-consuming

User Experience: Research & Prototyping

User Experience: Research & Prototyping is a part of the Interaction Design Specialization that covers a broad range of UX topics. Week one of the course is dedicated to qualitative methods and is particularly useful in terms of user research.

The content is video-based, easy to access at any time. One of the perks of this course is that course participants are required to conduct research as a practical exercise. The results of each study are peer-reviewed by other people taking the course. So you get immediate feedback on your work and this helps you learn quickly.

• Practical peer-reviewed assignment
• Evaluated quiz
• Free in the audit mode
• Certificate of completion (only in the full version)
• Partially devoted to research
• Full version is paid

Beyond Usability: Learn the User Research Toolkit

Beyond Usability: Learn the User Research Toolkit presents a high-level overview of both qualitative and quantitative user research methods. It will take you less than an hour to watch the course lectures.

There’s a very brief introduction to user research techniques. But the suggestions for applying different methods to specific problem areas provided at the end of the course are certainly valuable.

Another perk is that the course is divided into bite-sized videos. The course is free.

• Introduction to qualitative and a glimpse of quantitative methods
• Only takes 1 hour
• High-level overview
• Theory-based
• No practical exercises

Books on User Research for Beginners

Reading books on user research may take more time than watching video lectures. But systematic learning is a long-term investment in your project and your career in UX. Here are the best user research books for beginners that I read.

The User Experience Team of One: A Research and Design Survival Guide

The book by Leah Buley is not limited to user research, it’s much broader than that. If you’re the only person in your company who cares about UX, it's a must-read for you.

Leah Buley provided an accurate summary of each chapter. If you don’t have time to read the whole thing, examine the summaries to choose the chapters to read in full.

As for user research beginners, I find two book chapters particularly relevant:

• Chapter 3 , “Building Support for Your Work” gives you some tips and tricks for overcoming common objections to conducting user research.
• The goal of Chapter 6 , “Research Methods” is not to give you a profound understanding of user research methods. Its goal is to give you a set of efficient techniques that will work for almost any project. The author provides an estimated timeline for each method and gives tips on when to use them.
• A comprehensive introduction to UX
• Helpful summaries
• Tips on getting support for UX initiatives and building a career
• Reads easily
• Only research basics are covered

Just Enough Research

In the book Just Enough Research , Erika Hall explains what design research is and what it is not. She demonstrates how to introduce different types of research to your organization when resources are scarce and how to promote the research agenda.

This book is very practical and explains complex concepts in simple language understood by user research beginners. It's quite short and meant to be read in full. While reading, I recommend that you pay special attention to three chapters:

• In Chapter 3 , “The Process”, you will read how to establish a systematic approach to research, no matter the scale of your research initiative. The algorithm described there will help you with all future research endeavors.
• In Chapter 4 , “Organizational research”, the author focuses on the importance of understanding the culture and inner dynamics of the organization you work for or collaborate with as an external consultant for UX activities.
• In Chapter 5 , “User Research”, Erica Hall tells the reader to go beyond usability testing. She advises the reader to leverage elements of ethnography to develop empathy with users. What for? With this method, you will deeply learn the behavior of the people you’re designing for and understand why they act the way they do. If you’re completely new to user research, understanding the users’ context is the place to start.
• Introduction to qualitative and quantitative methods
• Tips on promoting research in your company
• No summaries
• Chapters make better sense when reading in the original order

Observing the User Experience: A Practitioner's Guide to User Research

Observing the User Experience is a user research classic that is not meant to be read in one sitting. Mike Kuniavsky, Elizabeth Goodman, and Andrea Moed encourage the reader to explore the chapters on an as-needed basis.

The book covers in detail a wide range of user research techniques, qualitative and quantitative. The authors provide examples of applying each technique from their own work experience.

This book is written for more advanced users than the first two. It’s on my list because during the discussion of research techniques this book spells out how to analyze research results and present findings to the team.

At the end of the day, the success of your research is not only about doing it right and asking the right questions. It’s also about being able to communicate findings and convince stakeholders.

• In-depth introduction to qualitative and quantitative methods
• Real-life examples from the industry
• Chapters can be read individually in any order
• Intended for a more advanced audience

Finally, I would like to share with you some other sources where you’ll find user research materials.

Additional sources on user research for beginners

Reading blogs may be the easiest way to learn a thing or two about user research without investing too much time. They are also a place to read about the latest trends in the field.

Norman Nielsen Group

Norman Nielsen Group is an industry leader and one of the most authoritative sources on user research and all things UX. Read this article first — it explains how to choose the right research method.

UX Collective

The User Research and User Testing section of the UX Collective’s blog contains different types of articles on the subject matter that are written by practitioners from all over the world.

Usabilityworks

Usabilityworks  is a website created by a renowned user researcher Dana Chisnell. In the blog, she writes about research and data analysis techniques. There is also a small library of public talks the author held over the years.

Ethnography Matters

If you want to learn more about ethnography and how it’s applied in a broader context, try Ethnography Matters .

Last but not least comes the article on secondary research methods which is useful for the cases when direct interaction with users is not available. Though the techniques mentioned there are complementary and should normally go along with actual user research, if you’re having trouble advocating for research in your company, this is a place to start.

Take a step into the unknown

I’m a firm believer that user research doesn’t have to be intimidating. Even ad hoc, beginner-level research activities prove to be effective compared to not doing any research at all. Try out learning materials for user research for beginners from the list, take a leap of faith and throw yourself into the unknown world of user research. I promise it will be fun.

Rate this post