ux-research

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• SKILL.md
• interview-guide-template.md · references/

SKILL.md (first lines)

# UX Research

Plan and execute user research that produces decisions, not just decks. Stack-agnostic. Tool-agnostic.

This skill is for generative and discovery research. For testing existing designs, use `usability-testing`. For mapping the full customer experience, use `journey-mapping`.

---

## When to use

- Starting a new product or major feature without sufficient user understanding
- Diagnosing why something isn't working without clear data signals
- Generating new opportunity hypotheses
- Validating a strategic direction before significant investment
- Building empathy across a team that's drifted from users
- Translating "we should talk to users" intent into a real plan

## When NOT to use

- Testing a specific design or prototype (use `usability-testing`)
- Mapping the full journey of an existing experience (use `journey-mapping`)
- Quantitative measurement (use `analytics-strategy`)
- Conversion testing (use `cro-optimization`)

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## Required inputs

- The research question(s) - what you need to answer
- Stakeholder buy-in (who needs the findings, what decisions hinge on them)
- Access to users (current customers, prospects, lapsed users, target segments)
- Timeline and budget
- Any prior research to build on

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## The framework: 6 phases

### 1. Frame the question

Bad questions produce bad research. Spend disproportionate time on framing.

**Good research questions:**
- Specific (not "How do users feel about our product?")
- Open-ended (not "Do users like feature X?")
- Decision-relevant (the answer changes what gets built)
- Researchable (can be answered through user contact, not just analysis)

**Examples:**

| Weak question | Better question |
|---|---|
| "Do users like our onboarding?" | "Where in onboarding do new users feel uncertain about whether to continue?" |
| "What features should we build?" | "What unmet needs do current users have when [specific job]?" |
| "Why is conversion low?" | "What's the user mental model when they reach the pricing page, and where does it diverge from our intent?" |

### 2. Choose the method

The method follows the question.

**Generative methods (what's true?):**

- **In-depth interviews.** 60 minutes, 5 to 15 participants. Best for understanding context, motivation, mental models.
- **Contextual inquiry.** Observe users in their environment doing their work. Best for workflow understanding.
- **Diary studies.** Participants log their experience over days/weeks. Best for behaviors that don't manifest in a single session.
- **Field research.** Spend time where users live/work. Best for cultural and contextual understanding.
- **Surveys (qualitative-heavy).** When you need broad signal with open-ended responses.

**Validation methods (is this hypothesis right?):**

- **Concept testing.** Show a description, mockup, or prototype. Get reactions.
- **Card sorts.** Validate information architecture.
- **Tree tests.** Validate findability without visual design influence.

(For testing usability of working designs, see `usability-testing`.)

### 3. Recruit

The recruit makes or breaks the research.

**Recruit criteria:**

- Match the audience the research targets (not "anyone willing")
- Mix of behaviors (active users, lapsed users, never-users)
- Mix of demographics where relevant
- Excludes friends, family, employees (biased)
- Excludes professional research participants if possible (different population)

**Recruit channels:**

- In-product recruiting (intercept current users)
- Email outreach to user segments
- Recruiting platforms (UserInterviews, Respondent, etc.)
- Customer support team referrals
- Field intercept for in-person

**Incentive:** Pay participants. Standard rates: $50 to $150 for 60 minutes, more for executives or specialized professions.

**Recruit volume:** Plan for 20 to 30 percent no-show. Recruit 7 to schedule 5.

### 4. Conduct

The interview or session itself.

**Pre-interview:**

- Send confirmation 24 hours and 1 hour before
- Test recording setup (audio quality is non-negotiable)
- Prepare interview guide (see template)
- Have a notetaker if possible (frees the interviewer to focus)

**During the interview:**

- Record video and audio (with consent)
- Open with rapport-building, not the research questions
- Use open-ended questions ("Tell me about the last time...")
- Use silence (let participants fill it; don't rush to the next question)
- Ask "why" but not too many times in a row (becomes interrogation)
- Ask for specifics and examples ("Can you walk me through what you did?")

From rampstackco/claude-skills, MIT.

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