So many 2021 trends lists are full of obvious things like "remote UX research". Here are 7 disruptive UX research trends for 2021 that you haven't heard about yet which will be changing the user research world for years to come.
—
Mixed Methods Research means using qualitative and quantitative methods together in one project. Lots of UX researchers already use mixed methods, but with UX becoming important with the rise of product-led growth and increased competition, demand for mixed methods is growing sharply. As this demand grows, mixed methods continues to emerge as its own field of expertise - making it the biggest UX research trend in 2021. If you've never heard about mixed methods, here's a deep dive I wrote.
—
ResearchOps takes on the responsibility of recruiting participants, screening, incentivisation, scheduling and more. These tasks collectively take up about 30% of researchers time. Once a team reaches ~8 researchers, it becomes increasingly necessary to build a ResearchOps function. Considering the surge in popularity of UX research in 2020, many companies are well on their way to meeting this threshold in 2021.
—
Research is no longer just about methodology. Researchers must provide strategic vision as end user needs becoming more important to core strategy. Every team speaks a different language - some qual and some quant, the Full-Stack Researcher can navigate them all to evangelize the voice of the user internally.
—
Surveys are increasingly embedded in websites and apps rather than distributed by email. Email surveys have an average response rate of ~4%. Embedded surveys see 20% - 30% response rate and more naturally ask users about their experience in the moment.
—
Some of the best research insights come from participants interacting during methods like focus groups, but the logistics of these interactive sessions often put them beyond the resources of smaller companies. This decade will see a return to social research through community-orientated online tools that unlocking hidden insights through collaboration. (I'm part of a small team of IndieHackers that have built the first social survey platform. It works like a giant focus group without any of the logistics hassle).
—
Traditional co-creation isn't scalable. Online platforms are beginning to unlock co-creation at scale, enabling researchers to move past transactional methods to harness the power of a community's collective intelligence. Research participants really will be setting the agenda for companies in 2021.
—
Recruitment can be one of the most expensive aspects of research. Many companies are now getting closer to their users and building intimate communities. Users become more willing to help with research when they feel a genuine sense of community.
—
Discovery research is all about trying to uncover unknown unknowns - things you wouldn't even know to ask about in a normal survey Discovery research helps companies to keep their finger on the pulse of their constantly changing community. COVID has created a decade of disruption in under a year, but discover research can anchor decisions in people's current perspectives on the world.
—
I share my latest ideas, trends and case studies about the future of user research every two weeks in The Full-Stack Researcher newsletter 📩 Subscribe so you don’t miss out.