User Research in Product Development

Steve Portigal, a user research consultant, trainer, and author, discusses user research challenges, techniques, and trends.

For over 20 years, Steve has worked with organizations to help them gain insights into their users’ behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes, to design and build products that delight and succeed.

Takeaways

User research helps make informed product management and development decisions by understanding user behaviors, attitudes, and needs.
Mature user research practices involve skilled researchers, infrastructure, and effective documentation and socialization of research findings.
Collaborating with organizations and addressing their specific questions and concerns can promote the value of user research.
Starting with small, impactful research projects can demonstrate the benefits of user research.
User research techniques include watching people, asking questions, and asking people to try things.
Combining qualitative and quantitative methods can provide a more comprehensive understanding of user needs and behaviors.
Collaboration between qualitative and quantitative researchers is essential for a holistic understanding of users.
Getting buy-in and recognition for research findings can be a challenge, but research leaders can advocate for the value of research.
Conflicts between stakeholders’ expectations and user insights can be resolved by presenting research as a starting point for discussion and design opportunities.