UX Research is understood as a research process that seeks to obtain quality information and data to create products that satisfy the desires and meet the needs of users. It is one of the most important stages of the user experience-focused design process. You could say that it is the first step in that development, but, in reality, it is a process that is repeated and appears throughout the entire journey towards the creation of a digital product.

A UX researcher is in charge of helping designers and the content team to make the perfect prototype of the product to be developed. Before, during and after the product design process, the UX research team will be responsible for testing it and proposing any improvements they deem necessary. It's an endless cycle!

The main advantage of applying a UX Research is to be able to know what the user wants and needs, before launching our product on the market. Unlike other traditional marketing methods, the focus of UX research is on the user, rather than a problem or a product.

Applying this type of tools allows us to know in advance what is expected of a product and this will lead us to obtain better commercial results.

On the other hand, the margin of error is minimized since the UX researcher will be in charge of testing the product several times and at different stages of the project. It will also allow us to obtain new insights to work on.

The most important thing in a UX Research is to empathize with the needs, behaviors and motivations of the user through techniques and methodologies. The choice of the method to carry out user-centered research will depend on the product to be developed and the problems that we will have to face.

Currently, we find various user-centered research techniques: some require more human and/or economic resources and others are free and can be done remotely.

These are the 7 methodologies most used by UX Researchers:
- Interviews: This is a qualitative method in which a UX researcher meets with individuals to talk in depth about certain topics. It can be face-to-face or remotely.
- Survey: it is the most used method of quantitative research. It allows obtaining general data to specific questions. Google Forms is one of the most used platforms for surveys nowadays.
- Focus group: this technique seeks to create groups of between 3 and 12 participants, guided by a moderator, in order to achieve a debate among them and obtain insights on certain topics.
- Eye tracking: also used in visual neuromarketing, it consists of a device that allows the movement of a person's eye to be followed while he interacts with the product.
- Card sorting: this technique consists of users grouping topics into different categories. This is helpful for the information architecture of a web page, for example.
- User testing: this is a fundamental part of the entire UX design process. It is about testing the product with real users to get feedback on it. One of the applications that can be used for this purpose is UsabilityHub.
- A/B Test: it is a method widely used both in UX research and in other disciplines, where different designs of the same site are tested by groups of users, so that they interact with each design.

There are a series of guidelines to take into account in UX Research, especially if it is the first time you perform it. It is an alternative that may not get optimal results the first time, but there is always the chance to improve it.

- Don't look for perfection the first time because the first time is the most difficult.
- Let yourself be guided by the data: avoid presumptions and assumptions that are assumed by inertia.
- Keep the costs in mind so that the company sees what the benefits will be.
- The insight obtained by UX Research must always be articulated in conclusions and concrete actions.
- Try to communicate your data in an understandable way for everyone: avoid overly technical and long documents.
- Make available digital repositories that allow information to be searched and that are available to the entire organization for those who want further data.