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UX Research
Qualitative vs Quantitative UX Research
In this article, we’ll focus on exploring the two distinct research categories that most data-gathering exercises can be classified into: qualitative and quantitative UX research.
Most UX researchers start their design research career with qualitative research.
I was no exception — except that I studied neuroscience, so I might’ve gotten a bit more quantitative training under my belt. But only in recent years did I open up my horizon and focus on more in-depth quantitative research in my day job.
Quantitative Research
When we want to measure sets of variables or quantities and their relationship to each other, we use quantitative research methods. Basically, this type of research is all about numbers and objective data.
For example, a person researching the effects of global warming might take temperature measurements over a given amount of time to determine the rate at which the climate changes.
However, when we think about design research, this method is too scientific and can hardly be done successfully in our field. Instead, we usually look into social sciences for a method that better suits our projects’ needs.
