Behavioral Research Methods
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"What people say, what people do, and what people say they do are entirely different things.”
, Anthropologist
Behavioral UX research is essential for understanding real user interactions and improving the usability and effectiveness of a product. By focusing on how users actually behave, UX researchers can uncover objectively measured and analysed insights that drive better design decisions and enhance the overall user experience.
Focus: What people do. Directly observe and analyze real user interactions with a product by watching and recording users' actions.
Strengths: Provides concrete data on user actions, identifying usability issues and workflow patterns, uncovering pain points.
Key questions: "What are users doing?", "How are they doing that?", "Where are they encountering problems?"
Usability Testing
Observing users as they complete specific tasks with the product to identify usability issues.
Understanding how users navigate the interface and where they encounter problems.
Lookback , UserTesting, Morae
A/B Testing
Comparing two versions of a product to see which one performs better based on user behavior.
Determining the most effective design elements by observing user choices and preferences.
Optimizely, Google Optimize, VWO
Eye Tracking
Using technology to track where users look on a screen while using a product.
Understanding visual attention and identifying areas that attract or distract users.
HotJar, Tobii Pro, EyeTracker
Analytics
Collecting and analyzing data from user interactions, such as page views, click-through rates, and conversion rates.
Measuring user engagement and identifying behavioral trends.
Microsoft PowerBI, Google Analytics, Mixpanel
Session Recordings
Recording users' interactions with the product to analyze their behavior.
Reviewing real user interactions to pinpoint specific issues and behaviors.
FullStory, Inspectlet, LogRocket
Heatmaps
Visual representations showing where users click, move, and scroll on a webpage.
Identifying areas of interest and common user paths, as well as potential usability issues.
HotJar, Crazy Egg, Mouseflow
Behavioral UX research is essential for understanding real user interactions and improving the usability and effectiveness of a product. By focusing on how users actually behave, UX researchers can uncover valuable insights that drive better design decisions and enhance the overall user experience.