User Research

---
name: user-research
description: Plan and conduct user research that produces evidence about behaviors, needs, mental models, pain points, and decision implications.
---
# User Research

Use when product decisions depend on understanding real users rather than internal assumptions.

## Procedure
1. Define the decision and research questions before selecting a method.
2. Choose participants who represent the relevant behavior or context, not just convenient users.
3. Use interviews, observation, usability testing, diary methods, surveys, or behavioral data according to the question.
4. Avoid leading participants toward the desired answer and distinguish stated preference from observed behavior.
5. Capture evidence systematically and look for patterns as well as meaningful outliers.
6. Synthesize findings into needs, mental models, barriers, and opportunities with confidence proportional to the sample and method.
7. Translate findings into product implications without pretending research alone owns the product decision.

## Quality gate
Findings must trace back to evidence and clearly state the limits of what the research can support.