User Research Terms Flashcards
Human-Centered Design
a design problem-solving process that prioritizes the users’ needs, wants, and
limitations.
Design Research
a research-driven process that helps define how a problem is solved, and
communicates the value of the solution.
Context
the users and environment they interact with.
Commodity
something easily available, financially and intellectually
Crowdsourcing
the process of collecting services, ideas, and content by asking a large group of people
to contribute and build on each other’s ideas.
Research Method
a structured process of collecting data
Secondary Research
reviewing and summarizing existing research
Primary Research
research collected directly from participants.
Quantitative Research
an output of research that results in something measurable, such as a
quantity, statistic, or numerical information.
Objective Data
research information that is difficult to argue against
Qualitative Research
an output of research that results in something subjective, such as beliefs and
opinions.
Subjective Data
research information that is collected through interviews and includes feelings,
perceptions and concerns.
Generative Research
research that is conducted during the early stages of a project. It may also be
called formative research.
Evaluative Research
research that is conducted in the later phases of a project, validating research by
testing potential solutions. It may also be called summative research.
Iterative Design
the process of testing and refining repeatedly until a successful solution has been
discovered.
Market Research
research that studies human behavior toward a market-based economy, focused on
understanding how humans connect to goods, services, and experiences.
Demographics
collections of quantitative data that represent a group of people or market segment.
Psychographics
collections of qualitative data that represent the subjective beliefs of a particular
demographic.
Ethnography
research aimed at understanding the connection between human behavior and culture
Empathy
understanding another person’s situation from that person’s perspective.
Research Tools
practical techniques of engaging with primary and secondary research methods, such as
literature review, competitive analysis, interviews, surveys, and focus groups.
Literature Review
the act of reviewing and summarizing key documents, publications, articles, and
books centered on a specific topic.
Competitive Analysis
a market research strategy used to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of an
organization’s competition.
Media Scanning
reviewing materials written and produced by competing organizations.
