Explore Stage in UX Research: Methods and Resources (2/4)

Explore Stage in UX Research: Methods and Resources (2/4)

By Paulina ContrerasUpdated on 1 min read
UX Research Stages
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In this page I continue sharing resources that can help with user research, organized according to each stage of UX Research.

Stages and resources

Heritage library

Second Stage – Explore

In the second stage of the research process, we will execute the research and collect the data that will later be analyzed. This data collection will be through field research (observation, interviews, testing, surveys, etc.) and/or desk research (secondary data such as benchmarks, bibliography, previous studies, among others).

Most common exploration methods in UX Research

In this exploratory phase, we look to understand the "why" and the "how" behind our users' behavior. Although there are dozens of techniques, these are the "Top 5" you will probably use in 90% of your projects:

MethodWhen to use itTypical sampleMain output
In-Depth InterviewsWhen you need to understand deep motivations, pain points, and mental models.5-8 users per segmentQuotes, qualitative insights, and empathy maps.
Contextual InquiryTo observe how the user interacts with your product in their real environment (no filters!).3-5 usersReal task flows and environmental barriers.
Diary StudiesWhen you need to track habits or behaviors over a period of time (days or weeks).10-15 participantsLongitudinal record of habits and recurring pain points.
Listening/ObservationTo understand how users verbalize their current problems (e.g. call center).N/A (hours of listening)User vocabulary and frequency of problems.
Card SortingTo understand how your users mentally organize information.15-30 usersInformation architecture and mental categories.

Pro-Tip: Not sure which one to choose? We built a free interactive tool to help you. Try our UX Methodology Selector to get a personalized recommendation. 🎁

How to choose the right method

Sometimes we get paralyzed by so many options. Do I run a survey or an interview? Remote or in-person testing? The short answer is: it depends on your research question.

To simplify it, use this mental decision tree:

  1. Do you need to count or measure something? (e.g. "How many users...?") → Go Quantitative (Surveys, Analytics).
  2. Do you need to understand why something happens? (e.g. "Why do they abandon the cart?") → Choose Qualitative (Interviews, Usability Testing).
  3. Is it a new or an existing product?
    • New: You need to Explore (Generative interviews).
    • Existing: You need to Evaluate (Usability testing).

Want to dig deeper? I wrote a full article on this: How to choose the right UX Research methodology. 🤓

Tips for taking notes during research

Taking notes is an underrated art. If you rely only on your memory, you'll lose 70% of the important details. And watch out: recording the session is not an excuse to skip notes (transcribing hours of video afterward is painful!).

What should you capture no matter what?

  • Verbatims (exact quotes): "I feel like the bank is deceiving me when it hides the fees." (These lines are pure gold for your stakeholders).
  • Non-verbal behaviors: Did they sigh? Did they hesitate before clicking? Did they frown?
  • Emotions: Frustration, joy, confusion, indifference.

The structured note-taking technique: Split your sheet (or your Notion) into two columns. On the left, what the user DOES or SAYS. On the right, what you THINK or interpret.

Observation (Facts) 📝Interpretation (Your brain) 🧠
"The user clicked 'Cancel' three times in a row."Hypothesis: The button looks like a confirmation link because of its color.

Careful! Never mix facts with your opinions. If you write "the user got angry" (opinion) instead of "the user hit the table" (fact), you're biasing the data from minute 1.

Considerations for researching in Latin America 🌎

Researching in LatAm has its own flavor. We're not robots; cultural context influences a lot how we gather information.

  • Rapport is king: Unlike more direct cultures (like the Anglo-Saxon one), in LatAm we need a few minutes of "small talk" to warm up. Asking "how was your day?" or commenting on the weather isn't a waste of time; it's the key that gets the participant to open up.
  • Sensitive topics = money: Talking about salaries or debt can be taboo or generate embarrassment. If you're researching fintech, start with general topics and move toward money little by little, always reminding participants that "there are no right or wrong answers."
  • Creative recruiting: Sometimes traditional recruiting agencies are expensive or slow. In our region, Facebook groups, WhatsApp, and word of mouth (snowball sampling) work surprisingly well for finding specific profiles.

And remember: empathy isn't a checklist, it's an attitude. 😉

Recommended resources:

This is the shortest resource list of the 4 stages, but each one has a lot to process and incorporate. Data collection is undoubtedly one of the most entertaining moments of user research (at least for me), going to search for information, meeting new people and their life contexts, makes the whole process more rewarding.

I hope these resources are useful to you. If you have a link to a resource that has helped you or that you think could contribute to this list, write to me in the thread of the post on LinkedIn.

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