In the Skill's Own Terms
An operating manual for planning, running and synthesizing user research studies. It opens with a six-method comparison table — user interviews, usability testing, surveys, card sorting, diary studies, A/B testing — pairing each with what it is best for, a typical sample size and a duration.
From there it prescribes a five-part interview guide with minute allocations, four analysis frameworks, and the four deliverables a study should end with. It suits designers and developers who need to choose a method, write a guide, or turn session notes into themes and recommendations.
What it produces
- Research plan covering objectives, methods, timeline and participants.
- Interview guide with questions, probes and activities.
- Highlight reel of key quotes and observations from the sessions.
How It Works
- 01Choose the Method Before the Plan
The skill starts with the method rather than the document, so sample size and timing are decided deliberately instead of drifting.
- 02Run the Interview Against a five-part Agenda
Warm-up builds rapport, then context, deep dive, reaction and wrap-up follow in order, each with its own allotment of minutes.
- 03Analyze with a Named Framework
Analysis frameworks are called out explicitly; journey mapping is the one for visualizing the user experience over time rather than stacking up observations.
- 04Close with the Standard Artifacts
A study is meant to end in a research plan, an interview guide, a synthesis report and a highlight reel, with the synthesis report carrying themes, insights and recommendations.