Understand what your users actually need before deciding what to design or build.

It’s easy to make assumptions about what people want from a website or digital product. The challenge is that the people inside an organisation often know its services, terminology and structures far better than the people trying to use them.

User research helps remove those assumptions.

By understanding what users are trying to achieve, how they look for information and where they encounter problems, organisations can make better decisions about everything from information architecture and navigation to content, functionality and design.

At Digital Garden, user research is often one of the first steps in creating or improving a digital experience.

What is user research?

User research is the process of understanding the people who use, or will use, a digital product or service.

It explores their needs, behaviours, expectations and challenges, providing evidence that can be used to inform design decisions.

Our user research approach varies depending on the project. Research might involve interviews, surveys, analytics, usability testing, card sorting, tree testing or a combination of methods.

The important thing isn't conducting research for the sake of it. It's asking the right questions and using the findings to make better decisions.

Start with users, not assumptions

Organisations naturally view their websites through an internal lens.

Content may reflect organisational structures. Navigation can be based around departments or programs. Internal terminology can find its way into headings and labels that make perfect sense to the organisation but very little sense to its audience.

Research provides a different perspective.

Talking to real users can reveal that they search for information differently, use different language or follow completely different pathways from those anticipated by internal teams.

Those insights can fundamentally change the direction of a project — and they're much easier to respond to before design and development are underway.

Choose the right research methods

There isn't one user research method that works for every project.

The right approach depends on what you need to learn, who the users are, the maturity of the existing digital experience, the available evidence and the project timeframe.

For example, interviews can provide deeper insight into user motivations and behaviours, while analytics can reveal what people are actually doing on an existing website. Card sorting can help understand how users group information, while tree testing can validate whether a proposed information architecture makes content easier to find.

Often, combining qualitative and quantitative research provides the clearest picture.

Turn research into better UX

Research only creates value when the findings influence what happens next.

Insights might lead to a simpler information architecture, clearer navigation, different terminology, new audience pathways or changes to the way a service or task is presented.

Our UX design process uses this evidence to shape the structure and experience of a digital product rather than relying purely on stakeholder opinions or design convention.

It also provides a stronger basis for conversations with stakeholders. Instead of debating what someone thinks users want, teams can make decisions based on evidence about what users actually need.

Test rather than assume

User research shouldn't necessarily stop once the initial discovery phase is complete.

Prototypes, navigation structures and designs can be put in front of users before development begins. This allows assumptions to be tested and problems identified while they're still relatively easy to change.

Usability testing can also be used throughout the life of an existing website or digital product to identify friction and opportunities for improvement.

This creates a more iterative approach: research, design, test, learn and refine.

User needs and organisational goals

Good UX isn't about giving users everything they ask for.

A successful digital experience needs to balance user needs with organisational objectives, technical requirements, accessibility, governance and the realities of delivering and maintaining the service.

User research gives organisations the evidence they need to find that balance.

It helps identify which problems genuinely matter, where improvements will have the greatest impact and where investment should be prioritised.

Research reduces risk

One of the most valuable outcomes of user research is something less visible: reduced project risk.

Discovering that users don't understand your navigation after a website has been designed and built can be expensive.

Discovering it during research or prototype testing is considerably easier to address.

For larger digital projects, research can help validate major decisions before significant investment is made in design, content or technology.

Better digital experiences start with understanding

Technology and design tools will continue to change, but one principle remains remarkably consistent: successful digital experiences start with understanding the people who use them.

User research gives organisations a clearer view of those people and provides the evidence needed to create digital experiences that are easier to understand, easier to navigate and more useful.

Rather than starting with “What should we build?”, start with a more useful question:

“What do our users actually need?”