Mobile IxD

Research aids in accurately knowing who the current or potential users are, what they expect and what they need. Market and user research overlap. Loosely stated, market research defines the product that the existing or potential market wants, and user research defines the product the market needs.

Research can answer the following questions with data rather than conjecture:
What are the market demographics?
What are the attitudes of the market toward your product?
How do individuals in that market use similar versions of the product you are creating?
What product issues impact the five main factors of usability: efficiency, effectiveness, level of engagement, tolerance of errors and ease of learning

Combining the results of both market and user research provides a well-rounded picture. When considering research:

You may be able to get a quick start by talking with any product management or marketing colleagues in your company. Additionally, there may be relevant reports available on the Internet or an academic or trade database
If the product is new or there just has not yet been research conducted, then there is an opportunity to work with other research professionals within your organization that may be better equipped to conduct the research and share the results
If you have the inclination, skills and education (self or otherwise), conduct your own market or user research
Research does not need to be constrained to the beginning of a project (and likely has little value to the current project if saved for the end); conducting ongoing research is encouraged

The methods and tools used to integrate research results into the design will differ depending on work style (e.g., wireframes, prototyping, etc.) and development processes already in place (e.g., waterfall, iterative, Agile, etc.). Consider using design personas, such as those detailed in “The Persona Lifecycle: Keeping People in Mind Throughout Product Design” by Pruitt and Adlin and/or usage-centered design – a methodology created by Constantine and Lockwood, as means to ensure that the research results are broadly reflected and applied throughout the product design and development process.

dave@mobileixd.com