Ways to collect insights: Quick resource guide

Explore the various methods for collecting insights, conducting tests, and applying research techniques.

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Benchmark test

  • Benchmarking tests measure the baseline experience of your design or service to compare against future iterations.
  • Run a benchmark test on your current experience, then repeat it after updates or to compare with a competitor.
  • Use consistent metrics in benchmark tests (such as rating scales or explicit success criteria) to make direct comparisons against the benchmarks.
  • Each test in a benchmark study should use the same tasks and metrics to accurately track design progress.

 

 

Card sort

  • Card sort tests reveal how respondents group and label content.
  • Run a card sort to learn how people categorize information.

  • The content organization you design after a card sort can be tested via a tree test.

 

 

Comparison test (Preference test, A/B test, Experiment) 

  • Comparison tests provide feedback on one design as compared to other designs.
  • Run a comparison test during discovery to compare your design against competitor designs.
  • Use a comparison test early to evaluate design options and later to compare an updated design to the current one.
  • Comparison tests may not yield a clear “winner,” but they can highlight each design's strengths and weaknesses.
  • Follow-up preference tests, A/B tests, or experiments with a significant sample size can identify a winning design but require more time and effort.

 

 

Competitor test

  • Competitor tests use any of the listed test types in this article to evaluate a competitor's design instead of your own.
  • The goal is to understand the competitor’s design enough to create relevant tasks and questions while gathering insights to improve your own.

 

 

Concept test

  • Concept tests help you collect insights on an idea before you build out too much detail.
  • Run a concept test to evaluate a design idea presented as text, a short video, or a static illustration.
  • Use concept tests to validate or refine your design direction early, before significant time or budget is spent.

 

 

Content

  • Content tests gather feedback on your design's content rather than its navigation or interaction.
  • Run a content test whenever you have a non-interactive illustration or words (such as taglines or email subject lines) that you want feedback on.

 

 

Discovery interview

  • Discovery interviews help uncover a customer’s background, goals, expectations, and views on current experiences.
  • Run discovery interviews early in product or service planning or to identify opportunities to address customer needs.

 

 

Ethnography study (light ethnography, customer environment, and context)

  • Ethnography studies allow you to deeply understand the user and their environment.
  • “Light” ethnography refers to limited ethnographic research for insights without committing to extensive site visits.
  • Conduct these studies to understand environmental factors, such as physical surroundings and social influences, like how children or older adults in the home impact technology use.

 

 

First impression test/First-click test

  • First impression tests provide insights into users’ initial reactions to a design.
  • Run a first impression test at the start of user research to assess whether contributors understand the design, its audience, and its purpose.
  • Asking, “Who do you think this is designed for?” is an excellent question for a first impression test.
  • A first-click test assesses where a contributor initially clicks to complete a task.

 

 

Longitudinal study (diary study, multi-touchpoint study)

  • Longitudinal studies involve interacting with the same contributor over time, such as testing when they first download software and conducting weekly tests during their first month of use.
  • Run longitudinal studies to explore users’ experiences with existing products before creating a new one or to understand how a new product is used over time in real-world settings.

 

 

Needs assessment

  • Needs assessment studies help customers identify gaps in their current product or service and rank potential features based on how well they meet their needs.
  • Conduct a needs assessment early in the process to identify user needs for new offerings or features.
  • Run a needs assessment to gather user feedback on how they expect new offerings or features to work and to identify their top priorities.

 

 

Omnichannel study

  • Omnichannel studies collect insights from customers across different modes of interaction.
  • For example, an omnichannel study might explore the customer’s experience researching and purchasing a product online, tracking the order on their smartphone, and receiving it at home.
  • Conduct omnichannel studies for experiences that involve multiple interaction modes as contributors work toward a single goal.

 

 

Survey (pilot)

  • Surveys collect feedback from contributors through self-completed forms, mainly using closed-ended questions with some open-ended options.
  • Surveys are typically distributed to a statistically significant number of contributors, but they should first be piloted with a small unmoderated test to observe contributors’ experiences completing them.
  • Use surveys to gather extensive background information or contributor ratings of an experience, and always pilot the survey before full distribution.

 

 

Tree test

  • Tree tests evaluate whether contributors can locate content by navigating a text-only version of your content structure.
  • Conduct a tree test to identify issues with your current content organization or to validate a reorganization based on a card sort.

 

 

Usability test (prototype test, live site test, navigation test)

  • Usability testing gathers insights into which aspects of your designs simplify or hinder goal completion.
  • Conduct usability tests throughout the product development lifecycle—starting with low-fidelity prototypes, progressing to high-fidelity prototypes during design and development, and continuing with live sites and apps.
  • A usability test will provide feedback on navigation, interaction, content, and visual design.

 

 

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