Research Methods Articles & Videos

  • Tools for Unmoderated Usability Testing

    There are many tools for unmoderated usability testing on the market. Choose a tool that offers the right features for your research.

  • Screening Participants for User-Research Studies

    Well-written screeners ensure that your study participants are appropriate for your research goals, improve data quality, save resources, and reduce bias.

  • Accelerating Research with AI

    AI can speed up certain research tasks but is currently most helpful in the planning and analysis stages.

  • NN/g’s Free UX Templates and Guides

    Use this curated set of free NN/g templates and guides for inspiration and to accelerate your product development activities and UX career.

  • Handling Sensitive Questions in Surveys and Screeners

    Researchers often want to ask about sensitive topics in surveys and screeners. Handle them appropriately and delicately to avoid dropoffs and inaccurate data.

  • Card Sorting: Pushing Users Beyond Terminology Matches

    Labels in a card sorting study must be neutral to prevent keyword matching and encourage careful, conceptual groupings from users.

  • The Diverge-and-Converge Technique for UX Workshops

    By first working independently on a problem and then converging to share insights, teams can leverage the benefits of both work styles, leading to rapid data analysis, diverse ideas, and high-quality designs.

  • Affinity Diagramming for Collaboratively Sorting UX Findings and Design Ideas

    Use affinity diagramming to cluster and organize research findings or to sort design ideas in ideation workshops.

  • Planning Research with Generative AI

    With the proper context, prompts, and scrutiny, AI chatbots can be used to create a successful user-research plan.

  • Diary Studies: Understanding Long-Term User Behavior and Experiences

    Participants log daily activities as they occur to give contextual insights about real-time user behaviors and needs.

  • Attitudinal vs. Behavioral Research in UX

    Attitudinal research captures user opinions and feelings in the form of self-reported data; behavioral research observes user actions.

  • Should You Run a Survey?

    Even though surveys may be faster and cheaper than other research methods, they are not suited to all research goals.

  • Card Sorting: Uncover Users' Mental Models for Better Information Architecture

    In a card-sorting study, users organize topics into groups. Use this research method to create an information architecture that suits your users' expectations.

  • Open-Ended vs. Closed Questions in User Research

    Open-ended questions result in deeper insights. Closed questions provide clarification and detail, but no unexpected insights.

  • Tree Testing Part 2: Interpreting the Results

    Analyze tree-testing results including success, first click, and directness to improve information architecture and navigation labels.

  • Field Studies

    Field research is conducted in the user’s natural setting. Learn the unexpected by leaving the office and observing people in their normal environments.

  • Competitive Usability Evaluations

    Data on what works well or poorly on other sites saves you from implementing useless features and guides UX investments to features that your users need.

  • How to Run Surveys at Every Stage of the Design Cycle

    Most UX surveys are administered during the final Listen phase of the design cycle. However, there are many different types of surveys, which can be used effectively throughout the design cycle.

  • Confounding Variables in Quantitative Studies

    Confounding variables interfere with quantitative studies, leading to inaccurate results. Avoid introducing such variables by randomizing your study’s conditions and keeping your research questions focused.

  • User Interviews 101

    User interviews help you learn who your users are, what their experiences are like, and what they need, value, and desire.