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

1. Write each insight on sticky note
2. Group similar insights
3. Name each group (theme)
4. Rank by frequency/impact
5. 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

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

Learning Outcomes

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