Your team wants to cut corners in user research. How can you ensure the user's voice is still heard?

Even when cutting corners, it's crucial to ensure the user's voice is heard. Start by focusing on key research methods that provide the most impactful insights, such as targeted surveys or quick user interviews. Prioritize gathering feedback from core user groups to ensure relevance. Use existing data and analytics to complement primary research, helping to validate findings. Advocate for including user perspectives in decision-making by demonstrating how their input aligns with project goals and enhances outcomes. Facilitate collaborative sessions with team members to discuss user needs and potential solutions. Regularly review and iterate on designs based on any available user feedback to maintain alignment with user expectations.

To ensure user voices are heard while your team considers cutting corners, emphasize the importance of user insights in driving product success. Reinforce that skipping research can lead to misguided decisions. Propose cost-effective methods, like quick surveys or remote interviews, to gather essential feedback without extensive commitments. Encourage integrating user feedback into development to enhance product quality. Foster a culture of user empathy by sharing stories that highlight the impact of user input. By advocating for efficient methods and emphasizing user-centered values, you can ensure the user's voice remains integral to the project.

- Advocate Early: Promote the importance of user research from the start to influence design decisions. - Highlight Long-Term Benefits: Emphasize how thorough research reduces costly redesigns and boosts user satisfaction. - Shift Team Perspective: Proactively address any push to cut research efforts by demonstrating potential risks and benefits. - Use Evidence: Present case studies or past experiences to show how user research positively impacted previous projects, reinforcing its value.

To ensure the user's voice is heard when cutting corners in research: Prioritize key research areas Use existing data and analytics Conduct quick, targeted research (e.g., guerrilla testing) Utilize remote research tools Involve team members in lightweight research activities

- Lean Methods: Utilize lean UX research techniques when resources are limited. - Guerrilla Testing: Conduct quick, informal feedback sessions with users in public spaces for immediate insights. - Use Existing Analytics: Leverage analytics to identify user behavior patterns and areas of friction. - Cost-Effective: These methods are budget-friendly and efficient, allowing you to gather valuable feedback without extensive research.

This is a very realistic problem to come across. I like to use different methods of prioritization, MoSCoW being my go-to, to clearly differentiate product non-negotiables from the non-priorities- where do I need user feedback as a priority? It could be for a brand new feature, a problem area, or an important flow. This allows for research resources to be used strategically while still embodying user-centricity in the product.

At Bereke Bank, we actively engage all relevant stakeholders in our research process. In our initial meetings, we discuss the importance of customer research for the product or service team and outline how the insights will be utilized. As the research progresses, we invite stakeholders to participate in in-depth interviews or usability tests, allowing them to observe firsthand how real customers interact with our products and the feedback they provide. This involvement ensures that all stakeholders remain closely attuned to the customer perspective and prioritize their voice in decision-making.

Get creative with how you conduct user research on a limited budget: -Partner with other teams to share costs -Leverage existing customer data and feedback -Conduct remote research to reduce travel costs

-Continuously advocate for the user's voice throughout the product development process. -Share user research findings regularly and tie them to business goals and objectives. -Celebrate successes where user research led to better product decisions.