Research Topic Brainstorm Template

Conducting research topic brainstorming can assist in generating questions for stakeholder or user interviews based on various topics, such as partnership opportunities or first-time experiences.

Ideally, brainstorming helpful questions to ask during user research activities can help clarify the following:

Your user research objectives: What questions do you want to answer? What knowledge do you require at this stage of the design process?

Your user research hypotheses: What is already known? What assumptions have been made? What is understood about your users' behaviour, and what potential solutions can be provided based on unmet needs?

Your preferred user research methods: How will you fill your knowledge gaps? Based on available resources, which methods will you select?

Use these three steps to transform your brainstorming session into a collection of questions. Prioritize 3-5 valuable research questions in your UX research plan document.

When to use Research Topic Brainstorms

Conducting research topic brainstorming during the early stages of user research enables you to establish a foundation, generate inspiration and ideas, and assess design choices to meet user needs better.

A research topic brainstorm can assist UX researchers in the:

• Structuring questions using the "5 Ws and H" format (who, what, when, where, why, how) allows your team to generate an array of insightful questions (while ensuring that your research objective remains specific!).
• Prioritizing questions that require immediate answers and those that may be more valuable later on.
• Externalizing hypotheses to minimize external bias (client or team influence).
• Selecting appropriate research methods to accomplish your objectives.
• Using early hypotheses to showcase and compare current research findings.

Creating your own research topic brainstorms is a breeze with FigJam's whiteboard tool, which is the perfect canvas for generating and sharing them. Begin by selecting the Research Topic Brainstorm Template, then follow these steps to create your own:

Define key research areas.

Are you interested in exploring new opportunities for partnering with other business areas? Enhancing your app's onboarding flow for new users? Choose 1-4 key topics that your team deems worthy of exploration.

Brainstorm questions relevant to each research topic.

Initially, prioritize quantity, then focus on quality and impact. Avoid criticism during this phase. Additionally, ensure that this portion of your research brainstorming is time-bound (try using the Countdown Timer) and aligned with your business objectives and user requirements.

Detect areas that require research or additional knowledge.

After brainstorming, what information is lacking? What do you need to know that you don't already know? Jot down these missing pieces on sticky notes.

Request feedback from appropriate stakeholders or team members.

Use your preferred method to invite collaborators to your FigJam Board, such as sending public links or invitations to edit via Slack or email.

Include the research questions of your choice in your UX research plan.

Your ranked research questions are a crucial component of your UX research plan - transfer the sticky notes over and revise your research plan accordingly.