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User Research

Improve Product and Service Design and Enhance Your UX Research

Develop your market research skills with this straightforward guide to the best practices in user research methods. Utilize market research tools and methods effectively to obtain reliable results.

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EAN: 9781398625075

Edition: 3

Published: 03 Dec 2025

Format: 234 x 156

376 pages

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About the book

Many businesses are rooted in creating desirable products and services for users, but fail to consider the consumer. How can they create products and services that work for users? This book has the answers.

User experience research, (UX research) focuses on understanding user behaviours, needs and motivations through a range of observational techniques, task analysis and other methodologies. User Research is a practical guide that shows mid-career professionals and academic readers how to use the vast array of user research methods available. Written by Stephanie Marsh, one of the UK's leading UX research professionals, readers can benefit from in-depth knowledge that explores the fundamentals of user research.

Covering all the key research methods including face-to-face user testing, card sorting, surveys and many more, the book gives expert insight into the nuances, advantages and disadvantages of each. While also providing guidance on how to interpret, analyze and share the data once it has been obtained. Now in its third edition, User Research provides new insight into how to incorporate cross-functional collaboration when approaching user research, how to navigate the ever-changing world of GDPR as AI enters the research space and a pathway to founding their products and services with the understanding of consumer behaviour.

About the authors

Stephanie Marsh (she/they) is a leading expert in UX Research and UX Research Operations based in the UK. As the former Head of User Research and Analysis at the UK Government Digital Service and Head of Digital at the UK Ministry of Defence, they have played a pivotal role in advancing digital innovation within the public sector. Previously a Bunnyfoot consultant , one of the UK's leading UX consultancies, Stephanie has applied their expertise to enhance user experiences across diverse industries. As a respected thought leader, she has contributed to peer-reviewed publications and shared insights through speaking engagements at conferences and industry events.

Stephanie Marsh

- Chapter - 01: Introduction – why is user research so important?;
Section - ONE: The fundamentals – what good research looks like;
- Chapter - 02: Planning your user research;
- Chapter - 03: Best practice in user research – what, why and how;
- Chapter - 04: Managing user research for successful outcomes;
- Chapter - 05: Getting the legal and ethical stuff right;
- Chapter - 06: Cross-functional working;
Section - TWO: Selecting and using user research methods;
- Chapter - 07: Usability testing – observing people doing things;
- Chapter - 08: User interviews – understanding people’s experience through talking to them;
- Chapter - 09: Surveys – how to gauge a widespread user response;
- Chapter - 10: Getting the best out of stakeholder workshops – collaborative sessions for constructive work with key participants;
- Chapter - 11: Content testing – what do people think your content means?;
- Chapter - 12: Card sorting – understanding how people group and relate things;
- Chapter - 13: Information architecture validation through tree testing – does the structure of your information work for your users?;
- Chapter - 14: Diary studies – how to capture user research data over time;
- Chapter - 15: Contextual inquiry – interviewing people in their own environment;
- Chapter - 16: Ethnography and pop-up research – observing how people behave and running fast-paced research in the real world;
- Chapter - 17: How to combine user research methodologies;
Section - THREE: Analysing user research data and communicating the insights;
- Chapter - 18: In-depth analysis – understanding your qualitative data;
- Chapter - 19: Fast-paced analysis;
- Chapter - 20: Analysing usability data and cataloguing issues and needs;
- Chapter - 21: Making recommendations – how to make your research findings and insights actionable;
- Chapter - 22: Creating impactful executive summaries and detailed reports to present results;
- Chapter - 23: Tools for analysis and UX storytelling;
- Chapter - 24: Conclusion;

Reviews

Katie Alden-John, Research and Transformation Leader, Caution Your Blast Ltd

A complete and exhaustive guide for both new and experienced User Researchers. Stephanie Marsh manages to cover the breadth of researchers' jobs, from selecting appropriate methods to effectively communicating the impact. The chapter about research ethics is particularly useful; it grapples with the unintended consequences of our decision-making which is particularly timely in the age of AI.

Susana Vilaça, UX Research Leader

I found this book to be an outstanding end-to-end guide to user research. It's clear, insightful and comprehensive, with a timely perspective on the use of AI. It's a must-read for beginners building their foundations and for experienced professionals looking to strengthen and refresh their practice.

James Lubwama, User Research Leader, Version 1

With this third edition, Stephanie Marsh has created the essential resource for the modern user researcher. Its brilliance lies in its flexibility, serving as both a comprehensive guide to master the discipline from end-to-end, and as an indispensable quick-reference for the experienced practitioner. I was particularly impressed by the new section on rapid analysis, which provides urgently needed guidance for a real-world pressure we all face. Marsh's approach to the topic of AI is also refreshingly pragmatic; guidance is woven contextually into each method rather than isolated in a standalone chapter, which perfectly reflects how practitioners actually think and work. This is the definitive, practical guide for research as it's done today.

Rita Duarte, Research Operations and UX Research Specialist

As a research ops professional, I've noticed a growing number of people across different roles asking me and other researchers how to better connect with users and run effective research. It's an exciting shift, but it also raises an important question: how do we empower people to confidently do research regardless of their background? I find that this third edition of User Research meets that need. It explains complex practices clearly and thoughtfully without oversimplifying. It's a valuable resource for user researchers, research ops professionals and anyone looking to make research part of their product-building toolkit.

Anja Maerz, Senior User Research Manager, Gen

Stephanie Marsh's User Research (3rd edition) offers a clear and comprehensive introduction to the practice of user research, combining breadth of methods with practical and ethical grounding. The new edition gives thoughtful attention to AI: Marsh includes a useful table mapping where AI can support the research process, cautions about its environmental and ethical impacts and stresses the need for expertise to evaluate results. Each method now also contains guidance on how AI might be applied in practice. Given how rapidly AI continues to reshape our world and our discipline, this balance of pragmatism and responsibility makes the book both a dependable foundation and a guide to navigating change.

A complete and exhaustive guide for both new and experienced User Researchers. Stephanie Marsh manages to cover the breadth of researchers' jobs, from selecting appropriate methods to effectively communicating the impact. The chapter about research ethics is particularly useful; it grapples with the unintended consequences of our decision-making which is particularly timely in the age of AI.
Katie Alden-John, Research and Transformation Leader, Caution Your Blast Ltd

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