My approach to UX research

My approach to UX research blends an agile, flexible mindset with a commitment to rigor and long-term understanding of user behavior. Inspired byDesign Thinking and Continuous Research, I aim to balance deep, meaningful insights with a practical, always-on approach that adapts to the evolving needs of the product and its users.

Continuous research for me is about establishing consistent research activities and rituals that go beyond traditional project timelines and briefs. This 'always-on' approach allows us to gather real-time insights consistently, supporting iterative decision-making while simultaneously building a robust, long-term model of our people.

I believe there’s no single formula for effective UX research; instead, it’s a creative and exploratory process. By blending structured frameworks with innovative approaches, I seek to uncover the best ways to understand human behavior and adapt as user needs evolve. This ensures that each product decision is backed by meaningful insights and designed for real impact.

“We spend a lot time designing the bridge, but not enough time thinking about the people who are crossing it”
— Dr. Prabhjot Singh, Director of Systems Design at the Earth Institute

Triangulating Insights for Informed Desicion-making

Approaching UX research through this triangular framework enables a balanced, multi-angle view of user needs and challenges. Each corner represents a unique but complementary approach, and (if possible) combining at least two areas enhances the credibility and depth of findings through triangulation.

  • Study: By examining all existing behavioral and metric data and historical information related to the problem, this approach provides contextual knowledge. It uncovers patterns, trends, and prior learnings that help ground research with a strong baseline, making it easier to identify gaps and shape informed hypotheses.

  • Ask: Engaging directly with users and stakeholders through interviews, surveys, or feedback sessions captures firsthand insights. This approach reveals personal motivations, subjective experiences, and contextual nuances that can only emerge from direct interaction, providing a rich layer of depth to the research.

  • Observe: Real-world observation, through field studies, usability tests, or natural user interactions, captures authentic behaviors in context. Observing actions often highlights usability issues and patterns that may not surface in conversations,

Utilizing at least two of these approaches ensures that insights are well-rounded and validated from multiple angles, leading to a more accurate understanding of user needs and effective, reliable solutions.

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A Holistic Framework for Impact-Driven UX

I developed an extended version of the Double Diamond framework to address an often-missed aspect of UXR: measuring and understanding the impact of implemented solutions. This extended model not only guides the design and development phases but also introduces an additional phase called 'Improve,' which emphasizes the importance of assessing and enhancing the effectiveness of each solution once it’s live, through continuous research and iteration.

Using this framework, I map out distinct research methodologies for each phase of product or feature development:

  • Generative Research is used to uncover user behaviors, needs, and frustrations, providing direction for ideation.

  • Formative Research refines concepts by understanding which design elements resonate with users and which need adjustment.

  • Evaluative research is an iterative process that assesses the overall experience and ensures that the design meets user expectations and business goals.

This approach allows for a more holistic understanding of user experience, ensuring that each stage of development is grounded in relevant insights, making it possible to iterate continuously and understand whether we have built a successful solution

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