5 Most Common Reasons Why Brands Think They Can Skimp on User Research

UX is making a name for itself and is finally moving out from behind the shadow of market research. However, many companies and professionals remain disbelievers when it comes to the importance (and necessity) of understanding their consumers and working with them to co-create an even more usable product or service. But where does this hesitation come from?

In this article, we review five of the most common reasons why brands think they can get away with not performing user experience research. As a research method that has the potential to take advantage of many technological and digital advancements, user experience research continues to stray further away from the more traditional large-scale quantitative surveys and other long-established market research methods.

Consumer-centric practices and Feng Shui

Globally, the business world is in the midst of transitioning from a corporation-centric business world to one that prioritizes consumer needs and experience, i.e. a consumer-centric business model. However, there are still many excuses and doubts when it comes to the positive impact of UX research on business strategy, and if it is worth the time and budget investment. Well, interestingly enough, the study of user experience is not just a trend, as it has existed and progressed since the dawn of human innovation – just take Feng Shui as an example!

This philosophy, originating from ancient China in 4,000 BC, revolves around arranging objects or items in your surroundings, typically within a living environment or space, to facilitate a flow of energy (chi). According to the philosophy, this ensures a layout’s harmony and usability. By centering a person’s experience of their physical environment this way, Feng Shui can be considered an early example of UX design.

Finding the “chi” in your business practices

So, with that background in mind, let’s dissolve some common doubts about user research and find the adequate chi needed to ensure a smooth and delightful experience for your user base!

1. “We know our users!” It is understandable to assume that you already know your user/client base, especially if your business has been up and running for years. However, user experience research is implemented to discover how to best serve users and consumers based on their individual experiences, interpretations, and corresponding identities. It’s a dimensional approach that can offer qualitative insights into how to optimize or enhance your service and business. So while you may have an idea of who your users are and their needs, there is much more room to explore and understand their experiences in-depth and with consumer-centric mindfulness.
2. “We don’t have the time and/or budget!” Many professionals’ first excuse for not committing to UX research methods is that they do not have the time or money to invest in it. However, the risk of not investing in understanding your user or client base and design in your practices could be much more expensive! Former CEO of Jaguar Land Rover, Ralf Speth, once said, “If you think good design is expensive, you should look at the cost of bad design”, and we could not agree more! When businesses choose not to grab the advantages of the low-hanging fruit that is user research, they potentially run the risk of missing wonky features and frictions in the user experience and opportunities to optimize their product or service. They thus lose users to competitors that do invest in exploring user behavior. User research doesn’t have to break the bank, as there are many digital and learnable methods of studying and collecting data that will give back to your business. Today, there are tons of resources that can help you kickstart your DIY research efforts in-house.
3. “We already do market and quantitative research!” Sure, market and quantitative research are useful in understanding how your product fits in the market and how your business or service lines up with competitors. However, user experience research offers much deeper information central to consumers and users rather than about a specific service, product, or business. Just as market research is great for understanding customers’ demands and needs, user research reveals information on the usability and inclusivity of your service or product and goes much deeper in shedding a light on the underlying why.
4. “We did research once, and it was wrong!” Poor research can be hard to recover from and can leave your brand in a tight spot. Whether you missed the mark on targeting who your users are, what their interests are, or communicating effectively your product or service offers, it is important to spend time reflecting on where your team may have misstepped to be able to make adjustments! All research can be used, and following a blunder, it is even more important to mindfully conduct new research while being sure to find and incorporate the users who can offer more transparent and relevant research for your brand’s recovery measures. It can be hard to remember that in UX research, we work with our users and not for them when learning how to enhance and improve their experience.
5. “We don’t need user research, we have data analytics!” Having data analytics or extensive large-scale quantitative research is great when deciphering metrics, but again, it doesn’t show you the why and gives too much ground for assumptions. Data analytics can show you the results, but UX research can take you milestones ahead in understanding user behavior, including successes, pain points, and needs. User research utilizes qualitative methods to provide insights and reasoning to user actions and feelings when using a product or service. One doesn’t work without the other, and without including both in your research practice, you may encounter difficulty understanding why you have received the results you have. 

Now that we’ve solidified the importance of UX research, where can you start? Well, finding professionals to help lead the way is one option, but taking the time to inform yourself about user research, processes, and connecting with your users to better understand their experience is also a fantastic first step! And remember, user research is all about creating an experience that your users will love (and in consequence will love you).

References

• Batterbee, Ian. 30 June 2021. “Dunking 7 reasons for not needing user research”. UX Collective. Online. Accessed November 26, 2021.
• Stevens Emily. 30 July 2021.”15 Inspirational UX Design Quotes That Every Designer Should Read”. CareerFoundry. Online. Accessed November 26, 2021.
• Stevens Emily. 28 July 2021.”The Fascinating History of UX Design: A Definitive Timeline”. CareerFoundry. Online. Accessed November 26, 2021.
• Teixeira, Fabricio. 5 June 2018. “Most common excuses for not doing user research: UX Collective. Online. Accessed November 26, 2021.

Header Image: David Travis, Unsplash