My thoughts on over-investing in research and designing with intuition
As a product designer, I’ve seen the downside of not approaching research in a strategic way.
I was working with my research team on a new feature project and we were looking to determine the best design concept to move forward with. We dove into extensive qualitative research through user interviews, but it quickly got out of hand. Instead of helping us make progress, our research ended up consuming too much time and resources for an organization that wanted to stay lean and move quickly.
From this experience, I discovered the importance of finding a balance between thorough research and strategic resource allocation.
I had to figure out how to balance the level of research investment with the expected outcomes. That’s when I stumbled upon the “Problem Clarity and. Risk” matrix.
This framework evaluates research questions based on two important factors: the clarity of the problem and the risk level involved.
If the problem is clear and the risk is low, investment in research could be kept to a minimum. Designers should trust their gut in cases where they need to act fast and the consequences of getting things wrong are low. When there’s not enough time or resources for an extensive research project, designers can tap into their intuition to make confident choices. This approach allows for a more agile workflow, like shipping a design and gathering feedback to iterate.
But, if the problem is complex and the risk is high, it might call for a more thorough research process, like conducting a large-scale survey or in-depth user interviews.
Using this matrix, it’s helped me prioritize research efforts and decide with the research team on the right level of investment for each project so that we don’t waste valuable time and resources.
But as a designer, I often found myself trying to figure out the right balance between research and design. With so many projects on my plate, some more urgent than others, it can be a challenge to determine when and how to get involved in the research process.
Some of the questions I had on my mind included:
- When should a designer be involved in the research process?
- Is it necessary for them to be involved all the time?
- How can I manage my time as a designer while also supporting the research team, without taking on too much work?
So, I had a chat with my design manager and research lead to define the boundaries of responsibility between product designers and researchers.
Defining responsibilities
Now, what works for one team may not work for yours. My team concluded that designers should be integral to the research planning process. This includes defining the research problem, outlining the goal of the research, and setting the desired outcomes.
During primary research, such as interviews or user testing, designers can bring their expertise to the table, offer unique perspectives, and gain valuable insights from receiving direct user feedback. Conducting secondary research, however, should be the responsibility of the research team.
After the data has been gathered, the research team should take the lead in synthesizing and communicating the findings. While designers can provide feedback on the results, they don’t have to be bogged down by the heavy lifting of data analysis.
By letting the research team handle the research synthesis, designers can focus on their main responsibilities while still supporting the research process. And once the research team has synthesized their findings and insights, designers can work with them to finalize recommendations that align with the project goals.
With this balance in place, it’s easier to prioritize my time and focus on both design and research without overextending myself.
Time is precious and nobody wants to dig through a 20-page research report to uncover insights and recommendations. So, our team adopted the Atomic Research model, which breaks down a research study into bite-sized pieces. The goal is to provide a quick and easy way to share key findings and insights.
The Atomic Research model divides a research study into four essential parts: experiments conducted, facts uncovered, insights gained, and recommendations. By presenting the information in a concise and easily shareable one-pager, the model streamlines the research process, allowing teams to quickly and effectively act on the results.
When you go overboard with research, it can slow down your team’s momentum and even become a roadblock. This happened to my team becoming too focused on data and information gathering that we spent less time actually designing and building our product. Too much research can also lead to a lack of confidence in decision-making. It’s all about finding that sweet spot between being data-driven and designing with intuition.
I’m always interested in learning about how other design teams approach their involvement in the research process. Every team is different, but there is value in sharing different ways of working and learning from one another. You never know, what doesn’t work for my team might work for yours.
Thanks for reading!
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