User Research

User Research Skill

Conduct effective user research to understand customer needs, behaviors, and pain points. Master interview techniques and insight synthesis.

Research Methods

Method Selection Guide

| Method | When | Sample | Duration |

|--------|------|--------|----------|

| Interviews | Deep understanding | 15-25 | 45-60 min |

| Surveys | Quantitative validation | 100+ | 5-10 min |

| Usability | UX issues | 5-8 | 30-60 min |

| Observation | Real behavior | 3-5 | 2-4 hours |

| Analytics | Scale patterns | All users | Ongoing |

Qualitative Research

Interview Structure

OPENING (5 min):
- Intro & rapport
- Permission to record
- Context setting

CONTEXT (10 min):
- Role and responsibilities
- Day-to-day workflow
- Tools used

DEEP DIVE (20 min):
- "Walk me through [process]..."
- "Tell me about last time [problem]..."
- "What frustrates you most?"

IMPACT (10 min):
- "What happens when [problem]?"
- "How much time/money does it cost?"

FUTURE (10 min):
- "What would ideal look like?"
- "What would you pay for [solution]?"

CLOSING (5 min):
- "Anything else?"
- "Can I follow up?"

Interview Best Practices

• Listen 70%, talk 30%
• Ask "Why?" 5 times
• Avoid leading questions
• Use silence effectively
• Capture quotes verbatim

Quantitative Research

Survey Design

Question Types:

• Rating scale (1-5, 1-10)
• Multiple choice
• Open-ended (limit 1-2)
• Ranking

NPS Question:

"How likely are you to recommend [product] to a friend? (0-10)"

Sample Size Calculator

For 95% confidence, 5% margin:
- Population 100 → Sample 80
- Population 500 → Sample 217
- Population 1000 → Sample 278
- Population 10000 → Sample 370

Synthesis

Affinity Mapping

• Write each insight on sticky note
• Group similar insights
• Name each group (theme)
• Rank by frequency/impact
• Extract top 5-10 themes

Persona Template

NAME: [Descriptive name]
ROLE: [Job title, company type]
QUOTE: "[Real quote from research]"

GOALS:
- [Goal 1]
- [Goal 2]

FRUSTRATIONS:
- [Pain 1]
- [Pain 2]

BEHAVIORS:
- [How they work]
- [Tools they use]

NEEDS:
- [Need 1]
- [Need 2]

Journey Map

| Stage | Actions | Emotions | Pain Points | Opportunities |

|-------|---------|----------|-------------|---------------|

| Aware | Search | Curious | Hard to find | SEO, content |

| Consider | Compare | Confused | Too many options | Comparison |

| Purchase | Buy | Anxious | Complex checkout | Simplify |

| Use | Onboard | Overwhelmed | Steep learning | Better UX |

Troubleshooting

Yaygın Hatalar & Çözümler

| Hata | Olası Sebep | Çözüm |

|------|-------------|-------|

| Low response | Wrong incentive | $50-100 gift card |

| Surface insights | Leading questions | "Why?" 5x |

| Conflicting data | Mixed segments | Segment analysis |

| No show | Scheduling issues | Calendar hold, reminder |

Debug Checklist

[ ] Research plan documented mi?
[ ] Sample size sufficient mi?
[ ] Questions non-leading mi?
[ ] Recording consent alındı mı?
[ ] Synthesis done within 24h mi?
[ ] Insights actionable mi?

Recovery Procedures

• Low Participation → Increase incentive, new channels
• Conflicting Data → Segment by user type
• Shallow Insights → Follow-up interviews

Learning Outcomes

• Plan effective research studies
• Conduct insightful interviews
• Design valid surveys
• Synthesize research data
• Present actionable insights