What it is
Finding out who your users are, what they are trying to do, and where the current experience lets them down, before anything gets designed.
How it's done
Interviews, surveys, usability testing, analytics and a look at the competition. Enough to replace opinions with evidence.
What you can expect
A clear picture of your users and their needs, written up as findings you can act on, not a report that gathers dust.
Why you need it
Designing without research is guessing with confidence. Research is the cheapest way to avoid building the wrong thing.
Where it fits
It comes first and shapes everything after it, from architecture to the final interface.