A research template can be a helpful tool when your job involves asking questions, taking notes, and learning more about your user. It can help you collect your assumptions, find similarities in behavior among different users, and better understand their needs and goals.
User research is important for teams in order to design products that will be actually used by consumers. This research helps teams to focus on who will use the product, the context in which it will be used, and what the consumer needs or expects from the brand or organization.
Research templates can be used to record two different types of data or observations:
- Quantitative: this type of research is conducted by looking at numbers. This includes the number of users and percentage changes. It helps teams understand what is happening on their product's website.
- Qualitative: opinion-based research can take the form of closed questions, which are questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no, or open questions, which are questions that require a longer answer.
A Research Template can help you keep your designs contextual and user-centric no matter which method you choose.
When to use Research Templates
A research template can help you at any stage of designing a product or service.
- Start now: The sooner you start your research, the greater the impact your research findings will have on your product or service.
- With every stage of the design process: User research is essential for understanding how your product or service is used, and how it can be improved. This understanding directly increases the value of your product or service.
- While planning the project: If your team can't budget for research at every stage of a project, do the bulk of it at the beginning. That way, you can reserve some time and money for additional research later on.
