5-Phase UX Research Project Guide (+bonus) 📌

What's UX research?

UX research is short for user experience research. Whether you're just getting into the field, or a seasoned veteran, it's helpful to align on the basics. So, we'll define our perspective on both 'user experience' and 'research' — separately and together — to give a view into our mindset and the type of work for which this guide is most applicable.

UX research is the study of a product's user experience to identify/test new opportunities, so that the business can improve key metrics associated with a positive UX.

User experience (UX) is the series of interactions a customer (potential, past, or current) has with a product or service from a business. These interactions can be very direct across many modalities, such as in-person checkout kiosks, phone calls, web page clickthroughs, mobile app swiping, delivery of mailed items, etc. All of which have their own series of sub-interactions. Customer interactions can also be indirect. Examples include apprehensions, sentiment, dialogue 💬, mental models, frustrations, confusions, positives, etc. Furthermore, user experience can be referenced broadly, such as the whole system of interactions a customer has with a business, or more narrowly, such as the series of micro-interactions within a particular product or service.

Research is the work done to understand the current and future-state user experience 🔎. Both qualitative and quantitative research can be conducted to get a better understanding of the direct and indirect touchpoints. The goal is to uncover opportunities to improve the UX, and/or test new ideas to do so. We must understand the user, their context, experience, needs, journey, and more to improve the product—on both the broad and narrow scale. That's because a better understanding through research leads to an improved UX, which correlates with key business metrics, such as higher conversion rates, increased user adoption, greater revenue, reduced costs, better margins, etc.

Why it's beneficial to use a UXR project guide

Predictable deliverables from a standardized UXR process.

Predictable deliverables. Full stop.

The reason to use a standardized project guide in UXR is so that both you and your stakeholders have certainty about what to expect, and when.

We don't subscribe to big bang research. We value sprint-based, fast-paced delivery of useful insights to product teams. That means regularly handing over insights in a fashion that can be easily digested and quickly adopted. This project guide facilitates that process.

Project guides are useful as guardrails to any potential project. Whether you follow it precisely, or make adjustments to tailor it to the work at hand, you've got solid foundation under your feet. Having a standardized UXR process is valuable in that you can think more about the impacts than the process itself. Since the ultimate goal is to drive results for the product and business, a UXR guide keeps you focused more on the outputs, and less on the approach.

The UX research project guide we'll walk through below has been vetted through years of application. Sheer repetition of projects with partner stakeholders (Product Managers, Data Scientists, Engineers, Marketers, Designers, Operations, Executives, etc.), has afforded us the ability to tweak and twist our approach to maximize value.

For all the reasons aforementioned (predictable deliverables, fast-paced, impact-oriented, etc.) we find it tremendously useful to leverage this UXR project guide on most every project. We surmised that you might feel similarly, and so we'll share 🙏.

1. Planning Phase

Planning Phase — outline research objectives necessary for success.

The first step is to establish a sturdy foundation for the project. The Planning phase outlines your research objectives necessary for success. It also justifies connecting with multiple internal stakeholders to download their thoughts and perspectives. This phase is all about establishing proper expectations — expectations others have for the project, and those the UX researcher has for the approach, timing, outputs, and objectives.

The critical output from the Planning phase is the research objectives — guiding principles to focus our efforts while diverging / converging throughout the project.

Housed within the Project Brief key deliverable, the research objectives clearly state the core function of the research to be conducted. Research objectives distill down the lead-in components of the Project Brief: stakeholders, business context, product metrics, and research goal into 2–4 clear objectives that are actionable and geared towards expected impacts / delivery.

Generalized example of Project Brief with bulleted objectives (right).

For a more comprehensive breakdown of the Project Brief and research objectives within, see our article on how to compose a UX research Project Brief. This further details each component with specific examples and tips.

Not the sexiest phase in a UX research project, but planning is a necessary step-1. The Planning phase sets the intended path for: target participants (if applicable), key questions to answer, activities to generate insight, and timeline. All of which provide the essential basis to the Research Protocol in the Execution phase 2.

So, get to it. Meet with your stakeholders, make note of the context, decipher the goal, detail the objectives, and set in motion the wheels ⚙️ of UX research.

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2. Execution Phase

Execution phase — generate raw data necessary to form insights.

The second step is all about execution. Execution. Execution! This phase generates the raw data necessary to formulate insights. The Execution phase is where the actual researching takes place. Formulating your detailed questions, figuring out the best approach to tackle them, and performing your research activities all happen here. Skills that play a significant role in this phase include: interviewing techniques, question design, empathy, curiosity, resourcefulness, interpersonal communication, and more.

The critical output from the Execution phase is the raw user data — the gasoline that fuels the fire of the entire process to follow.

From leveraging the Research Protocol key deliverable, you'll amass significant qualitative and/or quantitative data about the user experience. The Research Protocol is your guide to generating this data from your UX research methods of choice. It serves as your strategic guide to what and why. While the Research Tasks within the protocol specifically detail the tactical how of your live UX research.

Example of Research Tasks overall flow and elements within.

For a more comprehensive breakdown of the 3 Unique Components of a Research Protocol, and the all-so-important Research Tasks within, see our article on how to write research tasks for user experience research. These further describe a recommended structure to follow from a high-level and in-the-weeds scripting standpoint.

While you won't have any eye-bulging insights quite yet, the Execution phase gives you the requisite material (raw data) with which to mold into insights, themes, and recommendations in following phases. And arguably, some of the most interactive (externally) parts of the process, as you reach out to users to engage them via interviews, surveys, observations, tracking, intercepts, focus groups, and more.

So, be sure to take your confidence pills 💊, because now's the time to reach out to the world, build relationships, test your protocols, and bring back valuable data.

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3. Analysis Phase

Analysis phase — break down data to examine for opportunities.

The third step is all about beginning the sense-making process. We've got our raw data, and now we need to analyze it for insights. In the Analysis phase, the UXRr utilizes frameworks to break down the collected data and examine it for opportunities. Parsing, picking, and putting together — Parsing through the data, picking out meaningful quotes / stats / facts, and putting together insights made up of substantiated evidence all happen here. We're looking for quality insights that are quantifiable. Notable skills include: a keen eye for watching, a tuned ear for listening, an engaged brain for learning, and fast fingers for documenting.

The critical output from the Analysis phase is insights — the essential building blocks of meaning.

By leveraging the Journey Map key deliverable, or other structured analysis framework, you'll uncover meaningful insights on how to reduce pain points and increase user value within the scope of the product model. The analysis framework(s) are the tools that guide the insight identification process. Transcribing, editing, and profiling are all supporting processes to this phase. Out of which key insights and early recommendations emerge.

Process of identifying insights through user Journey Mapping

For a more comprehensive breakdown of the Analysis frameworks and processes used in this phase, see our article on how to analyze UX research data for insights. This further details 12 frameworks and how they're used to assist in the data analysis.

And we're not done yet. Insights are just the lead-in to the Synthesis phase. We've been hunting for meaning among our data, spreading it out to have a clear view, and beginning to find UX opportunities upon which we'll create a snowball effect as we locate more substantial evidence. Temporarily reformatting your mind to be analytical-first is the way to succeed. You'll spend your hours with your head submerged in the data, switching off between treading water and diving deep (pls avoid drowning), only to resurface with treasure in-hand in the form of user insights for the business.

So, put on your analytic wetsuit, grab your picking ⛏️ and parsing tools, and wade into the deep waters of data.

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4. Synthesis Phase

Synthesis phase — compile insight themes to deliver recommendations.

The fourth step is all about properly communicating insights and opportunities to improve. The Synthesis phase is focused on compiling compelling insight themes as a vehicle to deliver recommendations. It's like having the perfect present picked out that you're anxious to share (but still needs to be wrapped and tied with a bow). Now, it's a matter of putting it all together into a nice, neat package that effectively communicates and compels stakeholders to action. Valuable skills include: the ability to see broad patterns, simplify complicated ideas, make content engaging, and instigate change.

The critical output from the Synthesis phase is Actionable Recommendations — to give product clear direction on what to change and why.

By leveraging the Insight Themes as the key deliverable, and the user storytelling deck that showcases them, you'll focus the attention of stakeholders towards the specific recommendations to improve. To accomplish this goal, begin by spending the time and energy to sort, arrange, and theme the insights surfaced from the Analysis phase. Then, properly document the Insight Themes with their supporting components — catchy title, user story, verbatim quotes, video evidence, and associated recommendations. As a final step, prioritize the themes, craft the end-to-end story, and summarize the opportunities and recommendations as the upshot.

Process of creating Insight Themes with actionable recommendations.

For a more comprehensive breakdown of the Insight Theme creation process, see our articles on how to create compelling Insight Themes, and closely related, fast-follow process of how to succeed in User Insight Storytelling. These two articles in combination help to hit UXR home runs in terms of stakeholder comprehension and willingness to act.

The excitement is pounding. We now have substantiated evidence for several UX opportunities that are ready to share broadly. Therefore, carefully consider your audience. You know — empathize. What will help open their eyes to the opportunities at-hand (quantification, unquestionable proof, personal stories, etc.)? How can you best deliver insights and recommendations that will be well-received (direct, creative, thorough, etc.)? Figure it out, and put it to work.

So, get into the sharing mood. It's time to make the link 🔗 between your stakeholders, users, and actionable recommendations to improve the UX.

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5. Implementation Phase

Implementation phase — prioritize recommendations and put to the test.

The fifth step is all about forward action. The Implementation phase is when you put your prioritized recommendations to the test. You'll need successful adoption by the product development team, as the pathway to testing actual UX improvements of the user experience. You can't have one without the other. That's why it's important to do the additional work to surface the most valuable recommendations for the product team. Leaving them with too many options will be sure to overwhelm. Therefore, go the extra step to strip the recommendations out of your Insight Themes presentation, clean up, and bring to a shared level of detail. Then, plot, rank, sort, and/or sum as a means to prioritize.

The critical output from the Implementation phase is A/B Testing, and/or actual changes made to the UX — the ultimate measurable outcome for UXR.

By leveraging the Prioritized Recommendations key deliverable, you'll work hand-in-hand with the PM, Product Designer, Engineer, Content Strategist, Marketer, or any other team members to implement the changes necessary. Involved in this process is the ability to repeatedly share the user insights to garner buy-in — whether that's syncing up directly to walk/talk through the Insight Themes, or (even better) pointing stakeholders to where they can read/watch/understand on their own time. This is where those well-documented User Stories, Insight Themes, and Journey Maps extend the value of your work — scaling over time and people within the organization, asynchronously.

Process of fleshing out, ranking, plotting, and prioritizing recommendations.

For a more comprehensive breakdown of the Implementation phase, see our articles on how to prioritize recommendations from UX research and how to make a UX improvement action plan. Both emphasize taking action and instigating changes to improve the user experience. It's how you'll ultimately measure the success of UXR projects.

The goal is to bring as many projects to this point as possible. Some take longer than others. Partnerships are critical to this phase's success. You can't expect to just come in and order everyone around. It takes time, relationships, hard work, business knowledge, and persistence to consistently drive UXR projects through this phase.

So, get out there and starting building influence and mutual respect 🤝 among your partners who control all the levers. It's the only way to create significant and long-lasting impacts to the UX.

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(Bonus) Influence Phase

Influence Phase — elevate UX research to a more strategic level.

The bonus sixth step is all about influencing the organization in a more strategic manner. The Influence phase is your opportunity to elevate UX research to the next level. Generally speaking, no one is directly asking for you to rise to this occasion. It's something we've learned is necessary to ensure the long-term impact and success of the UXR field at large. UXR specialists are in a unique position to become experts on a number of fronts. We leverage day-to-day projects to deeply understand the end-users, stakeholders, product portfolio, and broader marketplace in a more comprehensive / connected way than most. And we use all that knowledge to affect change from the surface all the way to the core of the business.

The critical output from the Influence Phase is the ongoing management of the Insight Database — a strategic asset that gives everyone a view into the consumer like nothing they've ever seen.

Out of which, you'll consistently generate Design Principles as a key deliverable, on a bi-annual basis. The Insight Database is the repository of all user Insight Themes from completed projects, along with the related components. User stories, highlighted verbatim, video evidence, and theme title all get logged into the database, one line at a time. Over the course of 10–20+ projects, you'll begin to be able to identify macro-level themes across your portfolio of insights. The Insight Database will act as a meta synthesis project in itself. Design Principles are Insight Themes on a higher level.

Process of leveraging an Insight Database to generate Design Principles.

For a more comprehensive breakdown of Insight Databases, see our article on how to create a UXR Insight Database to elevate your UX research practice. Additionally, see our article on how to craft powerful Design Principles from UX research that describes the macro synthesis process. Both, in combination, amplify the value, impact, and perspective that UX research brings to the table.

Now you've done it. Your influence is transcending any one particular project and bleeding into the organization at large. At this point, you'll begin to seriously expand your network and sphere of influence. You, and your process, are the expert on the user. You've got a invaluable perspective on what's needed across touchpoints and products. More importantly, you're beginning to see gaps in products and can surface new ventures to the product management team based on the user needs. This is user-centered design.

So go get 'em. You've got all the tools — from the tactical to strategic — to increase the voltage while keeping the lights 💡 on. Be sure to carve out the time in your busy schedule to elevate your (and our) UXR practice.

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Templates with examples for managing a UXR project

UX research template toolbox for guided approach to projects.

If you've gotten this far, you must be interested in our UXR workflow. That make us smile 😊. As a result, we have more to offer! In addition to standardizing the general UX research process, we've gone ahead and generated free-to-use templates that go hand-in-hand. We'll state in advance, they're not mind-boggling in what they can offer. However, they do provide a general structure you can follow, or bend to your wishes. If nothing else, they're a ready-made document with which to start. And that's half the battle.

For more resources, including access to our templates and examples for UXR, visit our sister article, UX Research Templates for Running Projects. In which, you'll see downloadable links to our blank UXR templates, free to use and share.

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