Research Methods

The right question comes before the method.

Understand why people act, observe where they struggle and measure what matters. We combine research methods to build evidence your team can use.

Research Methods

Explore how we find the answers.

Each method brings a different view of the experience. Start with what you need to learn; we help choose the approach, participants and activities.

18 methods to explore

Qualitative Research

Explore the reasons, needs and context behind an experience.

In-Depth Interviews

One-to-one conversations about experiences, expectations, decisions and unmet needs.

Why do people think, feel or act this way?

Explore method

Focus Groups

Facilitated discussions that explore perspectives, shared language and differences in opinion.

How do people describe and discuss the experience?

Explore method

Ethnographic Research

Study people in everyday settings to understand routines, relationships and context.

What is happening beyond the product or service itself?

Explore method

Contextual Inquiry & Observation

Observe activities as they happen and explore the reasons behind the steps people take.

How does the task work in real conditions?

Explore method

Diary Studies

Follow experiences over time through participant records of relevant moments and activities.

What changes between the first use and everyday use?

Explore method

Quantitative Research

Assess patterns and differences with structured questions and measures.

Surveys

Collect structured feedback from defined participant groups to assess patterns and differences.

How common is this experience within the group studied?

Explore method

Concept & Preference Testing

Explore understanding, appeal and trade-offs between proposed ideas or alternatives.

Which direction should we investigate or develop further?

Explore method

Experience Measurement

Define and assess measures such as task success, effort, satisfaction or confidence.

How is the experience performing on the measures that matter?

Explore method

Benchmarking Studies

Compare experiences using consistent tasks, participant criteria and measures.

Where does the experience stand, and how is it changing?

Explore method

Experience Testing & Fieldwork

See how people interact with concepts, products and services.

Usability Testing

Observe people attempting realistic tasks to identify confusion, barriers and recovery needs.

Can people complete the tasks they came to do?

Explore method

Prototype Testing

Explore proposed interactions and concepts before committing to a full implementation.

What should change before the next version is built?

Explore method

In-Home Usage Testing

Study products in the home, including setup, repeated use and the surrounding routines.

How does the product fit into everyday life?

Explore method

Field Research & Intercept Interviews

Observe experiences and speak with people at relevant places and moments.

What is shaping this experience right now?

Explore method

Mystery Shopping

Examine service delivery through defined customer scenarios and consistent observations.

How does the service work from the customer side?

Explore method

Analysis & Mapping

Bring activities, journeys and existing feedback into a clearer picture.

Journey Mapping

Connect stages, touchpoints, needs and barriers across an end-to-end experience.

Where do the moments and handovers stop joining up?

Explore method

Task & Workflow Analysis

Examine steps, dependencies and workarounds involved in getting a task done.

Which parts of the workflow create avoidable effort?

Explore method

Analytics Review

Review available behavioural data to identify patterns and questions for deeper investigation.

What do existing usage patterns tell us to investigate?

Explore method

Review & Feedback Analysis

Analyse reviews, complaints, support records and open feedback for recurring themes.

What are people repeatedly telling the organisation?

Explore method

A connected research approach

What people say. What they do. What the patterns show.

Interviews can explain a concern. Observation can show where it happens. Measurement can assess the pattern. We bring the relevant evidence together around your decision.

01

Explore

Understand the needs, language and context behind the question.

02

Observe

See how people interact with the experience in realistic tasks.

03

Assess

Compare relevant patterns and decide what needs attention next.

Methods in context

Connect the study with the approach.

Explore starting points for different research services. The final method mix is shaped around your question, participants and decision.

View the research service and methods reference

Use this reference to start a discussion about the evidence your team needs.

Research service Possible methods
Human Experience In-depth interviews, ethnographic research, contextual inquiry, observation, emotion mapping, needs analysis
People & Interaction Experience Interaction observation, role-play research, shadowing, service encounter interviews, conversation analysis, mystery research
Customer Experience Customer journey mapping, touchpoint research, surveys, interviews, NPS/CSAT analysis, complaint analysis
Employee Experience Employee interviews, pulse surveys, workflow observation, diary studies, internal tool usability testing, stakeholder workshops
Decision & Behavior Behavioral interviews, choice modeling, decision journey research, conjoint analysis, A/B testing support, friction analysis
Product Experience Product usability testing, in-home usage tests, concept testing, prototype testing, task analysis, adoption research
Service Experience Service journey mapping, service blueprinting, mystery shopping, field research, service failure analysis, customer interviews
Space Experience Field observation, wayfinding studies, footfall behavior mapping, intercept interviews, environmental audit, spatial journey mapping
System Experience Workflow analysis, enterprise usability testing, task analysis, contextual inquiry, dashboard review, stakeholder interviews
Technology Experience Technology adoption research, usability testing, trust testing, human-AI interaction testing, prototype testing, expert review
Website & Mobile App Experience Usability testing, heuristic review, analytics review, heatmap/session review, task testing, conversion friction analysis
Brand & Trust Experience Brand perception research, trust driver analysis, message testing, reputation research, sentiment analysis, semiotic review
Communication Experience Content testing, comprehension testing, message testing, form testing, readability review, chatbot conversation testing
Accessibility & Inclusion Accessibility testing, inclusive research panels, assistive technology testing, WCAG review, readability testing, moderated usability testing
Cultural & Local Experience Cultural research, localized interviews, ethnographic research, language testing, cross-cultural comparison, local market observation
Cross-Market Experience Multi-country studies, localized usability testing, market comparison research, international panels, benchmarking, cultural analysis
Ethical & Responsible Experience Privacy perception research, consent testing, fairness perception research, transparency testing, vulnerable user research, responsible AI research
Patient Experience Patient journey mapping, patient interviews, caregiver interviews, hospital observation, appointment journey research, trust research
Citizen Experience Citizen journey mapping, public service usability testing, form testing, service center observation, accessibility research, language testing
Partner / Dealer Experience Partner interviews, dealer journey mapping, portal usability testing, channel satisfaction surveys, process mapping, relationship research
Retail & Shopper Experience Shopper observation, intercept interviews, path-to-purchase research, shelf/navigation studies, checkout friction research, mystery shopping
Safety & Risk Experience Risk perception research, trust testing, safety communication testing, incident journey mapping, compliance usability testing, scenario testing
AI & Automation Experience Human-AI interaction testing, chatbot testing, trust and transparency testing, prompt experience testing, automation adoption research, error recovery testing
Journey Experience Journey mapping, diary studies, touchpoint analysis, customer effort research, service blueprinting, longitudinal research
Onboarding Experience Onboarding usability testing, first-use studies, diary studies, funnel analysis, drop-off interviews, comprehension testing
Complaint & Recovery Experience Complaint journey mapping, service recovery interviews, call/chat analysis, support ticket analysis, customer effort research, emotion mapping
Loyalty & Retention Experience Churn interviews, loyalty journey research, retention surveys, cohort behavior analysis, renewal journey research, satisfaction drivers analysis
Experience Benchmarking UX benchmarking, competitor benchmarking, scorecards, task success measurement, SUS/UMUX-Lite, journey performance tracking

Let us help shape the next step

You bring the question. We help shape the research.

Tell us what you want to understand and the decision you need to make. We will help define a practical research approach.

Describe Your Research Need