Before designing anything, you need to understand who you are designing for. That is the role of user research: gathering real information about people’s needs, behaviours and frustrations.

The main methods

• Interviews — talk in depth with a handful of users.
• Surveys — collect answers on a larger scale.
• Observation — watch how people actually behave.
• Data analysis — study existing usage statistics.

The golden rule: listen without leading. Do not ask “would you like this feature?”, ask “how do you do this today?”. The goal is to uncover real problems, not to confirm your own ideas. This step stops you building a product based on assumptions.

Key takeaway: designing without research is guessing. Research replaces assumptions with facts.