user research types

Save 15% or more when you register for 3+ upcoming courses Until January 21

When to Use Which User-Experience Research Methods

July 17, 2022 2022-07-17

• Email article
• Share on LinkedIn
• Share on Twitter

The field of user experience has a wide range of  research methods  available, ranging from tried-and-true methods such as lab-based usability testing to those that have been more recently developed, such as unmoderated UX assessments.

While it's not realistic to use the full set of methods on a given project, nearly all projects would benefit from multiple research methods and from combining insights. Unfortunately, many design teams only use one or two methods that they are most familiar with. The key question is what to use when.

In This Article:

Three-dimensional framework, the attitudinal vs. behavioral dimension, the qualitative vs. quantitative dimension, the context of product use, phases of product development (the time dimension), art or science, 20 ux methods in brief.

To better understand when to use which method, it is helpful to view them along a  3-dimensional framework  with the following axes:

• Attitudinal vs. Behavioral
• Qualitative vs. Quantitative
• Context of Use

The following chart illustrates where 20 popular methods appear along these dimensions:

This distinction can be summed up by  contrasting "what people say" versus "what people do"  (very often the two are quite different). The purpose of attitudinal research is usually to understand or measure people's stated beliefs, but it is limited by what people are aware of and willing to report.

While most  usability studies should rely on behavior , methods that use self-reported information can still be quite useful to designers. For example,  card sorting  provides insights about users' mental model of an information space and can help determine the best information architecture for your product, application, or website.  Surveys  measure and categorize attitudes or collect self-reported data that can help track or discover important issues to address.  Focus groups tend to be less useful for usability  purposes, for a variety of reasons, but can provide a top-of-mind view of what people think about a brand or product concept in a group setting.

On the other end of this dimension, methods that focus mostly on behavior seek to understand "what people do" with the product or service in question. For example  A/B testing  presents changes to a site's design to random samples of site visitors but attempts to hold all else constant, in order to see the effect of different site-design choices on behavior, while  eyetracking  seeks to understand how users visually interact with a design or visual stimulus.

Between these two extremes lie the two most popular methods we use: usability studies and  field studies . They utilize a mixture of self-reported and behavioral data and can move toward either end of this dimension, though leaning toward the behavioral side is generally recommended.

The distinction here is an important one and goes well beyond the narrow view of qualitative as in an open-ended survey question. Rather, studies that are qualitative in nature generate data about behaviors or attitudes based on observing or hearing them  directly , whereas in  quantitative studies , the data about the behavior or attitudes in question are gathered  indirectly , through a measurement or an instrument such as a survey or an  analytics tool . In field studies and usability testing, for example, researchers directly observe how people use (or do not use) technology to meet their needs or to complete tasks. These observations give them the ability to ask questions, probe on behavior, or possibly even adjust the study protocol to better meet study objectives. Analysis of the data is usually not mathematical.

In contrast, the kind of data collected in quantitative methods is predetermined — it could include task time, success, whether the user has clicked on a given UI element or whether they selected a certain answer to a multiple-choice question. The insights in quantitative methods are typically derived from mathematical analysis, since the instrument of data collection (e.g., survey tool or analytics tool) captures such large amounts of data that are automatically coded numerically.

Due to the  nature of their differences ,  qualitative  methods are much better suited for answering questions about  why  or  how to fix  a problem, whereas  quantitative  methods do a much better job answering  how many  and  how much  types of questions. Having such numbers helps prioritize resources, for example to focus on issues with the biggest impact. The following chart illustrates how the first two dimensions affect the types of questions that can be asked:

The third distinction has to do with how and whether participants in the study are using the product or service in question. This can be described as:

• Natural  or near-natural use of the product
• Scripted  use of the product
• Limited  in which a limited form of the product is used to study a specific aspect of the user experience
• Not using  the product during the study (decontextualized)

When studying  natural use  of the product, the goal is to minimize interference from the study in order to understand behavior or attitudes as close to reality as possible. This provides greater external validity but less control over what topics you learn about. Many ethnographic field studies attempt to do this, though there are always some observation biases. Intercept surveys and data mining or other analytic techniques are quantitative examples of this.

A  scripted  study of product usage is done in order to focus the insights on specific product areas, such as a newly redesigned flow. The degree of scripting can vary quite a bit, depending on the study goals. For example, a benchmarking study is usually very tightly scripted, so that it can produce reliable  usability metrics by ensuring consistency across participants.

Limited  methods use a limited form of a product to study a specific or abstracted aspect of the experience. For example, participatory-design methods allow users to interact with and rearrange design elements that  could  be part of a product experience, in order discuss how their proposed solutions would meet their needs and why they made certain choices. Concept-testing methods employ an expression of the idea of a product or service that gets at the heart of what it would provide (and not at the details of the experience) in order to understand if users would want or need such a product or service.  Card sorting and tree testing focus on how the information architecture is or could be arranged to best make sense to participants and make navigation easier.

Studies where the  product is not used  are conducted to examine issues that are broader than usage and usability, such as a study of the brand or discovering the aesthetic attributes that participants associate with a specific design style.

Many of the methods in the chart can move along one or more dimensions, and some do so even in the same study, usually to satisfy multiple goals. For example, field studies can focus a little more on what people say (ethnographic interviews) or emphasize studying what they do (extended observations); concept testing, desirability studies, and card sorting have both qualitative and quantitative versions; and eyetracking can be natural or scripted.

Another important distinction to consider when making a choice among research methodologies is the phase of product development and its associated objectives.  For example, in the beginning of the product-development process, you are typically more interested in the strategic question of what direction to take the product, so methods at this stage are often generative in nature, because they help generate ideas and answers about which way to go.  Once a direction is selected, the design phase begins, so methods in this stage are well-described as formative, because they inform how you can improve the design.  After a product has been developed enough to measure it, it can be assessed against earlier versions of itself or competitors, and methods that do this are called summative. This following table describes where many methods map to these stages in time:

While many user-experience research methods have their roots in scientific practice, their aims are not purely scientific and still need to be adjusted to meet stakeholder needs. This is why the characterizations of the methods here are meant as general guidelines, rather than rigid classifications.

In the end, the success of your work will be determined by how much of an impact it has on improving the user experience of the website or product in question. These classifications are meant to help you make the best choice at the right time.

Here’s a short description of the user research methods shown in the above chart:

Usability testing (aka usability-lab studies): Participants are brought into a lab, one-on-one with a researcher, and given a set of  scenarios that lead to tasks  and usage of specific interest within a product or service.

Field studies : Researchers  study participants in their own environment (work or home), where they would most likely encounter the product or service being used in the most realistic or natural environment.

Contextual inquiry : Researchers and participants collaborate together in the participants own environment to inquire about and observe the nature of the tasks and work at hand. This method is very similar to a field study and was developed to study complex systems and in-depth processes.

Participatory design : Participants are given design elements or creative materials in order to construct their ideal experience in a concrete way that expresses what matters to them most and why.

Focus groups : Groups of 3–12 participants are led through a discussion about a set of topics, giving verbal and written feedback through discussion and exercises.

Interviews : a researcher meets with participants one-on-one to discuss in depth what the participant thinks about the topic in question.

Eyetracking : an eyetracking device is configured to precisely measure where participants look as they perform tasks or interact naturally with websites, applications, physical products, or environments.

Usability benchmarking : tightly scripted usability studies are performed with larger numbers of participants, using precise and predetermined measures of performance, usually with the goal of tracking usability improvements of a product over time or comparing with competitors.

Remote moderated testing :  Usability studies are conducted remotely , with the use of tools such as video conferencing, screen-sharing software, and remote-control capabilities.

Unmoderated testing: An automated method that can be used in both quantitative and qualitative studies and that uses a specialized research tool to capture participant behaviors and attitudes, usually by giving participants goals or scenarios to accomplish with a site, app, or prototype. The tool can  record a video stream of each user session, and can gather usability metrics such as success rate, task time, and perceived ease of use.

Concept testing : A researcher shares an approximation of a product or service that captures the key essence (the value proposition) of a new concept or product in order to determine if it meets the needs of the target audience. It can be done one-on-one or with larger numbers of participants, and either in person or online.

Diary studies : Participants are using a mechanism (e.g., paper or digital diary, camera, smartphone app) to record and describe aspects of their lives that are relevant to a product or service or simply core to the target audience.  Diary studies  are typically longitudinal and can be done only for data that is easily recorded by participants.

Customer feedback : Open-ended and/or close-ended information is provided by a self-selected sample of users, often through a feedback link, button, form, or email.

Desirability studies : Participants are offered different visual-design alternatives and are expected to associate each alternative with a set of attributes selected from a closed list. These studies can be both qualitative and quantitative.

Card sorting : A quantitative or qualitative method that asks users to organize items into groups and assign categories to each group. This method helps  create or refine the information architecture  of a site by exposing users’  mental models .

Tree testing : A quantitative method of testing an information architecture to determine how easy it is to find items in the hierarchy. This method can be conducted on an existing information architecture to benchmark it and then again, after the information architecture is improved with card sorting, to demonstrate improvement.

Analytics : Analyzing data collected from user behavior like clicks, form filling, and other recorded interactions. It requires the site or application to be instrumented properly in advance.

Clickstream analytics:  A particular type of analytics that involves analyzing the sequence of pages that users visit as they use a site or software application.

A/B testing  (aka  multivariate testing , live testing, or bucket testing): A method of scientifically testing different designs on a site by randomly assigning groups of users to interact with each of the different designs and measuring the effect of these assignments on user behavior.

Surveys : A quantitative measure of attitudes through a series of questions, typically more closed-ended than open-ended .  A survey that is triggered during the use of a site or application is an intercept survey, often triggered by user behavior. More typically, participants are recruited from an email message or reached through some other channel such as social media.

In-Depth Course

More details about the methods and the dimensions of use in the full-day training course  User Research Methods: From Strategy to Requirements to Design  and the article  A Guide to Using User-Experience Research Methods .

Free Downloads

Related courses, user research methods: from strategy to requirements to design.

Pick the best UX research method for each stage in the design process

Discovery: Building the Right Thing

Conduct successful discovery phases to ensure you build the best solution

Usability Testing

Plan, conduct, and analyze your own studies, whether in person or remote

Related Topics

• Research Methods Research Methods
• User Testing
• Analytics & Metrics

Learn More:

Enable cookies  to watch NN/g videos

When to Use Which UX Research Method

Attitudinal vs. Behavioral Research

Page Laubheimer · 4 min

Competitive Reviews vs. Competitive Research

Therese Fessenden · 4 min

15 User Research Methods to Know Beyond Usability Testing

Samhita Tankala · 3 min

Related Articles:

Open-Ended vs. Closed Questions in User Research

Maria Rosala · 5 min

Competitive Usability Evaluations

Tim Neusesser · 6 min

Why and How to Use Demographics in UX

Samhita Tankala · 6 min

A Guide to Using User-Experience Research Methods

Kelley Gordon and Christian Rohrer ·

Confounding Variables in Quantitative Studies

Caleb Sponheim · 5 min

UX Research Methods: Glossary

Raluca Budiu · 12 min

• Book a Demo

Types of User Research: 10 Game-Changing Methods to Know

This comprehensive guide explores the different types of user research in UX design, covering both qualitative and quantitative methods. It delves into 10 essential research techniques, including user interviews, surveys, usability testing, and more. The article explains when to use each method, what kind of data they gather, and recommended tools for implementation. Additionally, it addresses frequently asked questions about UX research, discusses the main dimensions of research, and highlights the importance of user research in creating successful, user-centered products. Whether you're a novice or experienced UX designer, this guide provides valuable insights into conducting effective user research throughout the product development lifecycle.

User research is the backbone of successful product design and development. By understanding the needs, behaviors, and preferences of users, companies can create products and services that truly resonate with their target audience. There are various types of user research methods available to UX professionals, each serving a unique purpose in the design process. From interviews to usability testing, these approaches offer different ways to get to the heart of what your users need. 

In this article, we'll explore the different types of UX research that can shape your product development, giving you a clear understanding of which methods to use and when.

Understanding different types of user research

What is the basic user research.

Basic user research involves collecting fundamental insights into how users interact with a product or service. It focuses on understanding user needs, pain points, and behaviors. This includes methods like surveys, interviews, and observations. These types of user research are essential for establishing a foundation for product design and development, allowing teams to create user-centered experiences.

What is primary and secondary user research?

Primary user research involves gathering firsthand data directly from users through methods like interviews, focus groups, or usability tests. It offers deep insights specific to your product. On the other hand, secondary user research uses existing data from studies, reports, or articles to inform decisions. Both types of UX research complement each other, with primary research providing fresh data and secondary research offering broader industry perspectives. Understanding the different types of user research can help in creating a well-rounded research strategy.

How many types of research are there in UX?

There are several types of user research in UX, typically categorized into qualitative and quantitative, attitudinal vs. behavioral, the context of product use, and phases of product development. Le’s discuss these in the next section. 

What are the 4 main types of research?

• The attitudinal vs. behavioral dimension

This dimension focuses on what users say versus what they do.

• Attitudinal research: Focuses on users' stated beliefs, perceptions, and attitudes.
• Behavioral research: Observes actual user actions and behaviors.
• The qualitative vs. quantitative dimension

This dimension distinguishes between descriptive and numerical data.

• Qualitative research: Provides rich, descriptive data about user behaviors and motivations.
• Quantitative research: Generates numerical data that can be statistically analyzed.
• The context of product use

This dimension considers where and how the research is conducted.

• Natural or near-natural use of the product
• Scripted use of the product
• Not using the product during the study
• Hybrid methods
• Phases of product development (the time dimension)

This dimension aligns research methods with different stages of product development.

• Pre-design research: Understanding user needs before design begins
• Early-design research: Testing initial concepts and prototypes
• Mid-design research: Refining and iterating on designs
• Post-release research: Evaluating the product after launch

What are user research methods in UX? 

Here are the 10 best user research methods that can help you create a comprehensive research plan that addresses various aspects of user behavior, attitudes, and interactions throughout the product development lifecycle.

1. User Interviews

User interviews include one-on-one conversations with users to gather in-depth insights about their experiences, needs, and pain points. These allow for follow-up questions and clarifications.

When to use: Early in the design process to understand user needs, or later to gather feedback on specific features.

Best for gathering: In-depth qualitative insights, personal stories, and motivations.

Tools: Zoom, Google Meet, or Skype along with Looppanel

Read this blog to learn how to analyze user interviews .

Surveys are structured questionnaires to collect quantitative and qualitative data from a large number of users. Surveys can reach a wide audience quickly and efficiently.

When to use: To gather data on user preferences, behaviors, or demographics from a large sample size.

Best for gathering: Quantitative data, trends, and patterns across a large user base.

Tools: Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, Typeform, Qualtrics

3. Usability Testing

Usability testing involves observing users as they interact with a product to identify usability issues and areas for improvement. This method provides direct insights into how users navigate and use a product.

When to use: Throughout the design process, from early prototypes to finished products.

Best for gathering: Direct observations of user behavior, usability issues, and task completion rates.

Tools: UserTesting, Maze, Hotjar, Lookback

4. Card Sorting

Card sorting is a method where users organize topics into categories to help structure content or navigation. This helps understand users' mental models and expectations.

When to use: When designing information architecture or organizing content for a website or app.

Best for gathering: Insights on users' mental models and how they categorize information.

Tools: Miro, UserZoom, 

5. A/B Testing

Here, you compare two versions of a design to see which performs better with users. This method relies on statistical analysis to determine significant differences.

When to use: When you have a specific hypothesis about a design change and want to measure its impact.

Best for gathering: Quantitative data on user preferences between design variations.

Tools: Optimizely, Google Optimize, VWO

6. Heatmaps

Heatmaps are the visual representations of where users click, tap, or scroll on a page. Heatmaps provide aggregate data on user interactions with a design.

When to use: To understand user behavior on live websites or prototypes.

Best for gathering: Aggregated data on user interactions and attention patterns.

Tools: Hotjar, Crazy Egg, FullStory

7. Contextual Inquiry

This method involves observing and interviewing users in their natural environment as they use a product. This method provides rich, contextual data about real-world product use.

When to use: To gain deep insights into user behavior and the context of product use.

Best for gathering: Rich, contextual data on real-world product usage and environmental factors.

Tools: Field notes, audio/video recording devices

8. Persona Creation

Developing fictional characters based on user research to represent different user types. Personas help teams empathize with users and make user-centered decisions.

When to use: Early in the design process to guide decision-making and keep the team focused on user needs.

Best for gathering: Synthesized user archetypes based on research data.

Tools: Xtensio, UXPressia, Miro

9. Journey Mapping

It's about creating a visual representation of a user's experience with a product over time. This method helps identify pain points and opportunities across the entire user journey.

When to use: To identify pain points and opportunities for improvement in the user's journey.

Best for gathering: Holistic view of user experience across multiple touchpoints and over time.

Tools: Miro, Smaply, UXPressia

Learn How to Do User Journey Mapping in this detailed guide.

10. Diary Studies

In this method, users record their experiences, thoughts, and behaviors over a period of time. This method captures longitudinal data about product usage and user attitudes.

When to use: To understand long-term user behavior and product usage patterns.

Best for gathering: Longitudinal data on user behavior, attitudes, and product usage over time.

Tools: Dscout, Indeemo, Dedoose

User research isn't one-size-fits-all. Each type serves a specific purpose in helping you understand your users better. The key is picking the right method at the right time. The best insights often come from mixing different research methods. For example, you might start with interviews to understand user needs, then follow up with usability testing to see how well your solution works.

The most important thing is to keep learning about your users. Every piece of research, big or small, helps build a clearer picture of who they are and what they need.

Ready to start organizing your user research? Looppanel makes it easy to record, transcribe, and analyze user interviews. Our AI-powered platform helps you find patterns in your research data and share insights with your team.

Book a demo to learn more about Looppanel.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

1. what kind of research methods do you use in ux design.

UX designers employ various research methods including user interviews, surveys, usability testing, card sorting, A/B testing, heatmaps, contextual inquiry, persona creation, journey mapping, and diary studies. These methods help gather both qualitative and quantitative data to understand user needs, behaviors, and preferences throughout the design process.

2. What kind of research do UX designers do?

UX designers conduct both qualitative and quantitative research to understand user needs, behaviors, and preferences. This includes exploratory research to identify problems, generative research to create solutions, evaluative research to test designs, and ongoing research to refine products. Methods range from interviews and surveys to usability tests and analytics analysis.

3. What are the different fields of user experience research?

User experience research encompasses several fields:

• Information Architecture
• Interaction Design
• Usability Engineering
• User Interface Design
• Content Strategy
• User Research

These fields focus on different aspects of the user experience, from organizing information to designing interactions and evaluating usability.

4.What are the 7 pillars of user experience?

The 7 pillars of user experience are:

5. What are the 4 C's of user experience?

The 4 C's of user experience are:

• Consistency
• Convenience

6.What are the four stages of UX research?

The four stages of UX research are:

• Discover: Understand the problem and user needs
• Explore: Generate and evaluate potential solutions
• Test: Validate designs with users
• Listen: Gather feedback and iterate

7. What are the different types of users in UX design?

In UX design, users are typically categorized based on their characteristics, behaviors, and needs. Common types include:

• Novice users
• Expert users
• Occasional users
• Frequent users
• Accessibility users
• Power users

8. What are the reasons for doing UX research

UX research is crucial for:

• Understanding user needs and pain points
• Validating design decisions
• Reducing development costs by identifying issues early
• Improving user satisfaction and retention
• Gaining a competitive edge
• Aligning product features with user expectations
• Informing data-driven design decisions

9. What results can i expect from UX research?

UX research typically yields:

• Insights into user behaviors and preferences
• Identification of usability issues and pain points
• Data to support design decisions
• User personas and journey maps
• Prioritized feature recommendations
• Metrics for user satisfaction and task completion
• Opportunities for innovation and improvement in the product

Table of Contents

Get the best resources for UX Research, in your inbox

More from looppanel.