User Experience (UX) Research creates an understanding of what product qualities will meet the perceptive, physical, emotional and behavioral needs of a target market.
It informs design in ways that enhances user satisfaction, brand loyalty and product success. Falling under the broader umbrella of design research, it normally precedes the design process and is important from the point of view of inspiring and informing the design & product teams on new opportunities and innovations thereby.
Design Research regularly participates in the redefinition of the design process, away from the stand-alone object and into the integrated system. By moving away from the mere “styling” of the product and into the interlocking systems that manifest, support, constrain and envelop products & brands, this form of user research ensures that the design interventions are holistic and deliver at several use levels. It is also often the more superior tool than market research in situations where innovation is the key objective rather than concept testing.
UX or Design Research works through a variety of tools and methodologies to build a credible understanding of potential & existing consumers. Our multi-disciplinary team collates evocative, contextual information from the field & transforms this into rich media documents (through film, photography & graphics), drawing patterns and relevant insights to fuel brand, service & product innovations. Some of these tools are summarized in the poster below (click picture for an enlarged view):
