User Research

User research is the systematic study of users—their needs, behaviors, motivations, and context—to inform product design and development decisions with real user insights.

Why User Research Matters

Reduces risk: Build what users actually need Saves money: Find problems early, before coding Increases success: Products users love, not guess-work Drives decisions: Data over opinions

Common Research Methods

Discovery (What to build):

• User interviews
• Surveys
• Field studies
• Card sorting ← organizing content
• Mental model mapping

Validation (Did we build it right):

• Usability testing
• Tree testing
• A/B testing
• Analytics analysis
• Accessibility testing

When to Conduct Research

Before design: Understand users, discover needs During design: Test concepts, validate ideas After launch: Measure success, find improvements Ongoing: Continuous learning and iteration

Card Sorting in User Research

Card sorting helps you:

• Understand how users categorize information
• Design intuitive navigation
• Use users' language for labels
• Validate information architecture

Early stage: Open card sort to discover Later stage: Closed card sort to validate

Research Sample Sizes

Qualitative (interviews, observations): 5-10 users Quantitative (surveys, card sorts): 30-100+ users Usability testing: 5 users finds 85% of issues

Best Practices

1. Recruit real users: Not friends/family/coworkers
2. Define clear goals: What do you need to learn?
3. Mix methods: Combine qualitative + quantitative
4. Test early and often: Iterate based on findings
5. Share insights: Make research accessible to team

Start researching your users with free card sorting at freecardsort.com