Using a generative research approach at the beginning stages of your product or service process helps ensure successful user-centred, innovative outcomes from a design sprint or project.

Whether it’s a team, leadership, or external workshop, interviews or diary studies, these approaches help your team define the problem you’re working to solve, ensuring the solution is focused on impactful user needs and organizational objectives.

Learn more about our research approach

What is generative research?

Also known as discovery research or exploratory research.

The generative research process is, at its core, focused on big-picture research and thinking to explore and confirm the problem and problem space before settling on a narrow objective for your product or service.

These processes involve open-ended explorations of needs, behaviours, and pain points with users and stakeholders to uncover the core problem that your service or product aims to solve.

Generative research typically involves direct research with users or other stakeholders, such as interviewing or different types of open-ended approaches.

The “Double Diamond” approach to design demonstrates where generative research fits into the process, at each stage of discovering and diverging on ideas for the problem and the solution.

Research methods you can leverage in generative research

There are numerous generative research methods, but below are some that you may want to consider using in your team’s research.

• User interviews
• Field research/in situ ethnographic research
• Diary studies
• Focus groups
• Workshops

And many more!

The UX Research Field Guide from User Interviews is a great in-depth introduction to each of these methods and how to implement them.

Generative research: key for your product or service’s success

Implementing a generative research phase into your design/development sprints reduces risks of investing in the wrong solutions.

Generative research can be used to:

• validate or disprove assumptions with users
• identify current user behaviour and potential future use cases or design opportunities
• validate the impact of potential solutions
• clarify the problem space you’re working in

Ultimately, leveraging generative research throughout the design process will help confirm, validate, and focus on the most impactful problem and related opportunities before investing too many resources in an ill-suited solution.

Need help getting started with user research?

We can help your team leverage research for better products and services.

Get in touch

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Under these circumstances, it is essential to address potential harm in the planning and execution of a research project to ensure the protection of research participants. 

How can this ethical approach be accomplished? 

User researchers can effectively borrow from the fields of psychology and social work to adopt what’s called a trauma-informed research approach.

What is a trauma-informed approach?

A trauma-informed approach to research originated in social work research but is also applicable to psychology, user research, and any area of research involving people. 

In essence, it is the modification or reconstruction of research tactics and methods, and the procedures around research, to deliberately avoid or intentionally mitigate circumstances that may traumatize or retraumatize vulnerable groups.

In the paper, Using a Trauma-Informed, Socially Just Research Framework with Marginalized Populations: Practices and Barriers to Implementation by Voith, Laura, A; et al., they note that a trauma-informed approach follows guidelines to minimize retraumatization, including

• modified consent processes;
• continued assessment of participant reactions throughout the research; and, 
• a potential rework of processes like eligibility screening to reduce the potential for harm

These different considerations and the methods used in the research itself can be shifted or modified to become more equity-centred, inclusive, and trauma-informed for participants.

The potential harms of user research with marginalized populations

For vulnerable populations, participating in recruiting, research, analysis, and reporting can cause harm or be retraumatizing.

The legacy of discrimination and exclusion due to unequal power balance creates trauma for marginalized people compounded by research that excludes or diminishes their experiences. For instance, a report on racism that neglects to acknowledge its impact on affected communities and resulting trauma is harmful to marginalized communities.

Selecting methods and using language that follows an equity-centred approach is critical to avoiding harm. By being considerate of the lived experience of participants and their potentially traumatic relationship to the research topic, you can prevent the potential harm of something as simple as a less-thoughtful consent process while carrying this intention and approach through the research process.

Let’s explore how you can get started.

How to get started with a trauma-informed approach

The field of social work has several well-worn strategies and methods of consideration when researching vulnerable groups. The following framework can provide a foundation for trauma-informed approaches at each stage of the research process, including

• Pre-study
• Study design
• Recruitment
• Informed consent
• Data collection
• Post-data collection

Trauma-Informed, Socially Just Research Framework Application Inventory

Excerpted from Using a Trauma-Informed, Socially Just Research Framework with Marginalized Populations: Practices and Barriers to Implementation by Voith, Laura, A; et al., Table

Pre-study research

Prioritize: Sociopolitical, cultural, and historical context; peer support, and transparency.

Guiding questions include:

Study design research

Prioritize: Safety, transparency, empowerment, voice, choice, and centralization of participants’ identities

Guiding questions include:

• Does the study design consider the goals of the study while still promoting safety, transparency, and choice among participants?
• Does the study design consider the research study’s goals while centralizing the participants’ lived experiences and identities?

Recruitment research

Prioritize: Safety, transparency, shared power, collaboration

Guiding questions include:

• Is the recruitment process transparent?
• Do protocols and procedures reduce power differentials and promote collaboration between participants and those involved directly or indirectly with the study?
• Is the study team prepared to discuss their social location in the context of the sociopolitical and historical context relative to the social location of participants?

Informed consent research

Prioritize: Empowerment, voice, choice and transparency

Guiding questions include:

• How can we promote agency, choice, and control during the informed consent process?
• Do documents and procedures protect against potential challenges for trauma-exposed populations (for example, cognition overload)?
• What elements of this process might threaten participants’ safety (psychological, physical)?
• What changes can be made to make the process more transparent?

Data collection research

Prioritize: Safety, building and maintaining trust

Guiding questions include:

• What threats to safety can we anticipate for participants and study staff?
• How can safety and security be addressed while collecting quality data?
• Is the study team equipped to maintain and promote emotional and behavioural regulation with participants?

Post-data collection research

Prioritize: Safety; empowerment, voice, and choice

Guiding questions include:

• How will participants who have given their time to share deeply personal information be acknowledged?
• Which tools to assess participants’ stress levels are most appropriate for the study context?
• What resources are available to empower participants post-study?

Overall, it’s critical to keep in mind that every stage of the research process has the potential for harm, and we should always question traditional approaches to participant preparation and management. 

Keep a particularly close eye on consent processes, recruitment, and how the research team will manage the data from participants following the research.

Looking for additional insights on inclusive research practices?

Over the past decade, we have honed our user research and inclusive design practices to help organizations across the public and private sectors deliver products and services that engage the full spectrum of their market.

Let’s talk if you’re looking to mature your digital product and educational practices to meet your users’ needs.

Get in touch

References

Voith, L.A., Hamler, .T., Francis, M.W., Lee, .H., & Korsch-Williams, .A. (2020). Using a Trauma-Informed, Socially Just Research Framework with Marginalized Populations: Practices and Barriers to Implementation. Social Work Research, 44(3), 169-181.

Winfield, T. (2021). Vulnerable Research: Competencies for Trauma and Justice-Informed Ethnography. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, OnlineFirst, 1

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Good Research is a week-long program hosted by Colette Kolenda, who will be joined by 12 well-experienced research leaders. Discover how to make sure you are doing quality research that’s impactful while learning best practices you can implement in your work.

The event is jam-packed with talks that cover topics including research preparation and fundamentals, qualitative and quantitative analysis, and storytelling.

Talks we’re excited about at Good Reasearch by Colette Kolenda

• Planning Research Projects with Raz Schwartz, Monday at 2 PM
• Embracing a Digital-First Approach to Research with Razan Sadeq-Keyes, Tuesday at 2 PM
• Understanding Impact with Colette Kolenda, Thursday at 10 AM
• Building a Research Practice From the Ground Up with Cristen Torrey, Friday at 2 PM

“As researchers, we don’t create value directly – we do it indirectly by improving the decision-making capabilities of others.” ~ Colette Kolenda presents Understanding Impact, Thursday 10 AM

Full program schedule

Register today

Virtual tickets are free. In-person tickets cost $500 USD and have limited spots available.

Grab a ticket

Are you ready to bring exceptional research practices and outcomes to your organization?

We offer market and user research solutions that can accelerate decision-making and improve products and services.

Get in touch

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Whether you’re a researcher, research leader, a designer who conducts research, or just someone who is eager to learn more about user research, these two conferences you should take advantage of with opportunities to learn from research practitioners.

UXRConf 2022

The fifth annual UXRConf will be taking place from June 6-7, 2022. UXRConf is the world’s largest UX (user experience) Research event, and we are excited to be attending this year’s hybrid conference.

The discussions will cover topics from growth research to UX insights to behavioural science.

Talks we’re looking forward to hearing:

• Insights to Equity: Applying User Research to Spotify’s Dib Strategy, with Alexandra Hornsby, User Research Manager, Spotify and Ashley Graham, User Research Manager, Spotify
• The Next Step in Accessibility, with Joel Isaac, Accessibility Manager, Novaelis and Pia Zaragoza, UX Mentor and Innovation Fellow at Springboard and General Services Administration

Check out the full lineup and conference schedule

Get your tickets today

The virtual tickets are free. The in-person tickets cost $1800 USD and limited spots are available.

Grab your tickets here

ReOpsConf 2022

The ResearchOps Community will be holding its first annual ReOpsConf on June 8, 2022.

This full-day hybrid event will allow you to gain insight into the field of Research Operations (ReOps) and learn about topics such as research repositories, scaling ReOps, and knowledge management.

Talks we’d like to highlight:

• Building and Scaling ReOps at the UK Dept of Education, with Alice Kiernan, Research Operations Lead at Department for Education, England, UK and Lucy Sutton, User Research Operations Lead at Department for Education, England, UK
• Building a Research Toolbox, with Andy Garber-Browne, DesignOps Program Manager, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Carolyn Morgan, UX Researcher, Cisco
• Repositories in Practice: Using Knowledge Management to Create Research Stories, with Emily DiLeo, Sr. Design Research Specialist, SAP

Check out the full lineup and conference schedule

Get your tickets today

Remote tickets are free. In-person tickets cost $900 USD and have limited spots available.

Grab your tickets here

Our user research methodologies can help you reach organizational objectives

Learn about our approach to user research and explore our inclusive research toolkit.

Ready to evolve your research practices?

Contact us

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On June 25th and 26th, we’ll be immersing ourselves in talks on all things research and people-centred design practices.

This conference has always been an excellent opportunity to dive deep into research-specific areas, from the inaugural event in 2018 to today. We couldn’t be more excited to connect and hear from fellow practitioners in user research and customer insights.

Some talks we’re looking forward to include:

• What Design Ethnography Can Do For You, with Yoanna Dosouto, User Experience Researcher, Google
• Doing Foundational Research with an Impossibly Diverse Audience, with Leticia Ratkiewicz, UX Researcher, Nubank and Lucas Terra, Lead Product Designer, Nubank
• Personas are dead. Long live personas! With Amber Westerholm-Smyth, Sr. User Researcher, Ministry of Justice UK and Carolina Pizatto, Service Designer, Ministry of Justice UK
• Consensus through Convergence, with Mel Banyard, Design Researcher, The Canadian Digital Service and Jeana Frost, Sr. Quantitative Design Researcher, The Canadian Digital Service
• What Not To Do In Accessibility Research, with Samuel Proulx, Community Manager, Fable Tech Labs

These are just a few of the talks that have caught our eye over the packed two-day conference schedule! With so many talks and topics planned, there really is something for everyone.

Our team encourages researchers with any level of experience or interest in user research to sign up for a ticket and take advantage of all of the great learning and networking opportunities available.

Check out the schedule and get your ticket today.

Grab your ticket

Looking for support in accelerating your research practices?

We can help. Learn more about our approach to user testing here and get in touch to let us know more about your research objectives.

Get in touch

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Here’s how our public conversation on StartupNorth unfolded.

Lee Dale: I don’t understand what the first 6 questions have to do with your product. (Point being, I gave up filling out this survey because it’s needlessly invasive.)

WonJune Tai: They give us a better understanding of how different demographics answer the rest of our questions differently. For example, there difference between how much the average male cares about healthy eating vs how much the average female cares about healthy eating. It’s for context, mainly.

Lee Dale: Sure, more information helps you segment groups, but if it doesn’t get to the heart of what you want to learn about the product, why turn people off by asking questions about marital status, education, ethnicity, and employment?

In other words, those are terribly personal questions and they all come in advance of any interesting questions related to your actual product, which would help users understand that the purpose of your survey is more than just ad sales.

If you’re hung up on segmenting, ask the product questions first, and then include an optional section where you first ask for their email and then ask demographic questions, preferably with an explanation as to what product related value you’ll get out of an answer to such personal questions.

WonJune Tai: I’m sorry you were offended by our questions.

Lee Dale: I’m not offended, just sharing some friendly advice on how to get more responses and more email addresses.

Are you looking to gain insights on markets and users through surveying?

We’ve conducted numerous surveys for both public and private sector organizations to help plan MVPs, better understand existing products and services, uncover new market opportunities, and learn how internal teams function.

Get in touch for surveying assistance

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A description from ‘shop’ owner Fatima Al Qadiri:

If you have an Instagram account, you can slap a price tag on anything, take a picture of it, and sell it. For instance, you could take this can of San Pellegrino, paint it pink, put a heart on it, call it yours, and declare it for sale. Even my grandmother has an Instagram business! She sells dried fruit.

Amazing. This is not only such a low-impact way of testing the market for a particular product, but it’s so smartly circumventing issues around modern shopping cart systems.

Specifically, the sellers can:

1. Easily update their inventory from their mobile phone.
2. Quickly share new inventory across multiple networks.
3. Easily conduct their business from their mobile phones by leveraging low-cost options like WhatsApp.
4. Leverage another network without the need to integrate APIs. In this case, by using Instagram directly.

No storefront maintenance, no hosting requirements, no need for a desktop or tablet, no fancy marketing. Just the goods.

This kind of lightweight testing is great for getting an understanding of market interest in your product and can lead to great insights, just like the four noted above.

If you have an app or product you’re looking to get out into the world and you’re not sure about your product market fit, talk to us. We can help with ideas and resources to test your product before you start building.

Get In Touch

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Hard nos are money in the bank for startups, if you leverage them. You have to chase down every hard no and ask why, why, why? Why don’t you love me anymore? Why doesn’t my value proposition work for you? Would you pay $10? What if I included a lifetime warranty? What if it was $5 plus a lifetime warranty?

From Brydon Gillis’s Free…It May Cost You Your Startup.

In other words, you’ve got to get to the heart of your user’s needs, and part of that is understanding who isn’t interested, and why.

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Microsoft’s Office research team is conducting a study to help determine future technology products for small businesses and entrepreneurs.

The study is being led by the brilliant Sam Ladner, who I had the pleasure of joining on a panel at the first NXNEi.

If you’d be interested in participating in this study, with an in-person interview and a day of job shadowing in July, head over to StartupNorth for more details and to fill out the information form.

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