We’ve looked at the principles behind user research, why it’s necessary and the methodologies that Ctrl Group use for carrying out this research, analysing the data and reporting it back.

Key principles:

• You are not the user. Don’t assume you’ll be able to guess user needs, or how users will use your technology. Users will always surprise you.
• Be clear about your research questions from the start- what are you trying to find out? Use this to inform your choice of research methodology as well as research materials such as interview scripts
• Consider the context when doing user research, in terms of putting the participant at ease as well as observing user behaviour in a relevant environment
• Ethics and consent must be a fundamental concern when doing user research. Users should be informed and comfortable about the process
• Taking field notes is the first step in analysis. Be conscious that you’re recording relevant information
• Follow a rigorous and structured process of qualitative data analysis to avoid introducing biases as you are looking for insights
• Think about your audience when presenting these insights - what format will fit best and deliver the desired outcome?

The next two modules will look at how to take the data from the research and turn it into designs, and how to develop this into a product.