What is user research?
User research is more than just usability testing prototypes with users. User research helps us understand users and their needs, and ensure we are creating services that meet those needs.
If we design and build services without understanding users and their needs, we will not know if the problems we are trying to solve are the right ones, if the service will actually enable users to do what they need to do, or meet the business need in solving those problems
What does a user researcher do?
A user researcher plans, designs and carries out research activities with users to get a deep understanding of the people using or delivering a service.
This research should inform policy and proposition as well as service, content and interaction design.
Some of the different research methods used in government include:
- contextual research and observation
- researching in small workshops
- in-depth interviews
- moderated usability testing
- pop up research
- experience mapping
When should we do user research?
User research is not a once and done activity. From the point of understanding there is a problem to solve, through to iterations of a live service, user research should continously inform the delivery of services
Having user researchers involved from the beginning will help identify assumptions, constraints, user needs and the scope of the work that needs to be done.
You can read more about user research for government services in the Gov.uk Service Manual.