While the terms “user research” and “user experience research” are sometimes used interchangeably, they do have slightly different meanings.

User research is a broader term that encompasses all types of research that involve studying users, their needs, behaviors, and attitudes. This includes research focused on understanding user demographics, motivations, pain points, and preferences. User research can be conducted at any stage of the product development process, and it is often used to inform design decisions, product development, and marketing strategies.

User experience (UX) research, on the other hand, specifically focuses on the experience that users have when interacting with a product or service. It aims to understand users' needs, behaviors, and attitudes as they relate to the product or service being studied. UX research can include a wide range of methods, such as usability testing, surveys, interviews, and contextual inquiry, and it is typically conducted during the design and development process. The insights gained from UX research are used to improve the overall user experience, optimize the design of the product or service, and increase user satisfaction and engagement.

How do you get started with UX research? The flow generally goes like this:

1. Define your research goals and questions: What do you want to achieve with your research? What questions do you need to answer to achieve those goals? This will help you stay focused and ensure that you’re gathering the right data.

2: Identify your target audience: Who are your users? What are their characteristics? Once you know who your users are, you can choose research methods that are appropriate for them.

3. Choose online user testing tools: There are many online user testing tools available that can help you with this, such as UserTesting.com, TryMyUI, and Userlytics. These tools allow you to recruit participants who match your target audience and conduct tests remotely, making it easy to gather valuable user feedback quickly and efficiently. Note: I have done in person pen and paper usability testing and although it takes longer, it can be easier to pick up on facial expressions.

4. Identify your research: Once you have your participants, it’s time to start the research. Online user testing tools can help you conduct surveys, interviews, and usability tests remotely, so you can gather data from anywhere in the world. Some of these tools even provide you with video recordings of participants' behavior, allowing you to see firsthand how they interact with your product or service.

5. Analyze your data: There are many online tools available that can help you analyze your data, such as Hotjar (this tool does some really cool heat map stuff), Google Analytics, and Crazy Egg (also does heat maps, A/B testing and more). These tools allow you to track user behavior on your website or app and identify areas where users are getting stuck. Then you can tweak and optimize your design based on their feedback.

6. Report your findings: It’s important to capture and report your findings to everyone involved in the project. Some online user testing tools can help you create professional reports and visualizations that communicate your findings clearly and effectively. Usertesting.com for example generates automatic reports based on feedback and analysis.

In my current role, I have encouraged user experience research and wireframing to be done as early as possible. This has helped stakeholders, designers, developers, and business executives feel more confident in knowing what they’re going to get (and also results in a more accurate rough order of magnitude or ROM)!

When you look at a visual design, you’ll see different elements working together in a complex way. When you look at a Starbucks logo (I love espresso) you might see line, shape, value, texture, color, space, and form. These design elements are what designers use to create visual design and are the basic visual components that are used to create visual art, graphic design, and other forms of visual communication.

There are several recognized elements of design, including:

1. Line: A continuous mark made on a surface that can vary in thickness, direction, and length. Lines can be used to define shapes, create texture, and convey emotion. The thickness of a line can really influence how something feels. Thinner lines feel elegant and clean. Thicker lines feel heavy and powerful.

2. Shape: A two-dimensional area that is defined by a boundary or outline. Shapes can be geometric, organic, or abstract, and can be used to create patterns, balance, and contrast. Shapes can be immediately recognizable and can help with brand recognition.

3. Color: The visual sensation produced by light waves of different wavelengths. Colors can be used to create mood, communicate meaning, and enhance the overall design. Did you know if you add red light, blue light, and green light equally, you get white? Pretty cool, eh? 4. Texture: The surface quality of a material or object, which can be visual or tactile. Texture can add depth, interest, and dimension to a design. I love using texture when designing something crude, raw, and edgy.

5. Value: The relative lightness or darkness of a color, which can be used to create contrast, highlight important elements, and create a sense of depth. It’s important when designing something with multiple colors to keep this in mind. Contrast is important, and most of the time, you don’t want values to blend.

6. Space: The area around, between, and within objects. Space can be used to create perspective, balance, and emphasis. Negative space is so important in design, and keeping a lot of white space can help something feel higher-end. That’s why a lot of fashion brands use a small typeface, dramatic photos, and tons of white space.

7. Form: A three-dimensional object that occupies space. Forms can be geometric, organic, or abstract, and can be used to create depth, volume, and dimension.

These elements can be combined and manipulated in a variety of ways and are essential to a designer’s toolbox. Keep It Simple Stupid is what my professors used to say. If you know the elements, you can tweak the elements when something just doesn’t look right.

By measuring and analyzing user behavior and feedback, companies can identify areas where UX design can be improved to enhance the user experience and increase customer retention.

Amazon has invested millions in UX. During the first year at Amazon, Bezos invested 100 times more into customer experience than Advertising. Forrester Research conducted a study of the financial impact of User Experience and found on average every dollar invested in UX brings 100 dollars in return.

Similarly, a 2018 McKinsey report on the Business Value of Design showed the companies that focus on design and make it a priority, have a higher rate of return on investments. In short, customers are more loyal if you invest in providing a better user experience.

Here are some ways that UX design can be tracked to improve customer retention:

1. User testing: Conducting user testing can help companies identify usability issues and pain points in their products or services. By observing how users interact with a product or service, companies can gain insights into how to improve the user experience, and in turn, improve customer retention.

2. User feedback: Soliciting user feedback through surveys, feedback forms, or social media can help companies identify areas where UX design can be improved. User feedback can provide valuable insights into what users like and dislike about a product or service, and can help companies prioritize areas for improvement.

3. Analytics: Analyzing user behavior through website or app analytics can provide insights into how users are interacting with a product or service. By tracking metrics such as time spent on a page, bounce rates, or click-through rates, companies can identify areas where UX design can be improved to better engage and retain users.

4. A/B testing: A/B testing can help companies test different UX design variations to identify which design is more effective in retaining customers. By comparing the performance of different designs, companies can identify the most effective design solution to improve customer retention.

UX design can be tracked to better customer retention by using various methods to measure and analyze user behavior and feedback. In my career, I have held usability testing sessions in person with stakeholders and random users. I have also gathered feedback from online participants using a tool called UserTesting to quickly gather feedback and make improvements to a UI based on usability research.

In 2020, I designed a mobile app for Selective Insurance and made several changes to the UI based on user feedback. Not only did the app win 3 awards, the reviews on the app stores jumped from three stars to five in just a few months.

Happy customers are loyal customers. By identifying areas for improvement and making iterative changes to UX design, companies can ensure they are giving customers a better experience.

UX (User Experience) design and UI (User Interface) design are two different but related fields that work together to create a positive user experience.

UX design focuses on the overall user experience of a product or service, including the user’s emotions, perceptions, and behaviors when interacting with it. UX designers are responsible for conducting user research, creating user personas, designing user flows, and testing and refining the user experience.

UI design, on the other hand, is concerned with the visual and interactive aspects of the product or service. This includes designing the layout, typography, color scheme, and other design elements to create an appealing and easy-to-use interface. UI designers are responsible for creating wireframes, prototypes, and visual designs that guide users through the product or service.

UX design is about creating a seamless and enjoyable user experience, while UI design is about creating an attractive and user-friendly interface.