8 Reasons Why UX Research Is Important

UX research stands for user experience research, which aims to understand people’s needs, motivations, and behaviour through observational techniques such as ethnography and task analysis. This research provides helpful insights into the design of products, including website design.

UX research helps to reduce uncertainty about users’ wants and needs. This benefits not only the user but also the product on offer and the business.? UX research is dependent on the process involved and the objectives that have been set in the first place. Below are 8 reasons why UX research is important.

1. Input for the rest of the design process

UX design research comes first at the start of a project’s design process, as without it, the work will only be based on assumptions and personal experiences, which is not objective.

2. Understand users' goals and motivations

UX research will help you gain knowledge about the users and their needs, motivations, goals and behaviour.

3. Learn of any potential problems

It helps to show you how they operate with a system, where they experience problems and their emotional state when interacting with a product.

4. Understand users' behaviour

In looking at people’s behaviours, UX research helps to resolve everyday problems, use of products and more. It looks at specific deep insights about the user instead of broad data to give direction into the design of the product and to what extent users’ needs are met. Therefore, looking behind what people are actually saying through their actions.

5. Evidence-based insights rather than relying on assumptions

Throughout each step of the design process, UX research can be applied to provide insights into helping to identify and prove or disprove assumptions, recognise the target audience’s needs, wants and mental state and find commonalities.?

UX research can manipulate testing via time allocations, iterations, types of tests and other elements to achieve a complete picture of participants' use of the product.

Usability tests can also be done online for cost and time benefits as well as to measure the ethnographic considerations for the whole development process. Pastel is one such example of website usability testing.

6. Enhancing user experience

Build designs that are easy to use and engaging for the end user.

7. Developing designs that are relevant to the user

Producing designs that are relevant to the end user. Having a clear understanding of the user will allow this to happen. It will enable you to understand how and when the end user will interact with the product and resolve any potential issues. Plus, UX research is helpful when a business has to decide between different design solutions.

8. Better return on investment

The bottom line of user experience design is understanding your return on investment (ROI). Initially, incorporating the insights gained through research into a product's design will allow businesses to reduce the time spent on product development, minimize the likelihood of redesign costs, and raise user satisfaction.