1. Define the Problem & Objectives
Why it matters:
Research provides a strong foundation for your design decisions.
What to do:
- > Identify your audience.
- > "What’s the goal?" "Who are we designing for?" "What’s the business context?"
- > Gather data and insights.
- > Analyze findings.
2. Understand the Target Audience
Why it matters:
Good design is user-centered. Research helps you understand user needs, expectations, and behavior.
What to do:
- > onduct interviews, surveys, or questionnaires with potential users.
- > Explore demographics (age, location, income, etc.) and psychographics (attitudes, behaviors, motivations).
- > Study user needs, pain points, goals, and habits.
- > Test usability early.
3. Competitive Analysis
Why it matters:
Seeing what others are doing well or badly helps you identify gaps, trends, and potential differentiators.
What to do:
- > Identify direct and indirect competitors.
- > Review their visual styles, usability, functionality, and how they communicate.
- > Document strengths, weaknesses, opportunities for innovation.
- > Benchmark standards and see where your project fits (modern trends, industry best practices)
Final Tip
Think of design research as a funnel:
- > Start wide (explore broadly: audience, competitors, trends).
- > Narrow down (focus on user needs, brand requirements, technical realities).
- > End specific (distill into actionable design insights).