Research plan

Introduction

A well-structured research plan is the foundation of effective UX research. It serves as a roadmap, helping to focus efforts, optimize resources, and extract meaningful insights.

What is a Research Plan?

A research plan is a living document outlining the strategy for gathering user insights. It includes:

Research scope

Key stakeholders and team members

Objectives and hypotheses

Research methods

Data collection and analysis approach

Timeline and budget considerations

In UX, research plans ensure that investigations are systematic, goal-oriented, and actionable. For example, when redesigning a mobile banking app, a research plan would define key user pain points, preferred features, and usability challenges through structured inquiry.

Why Use a Research Plan?

Without a clear plan, research can become disorganized, leading to irrelevant data and misguided decisions. A research plan enhances UX work by:

Aligning teams: Establishing common goals between designers, developers, and stakeholders.
Improving efficiency: Reducing redundant efforts and focusing on actionable insights.
Enhancing decision-making: Ensuring research findings directly inform product development.
Demonstrating ROI: Justifying research investments by linking insights to business impact.

Step by Step Guide

1. Frame your project 2. Preliminary research 3. Define objectives 4. Identify assumptions 5. Choose the right research method

Step 01

Frame your project

Start by conducting stakeholder interviews or workshops to align research goals with business needs.
Consider:

What problem are we solving? What impact are we creating for the user?

What decisions will this research inform?

What constraints (time, budget) must be considered?

STEP 02

Conduct preliminary research

Before initiating primary research, explore existing insights:

Review internal data, analytics, and past studies.
Examine competitor benchmarks.
Utilize industry resources like Baymard Institute or Norman Nielsen for usability heuristics.
Skipping this step can lead to redundant research efforts and wasted resources.

Step 03

Define research objectives

Clear objectives ensure focus. Use the SMART method:

Specific: Define precise research questions.
Measurable: Determine how success will be evaluated.
Attainable: Set realistic scope boundaries.
Relevant: Ensure objectives align with business goals.
Time-based: Establish deadlines.

Example

Instead of: “Improve website usability”, try: “Reduce checkout abandonment by 15% through a streamlined payment flow”.

Step 04

Identify assumptions & hypotheses

Every research initiative begins with assumptions—beliefs about users that must be validated. Documenting assumptions clarifies research focus and method selection.

Example

Assumption: Users prefer voice search over text input.
Hypothesis: If we implement voice search, search completion rates will increase.

AI tip

AI insights

Tools like ChatGPT for UX can generate hypothesis variations and assist in refining research questions.

step 05

Choose the right research method

Selecting the right method depends on:

Research phase: Discovery, validation, or usability testing.
Data type: Qualitative (user behavior, opinions) vs. Quantitative (metrics, statistics).
Decision impact: Does the study inform a major design shift or an iterative enhancement?

Resource

Recommended method per phase

Discovery is meant to explore and understand the problem space — it’s about gathering insights, identifying user needs, and uncovering opportunities. This phase often involves methods like user interviews, field studies, and stakeholder workshops.

Validation is for testing assumptions and reducing risk. Here, the goal is to confirm that the proposed solutions align with user needs and business goals. Common methods include prototypes, A/B testing, and surveys to verify concepts before investing in full development.

Usability is for refining the experience. Once a solution is in place, usability testing ensures that it’s intuitive, accessible, and efficient for real users. Techniques like task analysis, heuristic evaluation, and moderated user tests help fine-tune the product for clarity and ease of use.