User Research Prompts for UX and Product Teams

Write user interview script. Product: [describe]. Research goal: [discovery/validation]. Include: opening (5 min rapport), context questions (10 min), core questions (20 min), current workflow, friction points, closing. Non-leading questions.

Plan contextual inquiry. User: [describe]. Task to observe: [describe]. Include: observation setup (in their environment), "think-aloud" prompts, note-taking approach, follow-up questions, respect + ethics, debrief.

Design diary study. Topic: [describe]. Duration: [1-2 weeks]. Include: participant selection, daily/weekly entries format, prompts per entry, incentive structure, analysis approach, longitudinal insights expected.

Write user research plan. Project: [describe]. Timeline: [X weeks]. Include: research questions, methods mix (interviews, surveys, usability), participant recruiting, timeline per method, deliverables, team responsibilities.

Design usability test. Product: [describe]. Tasks: [list 3-5]. Include: task descriptions (goals, not steps), success criteria, think-aloud prompts, observer note template, post-task questions, SUS score adaptation.

Moderated vs unmoderated test decision. Goal: [describe]. Participants: [describe]. Include: moderated benefits (depth, probing), unmoderated benefits (speed, scale, cost), tool options (UserTesting, Maze), hybrid approach.

Prioritize usability issues from research. Issues: [list]. Include: severity (0-4 scale: cosmetic to catastrophic), frequency (how many users hit), impact on core tasks, effort to fix. Matrix: severity × frequency for priority.

Design A/B test. Hypothesis: [describe]. Metric: [describe]. Include: variants (A = control, B = variant), sample size (power calc), duration, segmentation, significance threshold, decision criteria.

Build user journey map. User: [persona]. Scenario: [describe]. Include: stages (awareness, consideration, purchase, use, retention), actions per stage, thoughts/feelings per stage, pain points, moments of delight, touchpoints, opportunities.

Build service blueprint. Service: [describe]. Include: customer actions, front-stage (customer sees), back-stage (employee actions), support processes, touchpoints, physical evidence, service time metrics.

Synthesize personas from research. Data sources: [describe]. Include: 2-3 persona profiles, demographic data, goals + motivations, pain points, behavioral patterns, quotes from interviews, anti-goals (what they don't want).

Create mental model for user. User: [describe]. Domain: [describe]. Include: how user conceptualizes domain, key concepts, relationships, metaphors used, misconceptions, implications for product interface.

Plan research synthesis workshop. Team: [describe]. Data: [describe]. Include: affinity mapping, theme identification, insight ranking, prioritization, action items, 2-4 hour workshop structure.

Generate insights from data. Data: [describe]. Include: surface observations vs deep insights, patterns across users, unexpected findings, "so what" articulation, business implications, actionable next steps.

Write research findings report. Audience: [stakeholders]. Length: [short]. Include: executive summary, methodology, key findings (3-5), quotes + evidence, recommendations, limitations, appendix. Story arc (not data dump).