5 Ways to Do Strategic Research

by 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 Dynamics

Are 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:

Third-party research firms like Forrester or Gartner
Industry reports from places like IBISWorld or Statista
Whitepapers from thought leaders
Research papers in economics, strategy, and consumer trends
Financial documents for industry leaders
Digital analytics aggregators like Google Trends
User research insights
Stock market data
Management consulting firms like McKinsey

2.) Uncovering Customer Needs & Pain Points

Customers 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 Competition

Strategy 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:

Websites & product pages
Press releases
Social media posts
Employee blogs & interviews
Review sites like Yelp
Advertising campaigns
Email newsletters
Patent filings
SEO tools
Financial statements

4.) Leveraging Internal Strength

Strategy 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:

Resource audits
Capabilities assessments
Human resources audits
Financial performance
Operational data
Digital analytics

5.) Spotting Trends

Trendspotting 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:

Industry publications and reports
Trade shows and conferences
Consumer behavior analytics
Social media platforms (e.g., Twitter, Instagram, TikTok)
Technology blogs and innovation journals
Government reports and regulatory updates

...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!

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