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Understanding UX Research Methods:

Updated: Aug 16

By Philip Burgess – UX Research Leader


What It Covers

For each key UX method below, you'll find:

  • Definition

  • Usage context (when to use)

  • Type (qualitative vs. quantitative)

  • Sample size guidance

  • Drawbacks & limitations

  • Alternatives or related techniques


1. Usability Testing


2. Interviews


3. Surveys (including NPS)

  • What it is: Structured questionnaires for measuring attitudes, preferences, or satisfaction. SlideTeam+14Maze+14User Interviews+14Wikipedia

  • When to use: When you need scalable, quantitative feedback across large audiences.

  • Type: Quantitative

  • Sample size: Depends on population; use statistical formulas considering margin of error. HubSpot Blog

  • Drawbacks: Lacks depth; “what” without “why.”

  • Alternatives: Follow-up interviews; in-app feedback tools.


4. Card Sorting & Tree Testing

  • What it is: Users organize content (card sorting) or test navigation structures (tree testing) to inform IA. User Interviews

  • When to use: Early or mid-stage for structuring content intuitively.

  • Type: Qualitative with quantitative traces (frequencies of patterns)

  • Sample size: Often 15–30 participants.

  • Drawbacks: Can be artificial context; participants may overthink.

  • Alternatives: First-click testing; analytics behavior review.


5. Diary Studies


6. Field Studies / Contextual Inquiry

  • What it is: Observing users in their natural environment to understand real behaviors. Springboard+8studio.ey.com+8Wikipedia+8Wikipedia+1

  • When to use: To uncover latent needs, context, or workarounds.

  • Type: Qualitative

  • Sample size: Typically 5–10 for rich insight.

  • Drawbacks: Time-consuming, logistically complex, less scalable.

  • Alternatives: Remote diary studies; hybrid remote observational methods.


7. A/B Testing

  • What it is: Comparing two versions of a design to see which performs better on key metrics. MazeMedium

  • When to use: For optimizing concrete UI elements or flows.

  • Type: Quantitative

  • Sample size: Depends on statistical significance; often hundreds to thousands of users.

  • Drawbacks: Narrow focus, technical complexity, requires baseline traffic.

  • Alternatives: Prototype testing; multivariate tests.


8. Analytics & Clickstream Analysis

  • What it is: Tracking user behavior data (e.g. click paths, bounce rates).

  • When to use: For understanding large-scale user behavior trends.

  • Type: Quantitative

  • Sample size: Dependent on product traffic volume.

  • Drawbacks: Tells “what,” not “why.”

  • Alternatives: Combine with session replay, heatmaps, qualitative insights.


9. Focus Groups

  • What it is: Group discussions moderated to generate ideas or opinions.

  • When to use: Idea generation or early concept validation.

  • Type: Qualitative

  • Sample size: Typically 6–8 users per session.

  • Drawbacks: Groupthink, dominant voices skew results, artificial setting.

  • Alternatives: One-on-one interviews; co-design workshops.


10. Eye Tracking

  • What it is: Using specialized tech to track gaze and visual attention.

  • When to use: To validate visual hierarchy, layout attention, design clarity.

  • Type: Quantitative (heatmaps, fixation metrics)

  • Sample size: Usually 20–30 for meaningful patterns.

  • Drawbacks: Expensive, specialized infrastructure, limited context of why attention occurs.

  • Alternatives: Heatmaps via analytics, clicktesting.


11. Longitudinal & Holistic Methods (e.g., Experience Sampling, DRM, UX Questionnaires)

  • What it is: Captures how experiences evolve over time or measures overall UX. Wikipedia

  • When to use: For deep, ongoing experience evaluation, especially over product lifecycles.

  • Type: Mixed

  • Sample size: Varies widely.

  • Drawbacks: Maintenance heavy, participant fatigue.

  • Alternatives: Periodic surveys; follow-up interviews.


Quantitative vs. Qualitative: Quick Summary

  • Qualitative: Provides depth, context, and “why.” Smaller samples. Examples: interviews, diary studies. LooppanelVerywell Mind

  • Quantitative: Provides breadth, scale, and “how many.” Larger samples. Examples: surveys, analytics. Looppanel+1

  • Mixed Methods: Combining both creates the most nuanced and actionable insights.


Sample Size & General Considerations


When to Use Each Method

Research Goal

Best Methods

Discover user needs or context

Interviews, Field Studies, Diary Studies

Test usability or flows

Usability Testing, A/B Testing

Understand content structure

Card Sorting, Tree Testing

Scale user feedback

Surveys, Analytics

Visual attention & layout performance

Eye Tracking

Long-term experience and behavior changes

Diary Studies, Experience Sampling

Broader insight plus validation

Mixed-methods strategy

Final Thoughts

UX research isn’t one-size-fits-all. Choose a method—or mix methods—based on your stage in the design process, resources, and goals. Striking the right balance between rich insight and statistical confidence will strengthen your work and drive better design decisions.

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