Why UX research is the key to success
In extreme cases, UX research can determine whether you have invested a lot of money in a product that your users love or one that nobody needs. That's why, as a UX Researcher, I deal with market conditions and user preferences.
Do we really need UX research in digital product development? Why is it important?
You should not skimp on dealing with the needs of your users and the realities of the market. In principle, this applies to any product – from raspberry ice cream to financial software. But especially with complex digital products, you have to make a lot of decisions before and during the development process. A dose of gut feeling is of course allowed. On the whole, however, your decisions should be based on data.
User experience (UX) research helps to understand how people interact with a product. There are many different methods, from the observation of real-time data to user tests and interviews.
Find out more about the basics of UX Research.
Do you think you know what your users need? Of course, it may be that UX research confirms your assumptions. Over the years, however, we at Mindnow have repeatedly observed major differences between the assumptions of our partners and the statements of users. Or we found a crucial detail that nobody would have thought of before.
Only when products fully meet user needs and offer value can they ultimately be successful on the market. That's why I love my job as a UX researcher: My job is to get to the bottom of these needs, create added value, and help our partners succeed.
Users are at the center of every phase
At Mindnow, we take UX research very seriously and are constantly expanding this area of our company. UX research is an integral part of the entire design and development process. In this way, we ensure that user needs are incorporated and optimally fulfilled at every stage of product development.
User-centered design – promising for top performance
Putting the needs and expectations of the user at the heart of the project – that's what user-centered design is all about. It’s about ensuring that your product or service is not only functional but also offers a wow experience. The principle behind it: Wow experiences lead to higher user satisfaction. People use it more often and more intensively, which in turn helps to ensure market success.
User-centered UX design This is a UX design that is 100 % tailored to the needs of the target group with the help of insights gained through UX research. The central questions are: - What is the problem? - Who is the target group and what are their needs? - How can the problem be solved for this target group?
UX research – how to do it right
User-centered design can only work with good UX research. This requires extensive specialist knowledge, and a good dose of experience, but also continuously trying out new methods and tools and questioning the status quo. In digital product development, research findings must be not only accurate and in line with industry standards. At the pace at which digital change is progressing, methods also need to be constantly refined.
For example, I keep up to date with the latest trends by reading relevant blogs and articles on Medium, Discord, or Reddit, being active in social topic groups, or taking further training courses. Fortunately, Mindnow gives me the space I need to constantly expand my knowledge.
User interviews: Expertise and humanity in demand
A UX research interview can be challenging. For the UX researcher, knowledge of both psychology and design is essential. This is because participants can react with stress to an interview situation that they are not used to. I have already experienced interviews in which participants were insecure, afraid of doing something wrong, and didn't want to reveal too many details. As a UX researcher, you not only need expertise but also a human touch to recognize problems and allay participants' fears. After all, you have to get the important information you are here for: the interviewee's opinion.
Honest opinions are a valuable asset
Potential misinformation is also a common challenge when conducting UX research. Some test subjects like to express generally accepted views instead of their real thoughts. As a UX researcher, you have to be vigilant and follow up.
Incidentally, this is also the reason why we don’t work with focus groups at Mindnow: In group dynamics, users still tend to hold conventional opinions and thus distort data.
Only communication makes knowledge usable
A common stumbling block when having UX research carried out by an agency is communication. Unfortunately, the most accurate research is useless if it’s not understandable for those who have to work with it. That is why it is particularly important to me in my work as a UX researcher to present complex research results memorably. Only if the client and the development team understand the results can they fully integrate them into the development process.
Conclusion: the chances of success are significantly higher
At Mindnow, we have a real passion for developing meaningful digital products and we firmly believe that the key to success lies in user experience research.
What I particularly appreciate about Mindnow is the unwavering belief that there is nothing we can't handle as a team. Our team is extremely adaptable and willing to go the extra mile at any time to ensure the success of our partners' projects. We love challenges, we roll up our sleeves and we all pitch in. Working in this way is a pleasure – both our test subjects and our partners, for whom we do all this, can feel it.
The best thing for our partners, however, is that thanks to UX research, they can make ideal data-based decisions that significantly increase their chances of success.
