UX Research vs UX Design: What’s the Difference?
If you’re creating digital products or considering a profession in the field of user experience, this article can help you understand the industry’s current view on UX research vs UX design.
Are UX research and UX design the same thing?
UX research vs UX design: Key differences
What does UX research involve?
In the ever-evolving landscape of digital products, user experience (UX) reigns supreme. Companies are increasingly recognizing the value of a user-centric approach, with statistics showing design-driven businesses outperform the S&P by up to 228% (link to article on Design Value Index). But within UX itself lies a fundamental distinction: UX research versus UX design.
Are you confused about the difference? You’re not alone. The field of user experience is new and rapidly evolving, so many people don’t understand how separate roles within the industry function.
This article delves into the distinct functions, methodologies, and skill sets respective to both UX research and UX design. It will equip you with a clear understanding of this dynamic duo.
Now, let’s get started.
Are UX research and UX design the same thing?
In short, no. They aren’t the same. UX research and UX design are two disciplines within the field of user experience (the systematic approach to creating user-centered products). User experience research is what informs user experience design. And you can’t have one without the other.
UX research aims to understand a user’s motivations, needs, and frustrations (in the context of the specific product being offered).
UX design aims to integrate the above findings with design principles (to make the most user-friendly product).
Each discipline has its own set of activities, required skill sets, and deliverables. Now, let’s explore the specific work that’s involved in these two disciplines.
UX research vs UX design: Key differences
Before getting into it, here’s a summary you can use for quick reference or to scaffold an understanding before learning more.
What does UX research involve?
Since UX research informs UX design, let’s begin by exploring the research end.
UX research is all about understanding users deeply.
Businesses are increasingly recognizing the value of UX research in shaping successful products. In terms of its power to reduce costs in product development, Nasir Uddin, CEO of Musemind writes:
“It’s important to do market research if you want to grow your business or add new features to help promote it. Before designing the interface, targeted research, analysis, and testing with prospective or current users helps determine their wants and needs. This lowers the chance that the product will fail. Creating a design prototype is cheaper, faster, and easier to change than making some changes during development.”
It makes sense, right? You can’t have a product users will be excited to get their hands on without understanding the users themselves. And, as Uddin points out, it’s cheaper to figure out your user’s needs before your product goes to development.
Now that you’re beginning to understand the importance of the research, here’s a closer look at the methodologies UX researchers work with to better understand users.
UX research methodologies:
Competitor analysis: This provides valuable insights into how other products or services in the same market are designed and perceived by users. It typically falls under the broader category of “benchmarking”.
It’s important to note that UX research is different than market research. Market research informs marketing and sales whereas UX research informs the actual design of the product. UX professionals are like advocates for the user.
Card sorting: Here, users are given a set of topics or items written on cards and asked to organize them into groups. This provides insight into how users mentally organize information related to the product being designed. This can inform website or app navigation strategies by aligning with users’ cognitive processes.
Tree testing: Also known as reverse card sorting, tree testing tries to determine the findability of content on a digital product. It helps determine whether the navigation structure of a site or app is intuitive and easy to understand.
Contextual interviews: These interviews are conducted in the user’s environment, such as their home or office, to understand their behavior and needs in real-life situations. This approach can reveal insights that might not be captured in a lab setting.
Design surveys: These are tailored to gather feedback on specific design elements or prototypes. They help researchers understand user preferences and areas of improvement.
Diary studies: Here, users record their interactions with a product over time, offering detailed insights into long-term usage patterns and changes in behavior.
Eye tracking: This method uses specialized equipment to track and record users’ eye movements, revealing where users look and how they process visual information. Eye tracking helps understand visual attention patterns, aiding in the optimization of design elements.
A/B testing: Also known as split testing, this method involves two versions of a webpage or app competing against each other to determine which one performs better in a controlled test environment.
Usability testing: Here, participants complete tasks using a product while researchers observe and take notes. This method helps identify usability issues.
Now that you have a picture of how the research works, let’s delve into the design end.
What does UX design involve?
Once the UX research has provided the first round of insights, the design phase can begin (It’s important to note though, that once design begins, it continues alongside ongoing research).
Most UX designers have a wealth of knowledge and skills at their disposal. Many have a solid understanding of human-computer interaction (HCI) and design thinking.
While formal education in fields related to HCI, computer science, or design is common, some UX designers are self-taught in these disciplines.
Soft skills such as curiosity, empathy, and time management are also crucial in the field. The daily tasks of a UX designer include analyzing user research, creating wireframes and prototypes, collaborating with cross-functional teams, designing visual elements, defining user flows, and conducting iterative user testing.
UX designers work to create products that not only look great but also provide a seamless and enjoyable user experience. It’s a blend of art and science. The UX design itself must synthesize findings from the UX research with the UX designer’s knowledge base of design principles.
A UX designer’s knowledge base:
Interaction Design: IXD is a core skill for UX designers. Its principles guide how users have a conversation with the product to get things done. It involves how buttons and menus respond to touches or clicks, how animations and sounds guide users through tasks, and the overall flow and ease of using a product
Information Hierarchy: This is a fundamental UX design principle involving the organization of content based on importance.
Color Theory: This draws from principles of color psychology and aesthetics. It involves understanding how colors can convey meaning, evoke emotions, and create visual hierarchy in design.
Consistency: This principle emphasizes the importance of maintaining uniformity in design elements such as layout, typography, and interactions to create a cohesive user experience and build trust with users.
Accessibility: This concerns the design of products with consideration for users with disabilities, ensuring they can access and use the product effectively.
Feedback: This is a core concept in UX design theory that involves providing clear and immediate feedback to users to confirm their actions and guide their next steps.
Simplicity: This principle emphasizes the importance of keeping designs simple and free of unnecessary elements to reduce cognitive load and enhance usability.
Familiarity: Sometimes referred to as Jakob’s law, ****this has to do with leveraging familiar design patterns and conventions to make it easier to understand and use a product.
User Control: This involves giving users control over their interactions, such as the ability to customize settings or undo actions.
Error Prevention and Handling: These principles guide interface designs that are forgiving and easy to use. It’s all about minimizing the occurrence of errors and providing clear error messages to help users recover from mistakes.
HTML, CSS, and JavaScript: While not always required, having skills in front-end web development languages can be beneficial for creating prototypes and collaborating with developers.
And this list isn’t exhaustive. There’s a huge world of principles and skills that inform a UX designer’s work.
Building on what you’ve just learned about a UX designer’s knowledge base, here’s a brief overview of their day-to-day tasks.
UX design workflow and deliverables:
Prototyping: UX designers create prototypes, wireframes, and mockups to communicate their design ideas and test them with users. Next, they refine those designs based on feedback. The final draft of these iterative designs is what ends up making it to development.
Project Management: UX designers often manage design projects from start to finish. This requires strong project management skills.
Usability testing: UX designers evaluate their designs by testing them with representative users. The goal is to uncover usability issues and gather feedback early in the design process. This allows designers to make informed decisions and improve the product before it goes to development.
Can one person do both UX research and UX design?
Now, here’s where the nuance comes in.
There are varying viewpoints on how to answer this question, and you’ll see different scenarios played out across different industries and products.
Oftentimes, larger companies will employ a team dedicated entirely to UX research and another team for handling the design. In this scenario, both teams work together, iterating on the most user-friendly product they can collaboratively build.
Delegating the UX work across two teams is one workflow approach to creating user-centric products.
In the case of a smaller company, you may see someone hired as a ‘UX designer’ who conducts the UX research themselves. This may be for budget reasons or even a lack of knowledge about how UX works.
To add even more nuance to your understanding, there’s some debate in the industry on the very topic of UX job titles.
In an interview with UserTesting, UX designer, researcher, and author Peter Hornsby put it like this:
“Where I’ve worked, I’ve not tended to use either term. ’UX designer’ has been the most common term, and research is just part of that… there is too much job terminology around UX: a UX person does design, research, and testing.”
So, depending on the company, budget, and level of individual expertise, you’ll see different scenarios of who does what, when it comes to UX research and UX design.
But no matter how you break down the workflow, or how many individuals are contributing to the work, UX research is required for UX design to take place. And both involve their own unique activities, skill sets, and mindsets, or ‘thinking hats’ you must wear, to do the work.
Frequently asked questions about UX research vs UX design:
What’s the difference between UX research and UX design?
UX research involves delving into user needs, motivations, behaviors, and pain points in the context of a specific product offering. In contrast, UX design uses this research to create the user-centered product itself. Both are necessary parts of the overarching field of user experience. In smaller firms, a UX designer might handle both roles, but larger companies typically have dedicated UX research teams.
What are the advantages of separating UX Research and UX Design?
Separating UX Research and UX Design can offer several benefits, including:
Efficiency: By separating these roles, UX designers can focus on their core tasks without the added burden of research, leading to a more efficient process.
Reduced Errors: With fewer responsibilities, designers can avoid mistakes and setbacks, reducing product and capital risks.
Increased Relevance: Dedicated research helps ensure that designs are more relevant to the target audience, leading to better user experiences.
Better ROI: Understanding the ROI of UX design becomes clearer when research is a separate function, allowing for more informed design decisions.
Anna is a content strategist (all things writing, editing, and UX) with a background in education, startups, wellness, and sales. She also writes content for an AI large language model (LLM) at a Fortune 50 company. Reading, hiking, mindfulness techniques, and psychology are a few of her favorite things. Check out her portfolio or connect with her on LinkedIn.
