Research Strategy for User Analysis (One-Page Format)
A concise and easy-to-understand user research plan is key to engaging stakeholders and ensuring the research's success. Here's a breakdown of the essential elements that such a plan should include.
Project name and purpose
Clearly state the research's objectives and its purpose, ensuring all parties have a shared understanding of the project's goals.
Research objectives
Define the questions the research aims to answer or the problems it intends to address. Keep the objectives short and to the point.
Stakeholders
List the individuals or groups the research is intended for, such as leaders, implementers, or executives. Specify their decision needs and how the research will inform those decisions.
Research methods
Briefly outline the research type, such as usability testing, interviews, or surveys, and the approach that will be taken.
Success criteria/impact statement
Describe what success looks like and how the impact will be measured, ideally with measurable outcomes.
Timeline and deliverables
Include a high-level schedule and what outputs stakeholders can expect.
Alignment and buy-in
Notes on how stakeholder input was gathered to ensure the research addresses their needs and risks.
This structure keeps the plan focused on stakeholder interests and decision-making, promoting clarity and usability. By securing stakeholder buy-in early on and documenting expected decisions and impact, research uptake and usefulness are driven [2]. Clear objectives and stakeholder identification help keep the research focused and relevant [1][4]. Using an impact tracker to log these aspects is recommended to tie research to business outcomes [2].
The plan should be a one-page overview answering: - What are we researching and why? - Who cares and how will they use it? - How will we do it? - How do we measure success? - When will we share results?
This concise, purposeful format makes it accessible to all stakeholder levels, from executives to implementers [1][2].
Following document control details, if the company uses a document control system, can help to maintain consistency and organization. A plan that doesn't require hours to read and understand is more likely to be engaging for its audience. The user research plan should be kept simple, ideally fitting on a single page.
Stakeholder details should be provided, listing who the plan is being shared with. Objectives should be stated as a single, short statement. The plan should include an introduction, explaining the need for the research and any relevant history. The time needed for the research, including preliminary milestones and a final reporting date, should be provided.
Providing a date and any revision dates can help to keep the plan up-to-date and organized. A simple plan is more effective for communication and engagement, as it requires less time to read and digest. Supporting information should be signposted, including previous studies, results, and suggested scripts. Authorship details should be included, specifying who to give feedback to. Communicating a plan in a short and simple manner can improve its overall effectiveness.
- To engage stakeholders effectively and ensure the research's success, the user research plan should incorporate objectives related to home-and-garden lifestyle, technology, and user research within the context of a home improvement app.
- In the research plan, it's crucial to outline methods such as interviews and surveys, targeting users in the home-and-garden and technology sectors, aiming to gather insights on their lifestyle preferences and home improvement tech needs, thereby informing the design and development of the app.
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