UX Research Plan Skill
This skill creates a complete, ready-to-execute UX research plan. Output covers everything from research objectives to screener questions, discussion guide, and synthesis framework.
Required Inputs
Ask the user for these if not provided:
- Research question (what decision will this research inform?)
- Product area or feature being researched
- Research type (Generative / Evaluative / Usability testing / Diary study / Survey)
- Stage (Discovery / Concept validation / Prototype testing / Live product)
- Target participants (role, demographics, behaviour — who should we talk to?)
- Timeline and number of sessions
- Existing assumptions or hypotheses (optional but valuable)
Output Structure
UX Research Plan: [Study Title]
Product area: [Area] Research type: [Type] Date: [Timeline] Researcher: [Leave for user]
1. Research Objectives
State 2–4 clear research objectives. Each objective should map to a decision that will be made differently depending on what you find.
Objective [N]: Understand [specific thing] so we can [decision this informs].
2. Research Questions
[5–8 questions — the actual questions you want research to answer. These are not the interview questions; they're the knowledge gaps. Organised under each objective.]
Objective 1:
- RQ1.1: [Research question]
- RQ1.2: [Research question]
3. Methodology & Rationale
Method chosen: [e.g. Semi-structured interviews / Usability testing / Concept testing]
Why this method: [2–3 sentences. Match method to research type. If evaluative: usability testing. If generative: contextual inquiry or interviews. If testing comprehension: 5-second test or concept test.]
What this method will and won't tell us:
- Will tell us: [What this method is good at revealing]
- Won't tell us: [What's out of scope — be honest about limits]
Sample size: [Recommended number of sessions and why — e.g. "5–6 moderated interviews for generative research; 5–8 usability sessions to identify top issues"]
4. Participant Screener
Recruitment criteria:
| Criterion | Must Have / Nice to Have | Disqualify if |
|---|---|---|
| [e.g. Uses project management software daily] | Must Have | [Never uses any PM tool] |
| [e.g. Works in a team of 5+] | Must Have | — |
| [e.g. B2B industry] | Nice to Have | — |
Screener questions (5–8 questions):
[Q1] [Screening question — clear, not leading]
- [Answer options — flag which qualify/disqualify]
[Q2] ...
Incentive recommendation: [Amount and format — e.g. "£50 gift voucher for a 60-min session is standard in the UK for professional participants"]
5. Discussion Guide
Structure the session:
Opening (5 min)
- Introduce yourself and the study
- "We're testing the design, not you — there are no wrong answers"
- Permission to record
- Warm-up: [1–2 easy questions to build rapport — e.g. "Tell me about your role and what a typical week looks like"]
Core Questions (by section)
Section [A]: [Topic] (~X min)
- [Open question — start broad] [Probe: Tell me more about...]
- [Follow-up to go deeper] [Probe: Can you walk me through what happened?]
- [Specific scenario or past behaviour question]
Section [B]: [Topic] (~X min) [Continue with 2–3 questions per section]
Usability tasks (if applicable):
"I'm going to ask you to try a few things with this prototype. Please think aloud as you go."
- Task [N]: [Clear task instruction — write from the user's perspective, not "click on X" but "find where you would go to do Y"]
- Success criteria: [What "completing this task" looks like]
- What to observe: [Where friction typically appears]
Closing (5 min)
- "Is there anything about [topic] we haven't covered that you think is important?"
- "If you could change one thing about [product/concept], what would it be?"
- Debrief and thank
6. Synthesis Framework
After sessions, use this framework to synthesise findings:
Step 1: Session notes → Key observations For each session: 3–5 specific observations (behaviours, quotes, reactions — not interpretations yet)
Step 2: Affinity mapping Group observations by theme across all sessions. Aim for 4–7 clusters.
Step 3: Insight statements For each cluster: "When [context], users [behaviour/experience], because [underlying need or mental model]."
Step 4: Implications For each insight: "This means we should [design/product implication]" or "This challenges our assumption that [assumption]."
Step 5: Research report structure:
- Key findings (3–5 headlines)
- Supporting evidence per finding
- Design recommendations
- Open questions for next research cycle
Quality Checks
- Research objectives map to real decisions
- Discussion guide opens broad before going specific
- Screener criteria are specific enough to get the right participants
- Tasks (if usability) are written from the user's perspective
- Synthesis framework is included
- Incentive recommendation is included
Anti-Patterns
- Do not write a research plan without clearly stated research objectives — every methodology choice must flow from the objectives
- Do not design a plan that mixes generative and evaluative research without clearly separating them
- Do not omit screener criteria — recruiting unqualified participants invalidates the research
- Do not write discussion guide questions that are leading — questions must be neutral and open-ended
- Do not skip the incentive recommendation — uncompensated research has lower participant quality and completion rates
Example Trigger Phrases
- "Write a research plan for [feature or product area]"
- "Create a discussion guide for user interviews about [topic]"
- "Plan a usability test for [prototype or feature]"
- "Write screener questions for [target user type]"