This document provides guidance on planning user research. It emphasizes focusing research on 3-4 key learning goals, speaking to the right participants like customers rather than colleagues, and structuring questions to gradually narrow in on goals. For "what", prioritize the most important things to learn. For "who", recruit enough participants so patterns emerge, focusing on core personas. For "how", methods like remote calls can vary activities from open-ended to testing. Well-planned research follows a logical flow through background, goals, examples and follow-ups.

1. Intro to Planning Research
Design Academy

2. “Good user research is key to designing a great
user experience.
Designing without good user research is like
building a house without solid foundations—
your design will soon start to crumble and
eventually fall apart.”

3. Caveats:
• There are an infinite number of ways research can go wrong, but no one way it can
definitely go right.
• It can be messy, and the only way to know and learn is to throw yourself into it and get
your feet wet.
• There is no one-size fits all, the best research approach depends on the project, the
researcher and the participants.
• I’m an experienced researcher, and have made all the mistakes you can possibly make.
• A lot has gone really well though! These are some tips and approaches that have worked
for me to mitigate that, I hope you find them useful.

4. YOU ARE NOT
YOUR USER

5. The Design Process

6. The Design Process
Research
Planning

7. The Design Process
Research
Planning

8. The Design Process
Research
Planning
BLOCKED
BLOCKED

9. How do I know I should be doing research?
Research may have peaks and troughs but it should always be ongoing.

10. How do I know I should doing research?
Because you’re
WORKING.
Research may have peaks and troughs but it should always be ongoing.

11. 3 Key elements of Research planning
WHAT?
WHO?
HOW?
Do you need to learn?
Can you learn it from?
Is the best way to learn it?

12. The Research Planning Process
Identify need & purpose Identify & Contact participants Plan & Setup Research
WHAT WHO HOW
• Identify need to learn.
• Type of learning or
research phase?
• Learning objectives?
• Who is best placed to help
you?
• How many do you need?
• How will you contact
them?
• What will be the best
method & activities?
• How will you structure the
session?
• How will you actually run
the session.

13. WHAT?

14. What do you need to learn?
(because you need definitely to learn something)

15. What do you need to learn?
(because you need definitely to learn something)
• Learn about a new problem to solve.
• (or confirm one exists)?
• Learn what is needed to solve a problem?
• Learn the best way to solve that problem?
• Learn that you’ve solved the problem?

16. • Learning Goals
• - 3-4 key things at most
• - Most important things needed to know to
either move forward, or stop
You probably have a lot of things to learn
? ? ? ? ?
?
?
?
? ?
?
?
?
?
?
? ? ? ?

17. • Learning Goals
• - 3-4 key things at most
• - Most important things needed to know to
either move forward, or stop
? ? ? ? ?
?
?
?
? ?
?
?
?
?
?
? ? ? ?
One of the most common mistakes in
Research planning to trying to cram as
much as possible in.
This results in rushed calls, lightweight
findings, and overwhelms the
participant.
Time with our research participants is
both expensive & valuable – use it
wisely.
But you shouldn’t… try to learn them all.

18. • Do your background research so you have an idea.
• Pick 3-4 key things to ensure time to go into enough depth about each
one.
• Review your backlog and identify:
• Anything absolutely blocking you / the team.
• Most important things needed to know to either move forward, or stop.
• Check your assumptions – if incorrect which of those will cause the
team to head farthest in the wrong direction?
• Cost/Time/Effort? – Test these.
• BUT - prepare 1-2 extra things extra just in case.
• Any deprioritized things can go in the next research cycle.
Establish and prioritise 3-4 key learning goals.
Learning Goal 1:
“We think xxxx”
Learning Goal 2:
“We’re stuck on xxxx”
Learning Goal 3:
“We don’t know xxx”
Learning Goal 4:
“We need to test xxx”

19. Then prioritise again!
• It’s likely you are trying to learn about an
overarching larger problem.
• Reflect on how your learning goals for this cycle
fit into that problem, and arrange them
accordingly.
• Good research follows a logical flow, so that
each section compliments the next.
• Build context and knowledge as you go, for
both you and the participant.
• Having this picture in your head will now help
throughout the rest of the planning.
• ALWAYS allow time for contextual learning
Learning Goal 1:
“We think xxxx”
Learning Goal 2:
“We’re stuck on xxxx”
Learning Goal 3:
“We don’t know xxx”
Learning Goal 4:
“We need to test xxx”
Contextual learning
Their situation and challenges.

20. Project Brief:
Plan a 2 week Qualitative Research Cycle to understand
the impact of WFH on YourCorp’s software
development.
Task 1
Generate a list of learning goals or assumptions to test,
then prioritise them in an order you feel would create a
coherent research narrative.

21. WHO?

22. Research is pointless unless you’re talking to
the right people.
• YOU ARE NOT YOUR USER.
• Neither are:
• Your teammates
• Your Colleagues
• These are all helpful at times… but this isn’t research, it’s ‘running
ideas past …..’ which has value BEFORE research, but not to replace.
• Recruitment of the right people, is part of the research.
• NON-CUSTOMERS ARE SUPER VALUABLE.

23. How many people should I speak to?
• Research is about finding patterns, themes, commonality and understanding what they
mean.
• The aim is usually to provide a better service to as many people/businesses as possible.
• You need to speak to enough people that these patterns and themes begin to emerge.
• Reacting to one person’s demands, isn’t research, that’s a sales conversation.
• (but might give you a signal worth exploring)
Even numbers are good.
Minimum of 4, 6 is better, 8
better still, 10 best.

24. Focus on your core persona, but outliers can offer
counterpoint/complimentary perspectives – but only that.
Or
4 People.
6 People.
8 People.
10 People.

25. Admin work:
• Start communicating with your participants ~ 3 weeks before research needs to
happen. This gives time to plan and be flexible.
• Schedule with your team 1-2 weeks to focus on research.
• Shorter timespan will ensure calls are better and it’s far easier to see
patterns unfolding in a short timespan.
• Review your various channels for people who fit your profiles.
• Salesforce, customer voice, hubspot sign ups. previous historic calls, sales
contacts, forums, etc.
• Generate a research tracker containing as many people as possible. Aim for 3x
the amount of people you need to speak to – update with contact dates etc,
replies, bookings etc.

26. Admin work:
• Shortlist into 2-3 priority groups.
• Contact in batches , don’t burn all your
bridges at once – makes it easier to
manage.
• Deal with any replies as a matter of urgency.
• Once you have enough people, stop emailing.
• Send a reminder to them 1-2 days
beforehand.
• All this is a lot of work –
• Assign an owner, but share the workload,
include all team members on comms
Name Email Company Email Sent Call booked

27. Example email
Good afternoon,
Hope you’re well and hope 2020 is treating you and your business as good as can be hoped
for.
I’m writing from the Redgate Foundry team. As you may recall, in 2019 we spoke to you
regarding Estate Management. In 2020 we’ve continued this research to bring more aspects
of Estate Management into a single solution.
We’d love your feedback on our progress, and would like to arrange a conversation/call with
you between the weeks commencing 12th and 21st September
If you could confirm your willingness and availability across those two weeks, that would be
great, we look forward to speaking to you.
Best Regards
Chris Spalton

28. Example email
Good afternoon,
Hope you’re well and hope 2020 is treating you and your business as good as can be hoped
for.
I’m writing from the Redgate Foundry team. As you may recall, in 2019 we spoke to you
regarding Estate Management. In 2020 we’ve continued this research to bring more aspects
of Estate Management into a single solution.
We’d love your feedback on our progress, and would like to arrange a conversation/call with
you between the weeks commencing 12th and 21st September
If you could confirm your willingness and availability across those two weeks, that would be
great, we look forward to speaking to you.
Best Regards
Chris Spalton
Friendly Greeting
Who you are and
what are you doing
What you need their
help on and when.
Presumptive CTA
Accountable sign off

29. Keep
them
warm
Their
availability
is the
priority

30. TASK 2 – WHO?
Choose what groups and numbers of people you would hope
to conduct research with to give you the best spread.
If you had twice as long, or could speak to twice the people,
how would that change?

31. HOW?

32. We now have…
Learning Goal 1:
“We think xxxx”
Learning Goal 2:
“We’re stuck on xxxx”
Learning Goal 3:
“We don’t know xxx”
Learning Goal 4:
“We need to test xxx”
Contextual learning
Their situation and challenges.
What we need to learn… Who we need to learn it from…
So, how do we go about it?

33. There are loads of Research ‘methods’.

34. These apply to the areas of the funnel

35. Consider where your learning goals fit within these 3 diagrams when
planning.

36. At Redgate our primary METHOD is Remote Calls
But we can & should
vary the ACTIVITY
within that.

37. How do you need to learn?
(because you need definitely to learn something)
Learning Goal 1:
“We think xxxx”
Learning Goal 2:
“We’re stuck on xxxx”
Learning Goal 3:
“We don’t know xxx”
Learning Goal 4:
“We need to test xxx”
ASK
INTERACT
SHOW
TEST
Lo-Fi
Hi-fi

38. How do you need to learn?
(because you need definitely to learn something)
Learning Goal 1:
“We think xxxx”
Learning Goal 2:
“We’re stuck on xxxx”
Learning Goal 3:
“We don’t know xxx”
Learning Goal 4:
“We need to test xxx”
ASK
INTERACT
SHOW
TEST
Lo-Fi
Hi-fi
Broad, open, non leading questions. Narrowing
to your point.
Activities:, monopoly money prioritization,
card sorting, journey mapping, Empathy
mapping.
Gaining feedback from Prototype
walkthroughs, demos etc.
Scenario based user testing, fleshed out
prototypes, metrics etc.

39. Then set up your structure!
Context
Learning
goal 1
Learning
Goal 2
Learning
goal 3
Anything else/ Follow
up/ Deeper Dives
What’s happening in their world?
Go wide and narrow down toward your first
research objective.
What are the specific things we’re interested it?
Wide first then drill down.
Maintain the focus.
Introduce activities.
Apply the right activity to the right learning goal.
What have we missed that’s important to them?
Opportunity for them to open up, they’ll appreciate it!
– If not, go deeper on your main objectives.
Intro
Recording, who is leading, webcams etc?

40. What would help
resolve that
Is this/Why is this a problem in
your world.
Why and what impact does
that problem have?
Why is that important
How would
that help
What impact
would that
have
Achieve understanding of your learning goals through a
structured, narrowing approach.
You can’t ask one question and expect to get the answer.
Your learning goal is achieved through the analysis of the
combination of what, why and how answers.
Ask for real life examples.
Open Questions:
Tell me about…
Talk me through…
Why is….
If you… what would….
How do you….

41. • Call plan best practices:
Section it clearly and add timings to keep you on track.
Note the learning goals in each section
Aim to write it so anyone can pick it up and conduct the session
Include things such as scripted sections, moderator instructions and prompts/reminders.
This also helps you structure the flow and narrative of the call
Clearly delineate/format Sections, Questions, instructions and
reminders.
Write more questions than you’ll know you’ll have time to ask.

42. TASK – HOW?
Take one of your learning goals and generate a series of
questions to ask and narrow down to the target.
Remember open, & non leading, gradually probing (questions).

43. REFLECTION
REFLECTION

44. We’ve covered:
• Getting your research planning right is essential to a successful
project.
• Focusing on a few key areas of learning in depth.
• Identifying and contacting the right people to talk to.
• The need to understand the stage of research you’re in and tailoring
your approach accordingly.
• Structuring your research questions and activities to really uncover
the what needs to be done.

45. Remember it’s a repeating process.
Keep refining as you learn more.
WHAT?
WHO?
HOW?
Do you need to learn?
Can you learn it from?
Is the best way to learn it?

46. The Research Planning Process
Identify need & purpose Identify & Contact participants Plan & Setup Research
WHAT WHO HOW
• Identify need to learn.
• Type of learning or
research phase?
• Learning objectives?
• Who is best placed to help
you?
• How many do you need?
• How will you contact
them?
• What will be the best
method & activities?
• How will you structure the
session?
• How will you actually run
the session.

47. THANKYOU
There’s loads more to this, let me know if you have any further questions
#design-academy
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