User research at HS2

User research helps teams learn about users and create services that meet their needs.

Without it, you won’t know what problems you’re trying to solve, what to build or if the service you create will work well for users.

The resources provided are intended as a starting point rather than a definitive guide.

Research method toolbox

Heatmaps

See how users are behaving on the page - where are they clicking? Are they navigating the page in the expected way?
User workshops

Get users into the same space to deep-dive through whole subject areas or co-create solutions
Online surveys

A quantitative and qualitative method of establishing attitudes and behaviours
In-browser polls

Capture the sentiment of users for a specific service area with a few quick questions

Telephone interviews

Talk to users to explore an area in depth
Prototype testing

Create mockups to test the usability of your product before development
In-content feedback loops

Understand user sentiment towards content and get feedback if something is wrong on the page
Card sorting and tree testing

Test the hierarchy and structure of content - do users group services and content in the same way as the business?

Customer journey mapping

Map out real user journeys beyound their interaction with our services
Analytics

Analyse how parts of our websites and services are used, what users are searching for and how users behave
Contextual interviews

Meet a user in their environment to ask questions relevant to their surroundings
Highlighter testing

Check whether users understand our communication information and content. Do we give too much information? Do we not give them the right information?

Stakeholder mapping

Map out who to speak with about a service or website
Stakeholder workshops

Get under the skin of a service or business area and understand stakeholder expectations
Service blueprints

Display the entire process of service delivery, by listing all the activities that happen at each stage
Reframing the problem

Before trying to create a solution, analyse a problem statement to check whether you are researching the right thing

Assumptions and questions

Collect assumptions and questions to test and identify high-risk assumptions to prioritise for research
Assistive technology testing

Test whether a service is fully accessible by involving users of assistive technology

Blogs and resources we have found helpful