Mastering UX Research: A Deep Dive into Qualitative and Quantitative Methods

By Philip Burgess – UX Research Leader

In the evolving landscape of digital experience, UX research is no longer a support function—it’s a strategic driver of product success, customer loyalty, and business growth. To truly understand users and design experiences that resonate, we must master both qualitative and quantitative research methods.

This post explores the strengths, tools, and techniques behind each approach, and how combining them leads to richer insights and smarter decisions.

Why Use Both Qualitative and Quantitative UX Research?

• Qualitative research helps us understand the “why” behind user behavior—emotions, motivations, and pain points.

• Quantitative research helps us measure the “what”—patterns, performance metrics, and statistical significance.

Together, they form a powerful toolkit for validating hypotheses, uncovering opportunities, and optimizing experiences with confidence.

Qualitative UX Research Methods

Qualitative methods are exploratory and user-centered. They focus on observing behavior, gathering feedback, and identifying usability issues that numbers alone can’t reveal.

Key Methods

1. Usability Testing

• In-Person Moderated: Real-time observation and probing questions

• Remote Moderated: Live sessions via video conferencing tools

• Remote Unmoderated: Participants complete tasks independently using platforms like UserTesting, UserZoom, Maze, etc...

2. Impression Testing

• Captures first impressions of a design or interface

• Useful for evaluating visual hierarchy, clarity, and emotional response

3. Card Sorting & Tree Testing

• Helps structure information architecture based on user expectations

• Reveals how users categorize and navigate content

4. Ethnographic Research

• Observes users in their natural environment

• Ideal for understanding context, workflows, and real-world constraints

5. Cognitive Walkthroughs

• Experts simulate user tasks to identify potential usability issues

• Focuses on learnability and task flow

Quantitative UX Research Methods

Quantitative methods provide statistical rigor and measurable outcomes. They help validate design decisions, benchmark performance, and forecast ROI.

5 Concepts to Master

• Reliability: Consistency of results across studies

• Validity: Accuracy of what’s being measured

• Statistical Significance: Confidence that results aren’t due to chance

• Experimental Validity: Integrity of the study design

• Correlations: Relationships between variables (e.g., usability and conversion)

Essential Statistical Tests

Test	Purpose
Confidence Interval (Binary/Continuous)	Estimate range of true population values
2-Sample t-Test	Compare means between two groups
2-Proportion Test (A/B)	Compare conversion rates between variants
1-Proportion Test	Measure success rate against a benchmark

Online Calculators & Tools

• Confidence Interval Calculator

• 2 Proportion Test (A/B)

• 1 Sample Proportion Calculator

• Conjoint & Maxdiff Analysis

• UX ROI Calculators

Benchmarking & Study-Based Metrics

Benchmarking allows teams to track performance over time and compare against industry standards.

Types of Benchmarking

• Retrospective: Users reflect on past experiences

• Task-Based: Metrics collected during or after specific tasks

Study-Based Metrics

Metric	Description
SUPR-Q	Measures usability, trust, appearance, and loyalty for websites
SUPR-Qm	Mobile app version (in development)
SUS	System Usability Scale—perceived usability for software
NPS	Net Promoter Score—customer loyalty
UMUX-Lite	Measures usefulness and ease of use
Brand Lift	Measures change in brand perception before and after experience

Task-Level Metrics

• Attitudes: Ease (SEQ), confidence

• Actions: Completion rates, task times, error rates

Combining UX Research with Market Research

Integrating UX and market research creates a holistic view of the user. While UX focuses on behavior and usability, market research adds context around demographics, preferences, and brand perception.

This fusion enables:

• More scientific personas

• Better segmentation

• Stronger product-market fit

UX Quotes & Facts

“Heuristic Evaluation—used by 62% of teams—is frequently chosen because it’s faster and less expensive than many other methods.” – MeasuringU

Final Thoughts

Mastering both qualitative and quantitative UX research is essential for building experiences that are not only usable but meaningful. By applying the right method at the right time—and interpreting results with empathy and rigor—you can drive innovation, reduce risk, and deliver measurable value.

Whether you're launching a new product or optimizing an existing one, let research guide the way.