Findings vs. Insights
UX insights and UX findings are terms used in the field of user experience design, and they refer to different aspects of the research and analysis process.
- UX Findings:
- – These are the raw data or facts that you collect during UX research.
- – Findings are typically observational and can be quantitative (like usage statistics, time spent on a task, and error rates) or qualitative (like user comments, and behaviors observed during testing).
- – They are direct observations or measurements made during user research activities such as usability tests, surveys, interviews, etc.
- UX Insights:
- – Insights are the conclusions or understandings derived from analyzing the UX findings.
- – They provide a deeper understanding of user behavior, needs, and motivations.
- – Insights often reveal why certain user behaviors occur, or why particular patterns in the findings exist.
- – They are more about interpretation and the implications of the findings, often leading to actionable recommendations for design improvements or strategic decisions.
In a UX process, you first gather findings through various research methods. Then, by analyzing these findings, you derive insights that guide the design and development of a product to better meet user needs and improve the overall user experience.
Example
A case study from the Nielsen Norman Group in 2021 illustrates the difference between UX findings and insights. Marketade, a user-research company, worked with Baileigh Industrial, a manufacturer of industrial machinery. They found that customers often called sales representatives because they couldn’t find product information on the website. This was a UX finding.
The insight derived from this finding was that improving self-service on the website would free up sales representatives to focus on high-value sales. Marketade redesigned the website’s information architecture, leading to an 85% improvement in product findability and increased web revenue and leads for Baileigh Industrial.
This case study demonstrates how a UX finding can lead to an insightful solution that significantly impacts business outcomes.
For more detailed information on this case study, you can visit the Nielsen Norman Group’s website: Quantifying UX Improvements: A Case Study.