How do you turn research into action?

1 Synthesize data

The first step to turn research into action is to synthesize the data you have collected from various sources, such as interviews, surveys, observations, or analytics. Synthesizing data means finding patterns, themes, and connections among the data points, and organizing them into a coherent and meaningful story. You can use different techniques to synthesize data, such as affinity diagrams, journey maps, personas, or empathy maps. The goal is to create a shared understanding of the user's situation, goals, pain points, and opportunities.

2 Generate insights

The next step is to generate insights from the data you have synthesized. Insights are not just facts or observations, but deeper and actionable statements that reveal something new, surprising, or valuable about the user or the problem. You can use different techniques to generate insights, such as how might we questions, problem statements, or insight statements. The goal is to define the core challenges and opportunities that you want to address with your design.

3 Prioritize problems

Once you have generated insights, you need to prioritize the problems that you want to solve. You cannot solve all the problems at once, so you need to focus on the ones that are most important, urgent, and feasible. You can use different techniques to prioritize problems, such as impact-effort matrix, dot voting, or MoSCoW method. The goal is to create a clear and realistic scope for your design project.

4 Ideate solutions

Now that you have prioritized the problems, you can start ideating solutions. Ideating solutions means generating as many ideas as possible to solve the problems, without judging or filtering them. You can use different techniques to ideate solutions, such as brainstorming, sketching, or prototyping. The goal is to explore different possibilities and alternatives, and to stimulate your creativity and innovation.

5 Test assumptions

Before you implement your solutions, you need to test your assumptions. Testing assumptions means validating or invalidating the hypotheses that you have made about your users, their needs, and your solutions. You can use different techniques to test assumptions, such as experiments, interviews, or usability tests. The goal is to collect feedback and data that will help you improve your design and reduce risks.

6 Iterate designs

The final step is to iterate your designs based on the results of your tests. Iterating designs means making changes and refinements to your solutions, based on the feedback and data you have collected. You can use different techniques to iterate designs, such as wireframes, mockups, or prototypes. The goal is to create a better and more effective design that meets the user's needs and expectations.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?