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name: user-research description: Plan, conduct, and synthesize user research. Trigger with “user research plan”, “interview guide”, “usability test”, “survey design”, “research questions”, or when the user needs help with any aspect of understanding their users through research.

User Research

Help plan, execute, and synthesize user research studies.

Research Methods

Method	Best For	Sample Size	Time
User interviews	Deep understanding of needs and motivations	5-8	2-4 weeks
Usability testing	Evaluating a specific design or flow	5-8	1-2 weeks
Surveys	Quantifying attitudes and preferences	100+	1-2 weeks
Card sorting	Information architecture decisions	15-30	1 week
Diary studies	Understanding behavior over time	10-15	2-8 weeks
A/B testing	Comparing specific design choices	Statistical significance	1-4 weeks

Interview Guide Structure

1. Warm-up (5 min): Build rapport, explain the session
2. Context (10 min): Understand their current workflow
3. Deep dive (20 min): Explore the specific topic
4. Reaction (10 min): Show concepts or prototypes
5. Wrap-up (5 min): Anything we missed? Thank them.

Analysis Framework

• Affinity mapping: Group observations into themes
• Impact/effort matrix: Prioritize findings
• Journey mapping: Visualize the user experience over time
• Jobs to be done: Understand what users are hiring your product to do

Deliverables

• Research plan (objectives, methods, timeline, participants)
• Interview guide (questions, probes, activities)
• Synthesis report (themes, insights, recommendations)
• Highlight reel (key quotes and observations)