UX Research

UX research is essential at every stage of the design process—before, during, and after. Before design, research helps uncover user needs, pain points, and behaviors, ensuring that solutions are grounded in real-world insights. During design, it guides decision-making through usability testing, feedback loops, and iterative improvements. After design, research validates effectiveness, identifies areas for refinement, and ensures continuous enhancement based on user interactions. By integrating UX research throughout, teams can create more intuitive, user-centered products that drive engagement and long-term success.

When I first joined Ivanti, UX research was often an afterthought, with many features and designs being implemented without proper validation. This led to inefficiencies, misaligned user expectations, and the need for costly revisions. Through education, advocacy, and demonstrating the tangible impact of research, I helped shift the company’s mindset to one that actively values and integrates UX research into the design process. By the time I left, Ivanti had a dedicated UX research team of three, and more importantly, each designer had developed the skills and confidence to conduct their own research initiatives, ensuring user insights played a critical role in every stage of design.

At Ivanti, we leveraged a mix of quantitative and qualitative research methods to inform our design decisions. Surveys were typically used in the early stages of a project to gather broad quantitative insights, helping us validate assumptions and understand general user sentiment. When deeper insights were needed, we followed up with one-on-one user interviews, allowing us to refine user journeys, uncover pain points, and identify behavioral patterns. To further engage users in the design process, we sometimes employed card sorting exercises, particularly when working on navigation structures or information architecture.

To ensure our research was always targeting the right audience, we developed user personas based on real customer data. We created a customer database that matched these personas to our various products, allowing us to quickly identify and engage the most relevant users for research. By mapping key demographics, behaviors, pain points, and goals, these personas helped us design solutions that were more tailored to actual user needs. They also served as a valuable reference point throughout the design process, ensuring that all decisions were driven by real user contexts rather than assumptions.

During the design phase, usability testing and A/B testing were critical in validating design choices. These tests often involved structured task-based evaluations where users interacted with prototypes while we observed their behaviors and pain points. This iterative process allowed us to fine-tune interactions and ensure and further refine our designs.

Post-launch of a feature, we utilized tools like FullStory and Pendo to collect behavioral analytics, track user interactions, and identify areas for improvement. This continuous feedback loop allowed us to make data-driven refinements, ensuring our products remained user-centered even after release.

By embedding UX research throughout the entire lifecycle, from concept to post-launch analytics, we were able to create more intuitive, effective, and user-friendly products while reducing risks and inefficiencies.