Why do people abandon a task, which information is missing or how is a term understood? These questions guide the method. Interviews explore experiences and expectations; usability tests reveal how people complete tasks. Existing analytics provide additional clues but generally cannot explain the reasons for behaviour on their own.
Participants should meaningfully represent the intended user groups. Test tasks need to be realistic without revealing the solution. Researchers observe actions, hesitation and errors. Small qualitative studies provide valuable insights but do not automatically establish statistical evidence for an entire audience.
A research report should distinguish observations, interpretation and recommendations. Findings are prioritised by impact and need for action. Changes can then be tested again. Heatmaps or individual quotes are not sufficient decision-making evidence alone; their relationship to tasks and other observations indicates which improvement is plausible.