Why You Should Always Pair Quantitative and Qualitative UX Research

Philip Burgess
Aug 10
3 min read

Updated: Oct 26

By Philip Burgess – UX Research Leader

In UX research, there’s an old saying:“Numbers tell you what is happening, but stories tell you why.”

That’s why—whenever possible—I pair quantitative and qualitative research in parallel.It’s not just about collecting data from both ends of the spectrum—it’s about weaving them together to tell a complete, actionable story.

Over the years, I’ve found that this combined approach consistently leads to:

Deeper, more trustworthy insights
Stronger stakeholder buy-in
More confident and impactful design decisions

Here’s why pairing quant and qual works so well—and how you can make it part of your UX research practice.

1. Quantitative Shows the Scope, Qualitative Reveals the Cause

Quantitative data—like click-through rates, task success scores, or survey metrics—tells you what’s happening and how widespread an issue may be.

But numbers alone rarely tell you why the problem exists.That’s where qualitative research comes in.

By observing users, listening to their feedback, and exploring their thought process, you uncover the motivations, mental models, and emotional barriers behind the numbers.

Example:A task success rate of 45% tells you there’s a usability problem.Watching five users struggle with unclear navigation labels tells you exactly what to fix.

Together, these two perspectives build a complete, evidence-backed picture of user experience—something no single method can provide on its own.

2. Quant Validates Patterns, Qual Brings Depth to the Story

Quantitative research is powerful for revealing trends across large populations.For example, analytics may show that 70% of users abandon a form at Step 3.

But qualitative research can tell you why Step 3 causes friction—maybe users are confused by the language, intimidated by required fields, or simply distracted by competing CTAs.

When you use qual and quant together, your insights evolve from “users drop off here” to “users drop off here because the form feels overwhelming.”That’s a shift from surface-level observation to strategic understanding.

Pair Quantitative and Qualitative UX Research

3. Quant Builds Credibility, Qual Builds Empathy

Data-driven organizations often gravitate toward numbers. Quantitative metrics feel concrete, measurable, and easy to visualize in dashboards.

But numbers don’t always inspire empathy.That’s where qualitative research changes the game—it humanizes the data.

Executives might glance at a 45% task failure rate and move on.Show them a 15-second clip of a real user struggling—and suddenly, the problem feels urgent and real.

When you blend hard numbers with human stories, you speak two languages at once: business logic and human emotion.That combination drives alignment faster than any single dataset ever could.

4. Quant Identifies Opportunities, Qual Inspires Solutions

Quantitative data reveals where opportunities lie, but qualitative data shows you how to act on them.

For instance, product analytics might show that users rarely engage with a new feature.But through interviews or usability sessions, you might learn that users didn’t even notice the feature—or misunderstood its value.

That insight doesn’t just identify a problem; it points directly to a solution: improve visibility, update copy, or integrate it more naturally into the flow.

Insight without empathy leads to inefficiency.Empathy without data leads to bias.When used together, they fuel innovation grounded in truth.

5. Together, They Build a Culture of Evidence and Empathy

The most effective research teams aren’t “quantitative-first” or “qualitative-first.” They’re question-first—choosing methods based on what’s needed to answer the business question with both precision and empathy.

Pairing quant and qual fosters a culture where:

Decisions are data-informed and human-centered
Teams move from assumptions to alignment
Insights are trusted because they’re both measurable and meaningful

At Centene and beyond, I’ve seen how this dual approach transforms stakeholder relationships. When teams see both the numbers and the narrative, buy-in becomes effortless—because the evidence speaks for itself.