What is Generative Research & When to Use it

User experience (UX) is the overall experience a user has when interacting with a product or service. It includes everything from the look and feel of the product, to the ease of use. 

Generative research is a UX research method that helps you understand users' needs. It is often used at the beginning of a project to define the problem that needs attention. 

Through generative research UX, you can:

• identify new opportunities
• test hypotheses
• gather feedback on prototypes.

In this article, we'll consider generative research methodology and help you understand when and how to apply these methods in your UX research.

What is generative research?

Generative research is a process of discovery, where the researcher is trying to learn as much as possible about the users' needs, motivations, and behaviors.

Generative research methods are often used in the early stages of product development, to understand the problem to be solved. When you understand your users, you can design for their needs, not your own assumptions.

What is a generative interview?

A generative interview is a key tool in generative research. It's a conversation where we ask open-ended questions to learn about the user's experiences, thoughts, and feelings. These interviews are not about testing a specific product. Instead, they help us understand the user's world and the problems they face.

Conducting a generative research interview

When conducting a generative research interview, researchers employ a range of techniques to elicit rich, meaningful responses from participants. Here's a more detailed look at the process:

• Setting the stage: Begin by creating a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere. Explain the purpose of the interview and assure the participant that there are no right or wrong answers – you're simply interested in their experiences and perspectives.
• Starting broad: Open with general questions about the participant's life, work, or relevant experiences. This helps build rapport and provides context for more specific questions later.
• Active listening: Pay close attention to the participant's responses, noting not just what they say, but how they say it. Look for emotional cues and areas where they seem particularly engaged or frustrated.
• Follow-up questions: Based on the participant's responses, ask probing questions to dig deeper. The "5 Whys" technique can be particularly effective here – by repeatedly asking "why," you can uncover the root causes of behaviors and attitudes.
• Encouraging storytelling: Ask participants to recount specific experiences related to the topic of interest. Stories often reveal insights that more direct questions might miss.
• Exploring non-verbal cues: Pay attention to body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions. These can often convey information that words alone do not.
• Remaining open to tangents: While it's important to cover your key research objectives, be willing to explore unexpected topics that arise. These tangents often lead to the most valuable insights in generative research.

Synthesizing generative research

After conducting generative interviews and other forms of generative user research, the next crucial step is synthesis – making sense of the wealth of information gathered. 

Here's a more detailed look at the synthesis process in generative research:

• Transcription and initial review: Begin by transcribing interviews (if they were recorded) or reviewing your notes in detail. This initial review helps refresh your memory and starts the process of identifying key themes.
• Affinity diagramming: Write down key points, quotes, and observations on sticky notes. Then, start grouping similar ideas together. This visual method helps identify patterns across different interviews and research sessions.
• Identifying themes: As you group ideas, broader themes will start to emerge. These themes represent the key insights from your generative research.
• Creating user personas: Based on your research, develop personas that represent your key user types. These personas should be grounded in the real data from your generative research, not assumptions.
• Journey mapping: Create journey maps that illustrate the user's experience over time, highlighting pain points and opportunities for intervention.
• Insight statements: Formulate clear, actionable insight statements based on your themes. These statements should capture the essence of what you've learned and point towards potential design solutions.
• Opportunity identification: Based on your insights, brainstorm potential opportunity areas for product development or improvement.

Presenting generative research

Effectively communicating the findings of your generative research is crucial for ensuring that the insights drive real change in product development. Here are some strategies for presenting generative research:

• Storytelling: Use narratives to bring your research to life. Share anecdotes and quotes from real users to illustrate key points. This helps build empathy and makes the findings more memorable.
• Visual aids: Employ diagrams, journey maps, and other visualizations to make complex information more digestible. These visual tools can often convey relationships and patterns more effectively than text alone.
• Highlight key themes: Clearly articulate the main themes that emerged from your research. Explain how these themes relate to user needs and potential product opportunities.
• Connect insights to opportunities: Show how the insights from your generative research could translate into concrete product ideas or improvements. This helps stakeholders see the practical value of the research.
• Use multimedia: If possible, include audio clips or video snippets from your research sessions. Hearing and seeing real users can be incredibly powerful for building understanding and empathy.
• Interactive elements: Consider including interactive elements in your presentation, such as having team members role-play as users or participate in quick design exercises based on the research findings.
• Leave room for discussion: Encourage questions and discussion about the findings. Often, the most valuable outcomes come from the conversations sparked by the research presentation.

When is generative research necessary?

Generative research is most useful:

• At the start of a new project when you're not sure what to build.
• When entering a new market or targeting a new user group.
• If you're stuck and need fresh ideas.
• When you want to innovate beyond incremental improvements.
• If you're seeing unexpected user behavior and don't know why.

What is evaluative research?

Evaluative research, in contrast to generative research, is a methodology used to assess and refine existing products, designs, or concepts. While generative research aims to uncover new insights and opportunities, evaluative research focuses on measuring the effectiveness, efficiency, and user satisfaction of specific solutions. This type of research is typically conducted later in the design process, after initial concepts or prototypes have been developed.

In the context of user experience (UX) design, evaluative research methods often involve usability testing, A/B testing, surveys, and heuristic evaluations. These methods allow researchers to gather both quantitative and qualitative data about how users interact with a product or design, identifying areas for improvement and validating design decisions.

Why is evaluative research important?

Evaluative research plays a crucial role in the product development process for several reasons:

• It helps validate design decisions and ensures that the product meets user needs and expectations.
• By identifying usability issues and pain points, evaluative research guides iterative improvements to enhance the user experience.
• It provides concrete data on how well a product or feature performs, which can be used to set benchmarks and track progress over time.
• Evaluative research can catch potential issues before a product is fully launched, reducing the risk of costly failures or negative user experiences.
• By addressing issues identified through evaluative research, companies can improve user satisfaction and loyalty.
• It helps prioritize which areas of a product need the most attention, allowing for more efficient use of development resources.

How do you conduct evaluative research?

1. Define objectives: Clearly outline what you want to learn or measure through your research.
2. Choose methods: Select appropriate research methods based on your objectives. Common methods include:some text
   • Usability Testing: Observing users as they interact with a product to complete specific tasks.
   • A/B Testing: Comparing two versions of a design to see which performs better.
   • Surveys: Gathering feedback from a large number of users about their experiences.
   • Heuristic Evaluation: Expert review of a product based on established usability principles.
3. Recruit participants: Select participants who represent your target user base.
4. Prepare test materials: Develop task scenarios, questionnaires, or other materials needed for your chosen method.
5. Conduct the research: Carry out your chosen research method, ensuring consistent procedures across all sessions.
6. Analyze data: Review and analyze the data collected, looking for patterns and insights.
7. Report findings: Summarize your findings and provide actionable recommendations for improvement.

Iterate: Use the insights gained to refine the product and, if necessary, conduct further evaluative research.

Generative Research Vs Evaluative Research

Generative research and evaluative research both fall under the umbrella of UX research methods. While generative research is used to gain a deeper understanding of users, evaluative research is used to evaluate the usability of a product or service.

Researchers often debate the merits of generative research vs evaluative research methods — one is about creative exploration, while the other obtains precise validation and refinement.

Similarities between generative and evaluative research methods

• Both can be used to inform product development, and help with decisions on design, features, and functionality.
  
  
• Both can be used to identify problems. Generative research UX helps identify issues that users have with existing products, while evaluative research is for new or redesigned products.

What is formative (generative) vs. summative (evaluative) research?

Choosing the right UX method for your project requires understanding the distinctions between generative research vs evaluative research methods. It also depends on the availability of resources and the product development lifecycle stage you’re at.

While generative research is always formative, not all formative research is necessarily generative. Similarly, while evaluative research is typically summative, some evaluative methods can be used formatively to guide iterative design improvements.

Common Generative Research Methods

Some of the common methods used in generative research include:

• User interviews: User interviews are a great way to get to know your users on a personal level. You can ask them about their needs, motivations, and behaviors. Here’s a helpful article on it.
  
  
• Ethnographic research: Ethnographic research involves observing users in their natural environment. This can give you a deeper understanding of how they interact in real time with products and services.
  
  
• Diary studies: Diary studies involve asking users to keep a journal of their thoughts and experiences. This can give you a glimpse into their daily lives and how they use products and services.
  
  
• Card sorting: Card sorting is a method for understanding how users organize information. You can ask users to sort cards into categories that make sense to them.
  
  
• Tree testing: Tree testing is a method for understanding how users navigate through a website or app. You can ask users to find specific information on a website or app.

Confused about which UX research method is the best fit for your project? Check out our detailed guide on it, with a handy flowchart to help.

How to research and write using Generative AI tools

Generative AI tools, such as large language models, can be powerful allies in the research and writing process. Here's how you can leverage them effectively:

• Use AI to generate ideas and potential research directions. Ask the AI to suggest topics, research questions, or angles you might not have considered.
• While AI can't replace a thorough literature review, it can help summarize key points from existing research and suggest relevant sources to explore.
• Use AI to help brainstorm potential interview questions for generative research sessions.
• AI can assist in identifying patterns and themes in qualitative data, though human oversight is crucial to ensure accuracy and relevance.
• Use AI to help structure your research report, generate outlines, or even draft sections based on your research findings.
• AI can help polish your writing, suggesting improvements in clarity, coherence, and style.

Here’s more on how AI can help you in UX research and design.

Remember, while AI can be a valuable tool, it should complement, not replace, human expertise and critical thinking in the research process.

The gist of it

Generative research can help you understand your users and build better products. It is best used at the beginning of the UX design process. This is when you need to gain a deep understanding of your users and their needs. Generative research methods can help you do this by:

• Observing users in their natural environment
• Conducting interviews and surveys
• Running card sorting

Remember, your users are the experts on their own experiences. It’s only by getting to know them, that you can build products and services that truly resonate with them.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the difference between generative and foundational research?

Generative research, also called generative user research, is all about coming up with new ideas by understanding users deeply. What is generative research? It's a way to explore what users need, how they behave, and why they do things. Generative research methods help designers create new product ideas. On the other hand, foundational research gives a broad overview of users and the market.

Both generative research and foundational research happen early in design. But generative research focuses more on sparking new ideas, while foundational research builds a general knowledge base. Generative design research uses techniques like in-depth talks with users to inspire fresh thinking. It's a key part of creating designs that really work for people.

What is the difference between exploratory and generative research?

Exploratory research and generative research are like cousins - they're related but not exactly the same. Both try to discover new things, but generative research has a specific goal: to create new design ideas based on user insights. Generative research methods in UX (User Experience) include things like in-depth interviews and watching users in their everyday lives.

Exploratory research is broader. It might look at market trends or new technologies, not just users. Generative UX research always aims to spark new ideas for design. So, while all generative research is exploratory, not all exploratory research is generative. Generative research UX techniques are all about understanding users to inspire innovation in design.

What shall be in the center of all (generative) AI research and development?

When it comes to AI in generative research, the most important thing is to keep users at the center. Generative research methods using AI should help us understand users better, not replace human empathy. The goal of generative UX research with AI should be to create designs that really work for people.

We need to be careful about things like privacy and fairness when using AI for generative user research. Generative research UX with AI should help us find diverse user needs and create inclusive designs. It's important that generative ux research methods with AI don't create or reinforce biases. By focusing on ethics and users, we can make sure AI enhances our generative design research rather than taking away from its human-centered nature.

What is the difference between generative and formative research?

Generative research and formative research are related but not the same. What is generative research? It's a type of research that aims to create new ideas by understanding users deeply. Generative research methods in UX, like in-depth interviews, help designers come up with innovative concepts early in the design process.

Formative research is a broader term. It includes any research that helps shape a product or design. All generative research is formative, but not all formative research is generative. Generative user research specifically focuses on creating new possibilities, while formative research can also include testing and refining existing ideas. Generative UX research is all about inspiring innovation based on user insights.

What are generative research methods examples?

Generative research methods in UX are ways to gain deep insights about users. Generative interviews are a key method - these are open-ended conversations with users to understand their experiences and needs. Another generative research method is contextual inquiry, where researchers watch and talk to users in their everyday environment.

Other generative UX research methods include diary studies, where users record their thoughts over time, and workshops where users help create design ideas. Generative research UX techniques also include things like cultural probes, where users get kits to document their lives. All these generative research methods help designers understand users deeply and come up with innovative solutions. By using a mix of these techniques, UX researchers can generate ideas that truly meet user needs.

What kind of research methods do you use in UX?

UX (User Experience) research uses many different methods, including both generative and evaluative approaches. Generative research methods in UX, like in-depth interviews and contextual inquiry, help uncover user needs and inspire new ideas. These generative UX research methods are crucial for innovation and ensuring designs truly work for users.

UX researchers also use evaluative methods like usability testing and surveys to check how well designs work. There are quantitative methods like analyzing user data, and qualitative methods like group discussions. Some approaches, like creating user personas, mix insights from both generative and evaluative research. The choice of method depends on what the research aims to find out and what stage the design is at. By using a variety of methods, UX researchers can fully understand users and create designs that meet their needs.