The what, why, and how of user research and testing

User research and testing are all about understanding people—what they need, why they act the way they do, and how they engage with your product or service. These insights are the key to creating experiences that truly work.

In this article, we’ll get to the heart of user research and testing: what they are, why they matter, and how to carry out these processes effectively. Whether you’re designing, developing, or strategizing, this guide will help you connect with your users and create something that makes a real impact.

For any product to succeed, it must meet end users’ needs, whether these are customers, employees, volunteers, students, or anyone else.

User research includes all types of testing and information-gathering related to users. Types of research differ depending on the product and function.

Here are some examples of user research:

• Sending out an online survey to customers that asks them to rate your product on a scale from 1 to 5

• A focus group where the facilitator asks participants about their experience using an app

Usability testing involves observing real users completing tasks to identify pain points, inefficiencies, or confusion. Here are some examples of tasks you might observe:

• Users placing a product into the shopping cart on an ecommerce website

• Users signing up for a newsletter on a website

Usability testing determines how “usable” (user-friendly) a product is. It is closely linked to user experience (UX) and is more than a measure of how well a product works; it explores how users feel about it.

It’s hard to know for certain how customers will react when you release a new product. The same is true if you make significant changes to an existing product. Only having programmers, designers, and other team members test the product can distort your view. In contrast, having users test your product can alert you to critical issues.

Here are some advantages of conducting user research and testing:

Improves product design

Testing can help you better understand users’ needs and preferences. Even small design changes, such as changing the colors or size of a call-to-action button, can affect how users feel about a product.

Saves time and money

If a feature is glitchy, slow, or unpopular, you must be aware of it as soon as possible. Without sufficient testing, you may not spot the problem for months.

Testing alerts you to issues before they cost you money and disappoint customers. It’s much cheaper to make changes while still in the testing phase.

Increases customer satisfaction

Releasing products before they are ready can frustrate customers, harm your reputation, and impact sales. It’s better to find an issue in testing than to read about it later in a customer review. Some people will return products or cancel subscriptions if they are unhappy.

Satisfied customers are essential for building your brand and reputation. Customers who don’t have a good experience using your products may not complain or ask for a refund, but they are unlikely to remain loyal. Testing lets you remove glitches and provide the best possible experience.

The following are examples of common types of user research.

Qualitative user research

Qualitative user research methods, such as interviews or focus groups, involve learning about users by observing them or asking open-ended questions. You can get in-depth answers and learn the “why” behind people’s choices when talking to participants, whether one-to-one or in a group.

Conducting qualitative research can be time-consuming and costly. Another potential pitfall is that samples may not be representative of your target audience. For example, if you conduct interviews or focus groups with local residents, you only sample people in a limited area.

Quantitative user research

Polls and surveys are typical examples of quantitative methods. They often involve asking people multiple choice or “yes or no” questions.

You can gather large amounts of data from users with quantitative research, and you have many ways to get responses, including email, social media, or traditional offline methods (such as paper forms).

Quantitative user research is cheaper than qualitative methods. On the downside, the data you get may be less thorough and overly simplified. For example, if people tell you they don’t like a certain product or feature, you may not know why.

Behavioral research

Another distinction in research methods is between attitudinal and behavioral. Methods such as interviews, focus groups, and surveys are attitudinal—they reveal people’s attitudes or opinions.

Attitudinal research depends on users being honest. People are not always completely forthright, even with themselves. Behavioral research eliminates this issue. It doesn’t rely on what people say; it observes what they do. Here are some examples:

• Observing people in natural settings: e.g., shoppers in a store, children in a classroom, or people in a restaurant

• Eye tracking: used for analyzing user interactions with apps and web pages

• Heat maps: visual representations of user behavior, showing navigation patterns on a page

• Clickstream analysis: tracks user navigation during tasks, such as the steps taken from selecting an item to completing a purchase

Here are some popular and time-tested methods for conducting user research:

A/B testing

A/B or split testing is a simple way to compare two variables. For example, you can use it to test whether users are more likely to click a round or rectangular button.

Interviews

Interviews, whether in person or remote, are a type of qualitative research you can use to get feedback from users.

Keep these points in mind to get the best results:

• Choose participants who represent your target audience.

• Ask the right questions. Open-ended questions that let people express their opinions are a good way to get helpful feedback.

• Don’t let bias affect your questions. For example, you may not get valuable responses if all the questions have a positive bias, such as “What did you like best about the product?”.

Surveys

Surveys can provide qualitative and quantitative feedback. You can choose from many different types and approaches; for example, you might conduct a survey in person, by phone, by email, or by print mail, and you can ask questions in yes or no, multiple-choice, or open-ended format. 

As with all research, you must survey the right people and adopt a narrow focus. Focussing on a small number of key issues is best as you can target important issues. People are also more likely to respond to shorter surveys than longer ones. Create multiple surveys if you want to ask many questions; don’t overwhelm participants by cramming them into one survey.

Here’s a run-through of how to conduct usability testing.

In person vs. remote

Decide whether to conduct tests remotely or in person.

In-person testing is usually qualitative research involving interviews or focus groups. Observing participants’ facial expressions and body language is a big advantage of talking to people in person. People attending a session may also be more committed than someone replying at home. The main downside is that setting up live sessions is costlier and more time-consuming.

You can conduct remote research online or by phone to reach more people from anywhere in the world in less time. With live sessions, you’re limited to people in specific areas.

A possible downside is that participants may be less focused and committed. Additionally, you cannot see body language and facial expressions unless you conduct video interviews.

Moderated vs. unmoderated

Choose whether to conduct moderated or unmoderated testing.

Moderated testing can be remote or in-person. A facilitator observes participants as they complete tasks. Participants in unmoderated studies complete tasks at their own pace, unobserved.

Testing timeline

Here’s the step-by-step process for testing:

1. Planning: identify your goals, priorities, and budget, and consider what stage you are starting from. Is your product new, or are you relaunching an existing product? Is it ready for the market, or are you still planning the design?

2. Recruit participants: identify the best way to find people who represent your audience.

3. Select a testing method: identify the type of test and what you will need. For example, for a live interview, prepare questions and decide who will moderate the interview.

4. Create the tasks: create realistic tasks, ensure the prototype is functional, and set up tools like screen recorders to streamline the test and gather valuable insights.

5. Conduct the tests: facilitate sessions, observe, and take notes.

6. Analyze the results: identify patterns, usability issues, and key insights.

User testing offers clear benefits to companies. Here are some real-life examples:

Instagram and unskippable ads

Instagram recently confirmed that it is testing unskippable ads—ads users must read or watch to keep scrolling. As CNET reports, this seems to be an unpopular feature that users find annoying. If Instagram had released this feature on a large scale, it could have damaged the brand, highlighting the importance of user testing.

Spotify and music videos

The music streaming company Spotify has been beta-testing music videos—a fairly big change for a service known for audio content. Based on a limited release to some Premium subscribers, Spotify found that people who watch a music video are 34% more likely to listen to the song again a week later.

Here are some tools and resources for user research and testing.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a free service that analyzes website data. It’s one of the simplest ways to identify audience behavior and demographics, such as website visitors' locations, the devices they use, and how long they spend on your pages.

TL;DV

TL;DV is useful for conducting video interviews. It has many functions, including recording, editing, and transcribing calls. It also integrates with Slack and many other tools.

Tally

Tally is among the best tools for creating surveys and other online forms. The free plan’s features include unlimited forms and submissions, file uploads, and integrations.

Maze

You can start using Maze—a leading usability testing tool—for free and conduct one study per month. It provides many helpful articles, podcasts, and other resources with tips on getting the most out of testing.

Dovetail

Dovetail has many tools and resources to aid user research and testing. The tool uses the latest AI technology to provide customer insights for many products and industries.

User testing and research help you save time and money by avoiding costly mistakes. Making changes to a product is complicated and costly after it has been released, and complaints and negative reviews can harm your brand. Testing and research ensure that you offer the best possible version of your product.

You should first identify your goals and priorities. What elements need testing most urgently?

Your budget is also a key factor. If your budget is low, you can start with quantitative methods, such as emailing surveys. With a larger budget, you can consider more costly methods such as in-person interviews.

User research and testing are complementary processes. You may need to conduct several types of research, including surveys, to meet users’ needs. At the same time, usability testing can provide key insights, especially for product design. Mixed methods research is an effective way to incorporate a combination of approaches.