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November 15, 2021
232: Do you NEED to do research before you design?

In this week’s episode of Design Life we answer a listener question - Do you NEED to do research before you design? (Maybe not!) We also talk about building a research culture where you work and what defines ‘good’ design.

key takeaways

Research might not be the first part of your design process. Challenge yourself to get your own ideas out first. Check in with your gut. Next do your research and use that to inform your design based on the ideas you already had.

Look into the data. Has your company carried out other research that might be useful?

Not every project needs as much research. Consider experimenting and trying live research by shipping different versions and getting feedback.

Competitor analysis is a good way to conduct research without the support of a research team. Share the results with your team. Show them how your research shaped your design for the better. If there is some reluctance to fund research, this will help to show how valuable it is.

show timestamps

08.11 – Some research vs. no research

10.05 – Competitor analysis

15.25 – Can research be a distraction?

20.40 – Revisiting our listener’s question

show links