Making user research deliberate
To be deliberate. Something that’s done consciously and intentionally.
Being deliberate is thinking about who the users of your service are, taking the time you need to understand what their needs are.
Being deliberate is having a plan about what you need to learn. It’s making sure you know when it’s time to leave the plan behind and just talk to people.
Being deliberate is giving your full attention to the person you’re talking to. It’s a measure of stillness. Engaging in active listening, letting other people speak and resisting the urge to interrupt.
Being deliberate is making the time and space to include other people in your work. It’s making sure that everyone is learning about user needs.
Being deliberate is getting to a shared understanding of what we think things mean. It’s intentionally asking “why†to move beyond the surface of a problem to discover the underlying issue, motivation or need.
User research can happen without any of these things. Be deliberate about how you make it happen.
This is my blog where I’ve been writing for 18 years. You can follow all of my posts by subscribing to this RSS feed. You can also find me on Bluesky, less frequently now on X (formally Twitter), and on LinkedIn.