When exploring new possibilities in life and in work, consider these important factors:

Needs.
Wants.
Choices.
Experiences.

These are particularly vital when working on user experience (UX) research. In general, we use research to gain a better understanding of a certain topic so when we need to discuss important information, we’re able to apply our key insights for verification and understanding.

It’s not enough to know about what a user needs or wants; we have to understand why they prefer to use certain products. Establishing empathy—putting ourselves in the users’ shoes—when conducting research for our clients allows us to build rapport and craft sustainable solutions.

To do this, we approach user experience through qualitative research, asking probing questions to discover why a user behaves a certain way. Relying solely on quantitative research is too limiting, removing the ability to hear directly from the user. It’s those direct quotes that help paint the fuller picture.

Through the interviews we conduct with our clients’ users, we learn about their goals, behaviors, and pain points with the current website’s architecture. A common deliverable we use to report our findings with the team is a user persona—think of it as their dating bio. We tell the user’s story in their voice through their lens so our team is able to empathize and curate a solution based on their needs.

Let’s cut to the chase: We don’t all think and work the same way, so when we’re conducting research, we should steer away from assuming users think the same as we do. We have to appreciate our unique differences to identify individual users’ feelings, motives, and desires.

Empathy is the core to understanding people and the guide to gaining ample insights for your research needs.