5 Ways to Do Strategic Researchby Jeff Humble Dear Reader, You may have done some user research and thought, what does the next level of research project look like? Well, strategy research is a good example. It can help you see how advanced research can look for any project, not just strategy. Here are five activities of strategy research to give you an idea of how you can go beyond user research: 1.) Understanding Market DynamicsAre you fighting the next wave or riding it? Markets constantly evolve, and you’ll need continuous research to get ahead of the curve. Luckily, there are already lots of sources for market insights that are ready to be discovered. Sources of market insights:
2.) Uncovering Customer Needs & Pain PointsCustomers are fickle, and you’ll need to form a deep understanding to predict their behavior. If you're a designer, you should already be good at this one, so I'll skip it for now. 3.) Analyzing the CompetitionStrategy is about finding a niche in the market, so you must understand how you fit in with the competition. Keeping up with all the new features and offerings is a full-time job, so make time weekly for this type of research. Sources of competitive insights:
4.) Leveraging Internal StrengthStrategy isn’t only about external research but also internal research. Strategies should capitalize on the unique things that only your company can do. So, you will want to know all about the secret capabilities and other sources of power at your company. Sources for internal insights:
5.) Spotting TrendsTrendspotting combines user and market research, but it deserves its own category because it’s crucial to a strategy that anticipates future behavior. Spotting trends is specifically focused on consumer trends and technological advances. Good trend research can be your secret weapon to uncover the next big thing before your competitors. Sources for trend information:
...For more details, check out the full article on my blog. If you scanned this list and thought, "I wish I had a project where I could try some of this strategic research stuff, " check out my UX strategy course. With hands-on workshops and a class of UX experts, you will learn how to conduct strategic research for a UX strategy. It's the fastest path to becoming a UX strategist. Registration for the November cohort opens soon! Click here to be notified:
Ouch...but it's true, I be nudging all day. Source
Have a demure September, y'all!
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