How to Craft the Best UX Research Questions

As a UX Researcher, engaging with customers and prospects is a critical part of your role. Mastering the art of asking effective UX research questions is essential. The right questions not only illuminate user needs but also safeguard against the costly mistake of developing a product that misses the mark.

This blog post is designed to guide you through identifying key questions for your UX research. It will provide you with a foundation of essential UX research questions and offer strategies to develop customized ones that align precisely with your specific research objectives.

Understanding UX Research

Firstly, it’s important to grasp the true essence of UX Research. It goes beyond just gathering data; it’s about interpreting this data to drive informed decisions in product design and development.

Tailoring UX Research Questions To Your Research Goals

Before crafting your questions, it’s crucial to define what you aim to learn from the research. Clear objectives will guide your questioning strategy. Whether it’s improving a specific feature or understanding overall user satisfaction, your goals should dictate the type of questions you ask. Let’s go over some actionable advice to define your research targets.

Brainstorm With Other Stakeholders

The primary objective of conducting UX Research is to provide insightful data that informs decision-making across various teams, including marketing, product and sales. Therefore, it’s essential to develop a hypothesis with each team member on board. Their insights will not only assist in more precisely defining the problem to be solved but also ensure that the UX research questions posed are on target. Their presence brings diverse perspectives and insights to the table.

Break Down And Categorize Your Ideas

After compiling a comprehensive set of UX research questions, it’s vital to categorize and prioritize them. This step is key in developing a structured approach to your UX research. In the following sections, we’ll suggest a framework for organizing your questions. Remember, this structure is adaptable and can be tailored to align with your specific research goals and the unique nuances of your project.

Types Of UX Research Questions

To get the insights you’re seeking, consider employing various types of questions in your research.

Introductory questions

These are particularly useful for bridging any gaps that may remain after participants have answered initial screener questions or surveys. These questions aren’t just limited to the beginning of your research; they can be integrated throughout the process.

At this stage, the key is to encourage participants to speak freely. Opt for open-ended questions that stimulate conversation and allow for expansive answers. By taking this approach, you’ll effectively warm up the atmosphere and help the participant relax, which is crucial for unlocking a wealth of valuable insights.

Here’s a list of introductory UX research questions you can use: 

• What does your typical day look like?
• Can you walk me through how you interact with technology throughout your day, including any specific devices or platforms you frequently use?
• Aside from your typical weekday, how do your weekends or non-working days differ in terms of activities and technology usage?
• What factors most influence your decisions when choosing to use a particular app or website?
• Could you tell me about your current role?
• Could you describe any specific habits or preferences you have developed in your professional field?

These questions provide a richer context for understanding the participant’s daily life and interactions with the product or service being studied.

Questions about the problem

In this category of questions, the focus is on the problem that your product or service is designed to solve. You introduce this problem as the central topic of the study and explore the participant’s behaviors and habits related to addressing this issue.

For instance, if the application under study is a macronutrient tracking app, the problem topic revolves around weight loss and/or muscle growth. The questions, therefore, should be centered around these areas, aiming to understand how participants currently manage these challenges and how they perceive solutions offered by apps like yours. This approach helps in gaining insights into their needs, preferences, and potential barriers they face.

Here are a set of example questions:

• What is the biggest challenge in counting your macronutrients?
• What kind of workarounds have you figured out to make this easier?
• Can you describe your dietary goals and how they influence your approach to macronutrient tracking?
• What specific features do you look for in a tool or app for macronutrient tracking, and why are these features important to you?
• Have you paid for tools to track your macronutrients?
• What, if anything, would you change about other macronutrient tracking tools or apps you’ve used? 

At this point, probing questions like “why?” and “why not?” can uncover more profound understandings of the participant’s motivations as well.

Questions about the product

In this phase, you present the product as a potential answer to their needs. It’s crucial to distinguish between gathering data before and after product usage within your research methodology.

Demonstrating a demo or prototype is an effective approach to elicit initial reactions. Prior to their usage of the product, consider asking questions such as:

• Is there anything on the homepage that would stop you from exploring the website and the product further?
• Based on your first look at our homepage, what are your initial thoughts on the design and ease of use of this product?
• What feature or aspect of this product stands out to you as unique or different from others you’ve seen?
• Considering your current habits and preferences, what might be a barrier for you in adopting this product?
• What emotions or feelings does this product evoke in you upon first exploration?
• Would you use this product today? Why or why not?
• What would you pay to be able to use this product?

After allowing the participant to use the product or guiding them through several tasks, the following UX research tools questions are designed to elicit suggestions, ideas and feedback. These questions are best asked once the participant has had hands-on experience with the product, providing insights based on their actual usage:

• Can you identify any specific features or functions of this product that particularly stand out to you?
• Can you identify any specific features or functions of this product that could be improved?
• What, if anything, did you find appealing about the product? Why?
• How do you feel about the overall user experience provided by this product?
• How does this product compare with other similar products you’ve used in terms of features and usability?
• Would you keep using this product after what you’ve seen? Why or why not?
• Based on your current experience, how do you perceive the long-term value of this product for your needs?
• Did you have expectations about this product that have not been met?

Conclusion

In conclusion, the power of well-structured questions cannot be overstated. They are the tools that guide the path to creating products that resonate deeply with your audience. This guide on UX research questions has hopefully provided you with the knowledge of what questions to ask and when — the kind that lead to breakthroughs. Remember, every question should be a stepping stone towards creating a more intuitive, user-centered product experience.

While fundamental questions form the basis of UX research, advanced techniques can provide deeper insights. A platform like Userlytics helps you dive deep into user behaviors and preferences more effectively. See how our platform can help you get those insights you crave. If you would like to book a free demo, it’s right here.

About the Author: Userlytics

Since 2009 we have been helping enterprises, governmental organizations, non-profits, agencies and startups optimize their user experience, or UX. With our state-of-the-art platform, massive global participant panel and unlimited accounts/seats for democratizing user research, we are the best all-in-one solution for remote user testing.

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El Taghdouini, M. January 18, 2024. How to Craft the Best UX Research Questions. Userlytics.