UX Research Plan
Template with Examples Suitable to Any Project Size
What: A comprehensive template to guide UX researchers and designers through planning and conducting research sessions
For Whom: UX researchers, designers, and anyone involved in user-centered design processes
When: Use this template at the start of any UX research project to organize goals, methods, and logistics
Where: Applicable to in-person, remote, or hybrid research settings
sections
Contextualization: Understand the background of your product and define the team, business basics, user context, and terminology.
Definition: Sharpen your research focus by defining the research problem, objectives, and questions.
Measurement: Establish indicators for the success of your research, discuss data relevance, underlying assumptions, usage of research, and key performance indicators (KPIs).
Planning: Organise your research study processes, including methodology, deliverables, and tools.
Recruitment: Frame the people you would reach out to, calculate the number of participants, discuss incentives, and create a respondent screener.
Timeline: Plan your research activities effectively, including start, end, and milestone dates.
Session Script: Guide your conversation and keep it on track
Links
⓵ Contextualisation
Understand what drives your research and provide an intro about product background
Duration of the research study
Status of the research study
Draft – write a plan
In review – discuss with stakeholders
Ready to launch – get approved by stakeholders
Researching – conduct listed research activities
Analysis – collect user data and transform it into research deliverables
Report – present the research findings and store them in a repository
Team
Introduce the research and design team members involved in executing the study
Highlight any cross-functional team members who have contributed to the research
Acknowledge the leads and directors who have provided guidance and support
Business Basics
An overview of the product's core features and functions
Key business objectives, such as quarterly OKRs
The specific value this research study brings to the business
User Context
WHO: Identify the user groups or personas this research focuses on
WHAT: Outline the specific behaviors, needs, or challenges these users have related to the product
CONTEXT: Describe the specific circumstances or scenarios in which these behaviors, needs, or challenges occur
Terminology
Define any specific terms or jargon used in the research plan to ensure all stakeholders have a shared understanding
“Start planning date: Jul 13, 2023
Final deliverable date: ____________
Status: Draft | In review | Ready to launch | Conducting | Analysis | Report
Team
Lou Nike, UX Researcher
Mary Ming, Product Designer
John Beam, Product Owner
We are designing a product aimed at helping users manage their various subscriptions effectively. Our business goal is to create a user-friendly solution that reduces unwanted subscription fees and enhances financial management for users. The value of this research study is to understand user behaviors, needs, and challenges related to subscription management, which will inform our product design and strategy.
Our primary user group is individuals who have multiple subscriptions and struggle to keep track of them. We aim to understand the specific challenges these users face in managing their subscriptions, such as forgetting to cancel unwanted services, not knowing when payments are due, and difficulty in tracking total expenses. We are particularly interested in scenarios where users realize they are paying for unwanted subscriptions or when they struggle to understand their total monthly subscription costs.
Terminology
- Subscription Management is the process of tracking and controlling all active subscriptions and recurring payments.
- Unwanted Subscriptions are services that users are subscribed to but no longer need or use”
⓶ Definition
Sharp a research focus from several perspectives
Research Problem Statement
The "How might we?" format question. This reframing turns challenges into opportunities for research. It is powerful because it implies a solution is possible and allows variety of answers.
Pragmatic. It transforms your insights from the stakeholder kick-off session and answers the question, "Why is this research valuable to our business?"
Human-oriented. The problem statement summarizes the plans, actions, decisions, and hypotheses about the customer.
Research Objectives
Frame possibilities. Map the fogged areas you want to learn.
Transform possibilities into specific actions and hypotheses – how you will study the problem statement
Right scale. It’s better to start with a verb, this way objectives sound actionable. Also, the research task should be not to set too broad or too specific.
Research Questions
Detail the problem statement. Refine the issue under study, add focus to the problem statement, guide data collection and analysis, and set the context of research.
Types
Problem-focused: What are users' pain points? What tasks are they trying to complete? What solutions are they seeking?
People-focused: Who are our users? How do they use products? What are their goals? How likely are they to use our product?
Product-focused: How do users feel about our content or design? Can they navigate the product easily? How usable is it? What features do they like or dislike?
Use open-ended questions. It helps to cover different user scenarios.
Iterate if needed. It's okay to adjust, reformulate, and supplement research questions during the study if you find gaps in answers or if your sample doesn't fit your research questions.
“Research Problem Statement
How might we empower users to track with no/low effort and control their subscriptions, thereby avoiding unnecessary expenses?
Research Objectives and Questions
1. Identify the key motivation to use a subscription management tool.
- Who are our potential users? What are their financial habits?
- How comfortable are they with using financial management tools?
- What strategies do they use to keep track of their subscriptions? Where do these strategies fall short?
2. Understand the current challenges users face in managing their subscriptions.
- What are the main difficulties users encounter when trying to keep track of their subscriptions?
- Explore how users would like to interact with such a tool.
- How do users envision interacting with a subscription management tool?
- What concerns might they have about using such a tool?
- What would make the experience seamless and efficient for them?”
⓷ Measurement
Establish indicators for the success of your research and discuss with your stakeholders the data relevance
Underlying Assumptions. This will not only guide your research design but also help you interpret your findings.
Product
Market
User
Usage of Research. Clearly define how the results of the research will be used to avoid useless effort.
Inform new design
Improve user experience
Guide product strategy
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). They should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). KPIs could include metrics like user satisfaction, task completion rate, error rate so on.
Behavioral
Attitudinal
Business outcome
“KPIs
- Unmoderated System Usability Scale (SUS) survey after usability testing session
- Success rate of key tasks (e.g., adding a subscription, canceling a subscription)
- Error rate (how often do users encounter errors while using the product?)
- Number of subscriptions managed through the product
- Frequency of use (daily, weekly, monthly)
- Time spent on the platform”
⓸ Planning
Think actionable and organize your research study processes on how you are going to get answers to research questions
Methodology
Approach
Qualitative
Quantitative
Focus
Attitude
Behavior
Setting
Remote
In-person
Triangulation to validate your finding
Method (it’s fine to mix several methods during a single session, like a preliminary in-depth interview and a short usability testing)
Data
Researcher
Common deliverables of research
Presentations
Reports
User archetypes or persona
Journey maps and user flows
Affinity diagrams, frameworks, and models
Raw user data, like video recordings or screener responses
Wireframes/Prototypes/Demos
Scoping documents
Tools
Common categories of tools that are used in research:
Communication – Slack, Google Chat, Microsoft Teams
Recruitment – Usertesting, Respondent.io, internal user panel
Prototyping – Figma
Video recording – Zoom, Google Meet
Transcription – Otter, Enjoy HQ, Dovetail
Conducting research study – Usertesting, Userinterviews, Zoom, Google Meet
Presentation – Google Slides, Keynote
Repository – Airtable, Dovetail, Enjoy HQ
“Methodology
Qualitative
- Unmoderated usability testing sessions with a high-fidelity Figma prototype
- Preliminary in-depth interview before sharing tasks
Quantitative
- System Usability Score survey to quantify defined usability profiles
Expected Deliverables
- Prototype
- Usability testing results report
- SUS Results
- Customer Journey Map
- Presentation deck
Tools
- Scheduling: Calendly
- Prototyping: Figma
- Usability testing: Microsoft Teams
- Surveys, note-taking, and documentation: Google Workspace
- Data analysis: Miro
- Project management: Trello”
⓹ Recruitment
Recruitment criteria to frame people you would reach out
Recruitment criteria
Respondent type
User
Non-user
Internal user
Domain expert
Demography
Age
Occupation
Location
Loyalty tier
Frequency of usage
Recruitment channels
Sample Design
Sample – it’s the specific list of people you’re going to study from all research objects; calculate the number of participants but remember that recruitment might be unexpected
In-depth interview
Single user role – 5-10
Mix of user roles – 10-40 (depending on the product complexity and user variety, it could be even more than 100)
User segmentation, JTBD interview – 20-30 (depending on the product complexity and user variety, it could be even more than 100)
Usability testing
Quantitative (unmoderated) – 40-200
Qualitative (moderated)
Single user role – 5-10 (depending on the product complexity and user variety, it could be even more than 100)
Mix of user roles – 10-40 (depending on the product complexity and user variety, it could be even more than 100)
Card sorting, tree test
Quantitative (unmoderated) 40-200
Qualitative (moderated)
Single user role – 5-10 (depending on the product complexity and user variety, it could be even more than 100)
Mix of user roles – 10-40 (depending on the product complexity and user variety, it could be even more than 100)
Survey – 100 – 1500 (depending on the product complexity and user variety; if there are less than 100 respondents in you base, the survey should be send to all respondents in your base)
Incentives
Ways to say “thank you" for the participation
Incentives on the selected research platform such as Respondent.io
Gift cards, like Amazon
Product benefits (you can submit a credit for the next product usage with your stakeholders)
Direct money – bank transfer (in the worst case, respondents might need to pay taxes)
“Recruitment Criteria
Tech-savvy users aged 18 and above from the US with multiple active subscriptions who use the product at least once per month
Sample Design
Total Participants: 10
Subscribed to multiple services: 5
- Tech savvy: 3
- Not tech savvy: 2
Previously cancelled subscriptions: 5
- Tech savvy: 3
- Not tech savvy: 2
Incentives
( $100 subscription credit
+ 50% recruitment platform fee)
x 12 users where 1-2 for emergency
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
$1800 in total”
Respondent Screener
A screener is a set of questions to make sure you will talk to the right person; the quality of your insights depends heavily on the relevance of your participants
Demographics
Attitudinal aspects
Behavioral aspects
Product usage
Exclusion criteria
“Intro
We’re a growing financial company based in Atlanta, GA. We’re looking for design feedback from ______ consumers who manage their subscriptions. Your feedback will help us develop an intuitive service model for users like you. Before we get started, we have a few questions to make sure this study is a good fit for you. All your responses will be kept confidential and will only be used for the purpose of this research.
Questions
1. How many subscription services do you currently have (e.g., Netflix, Spotify, Amazon Prime, etc.)?
- 1 [SKIP]
- 2-5
- 6-10
- More than 10
- I don’t have subscriptions [SKIP]
2. Where do you use subscribed services? (select all that apply)
- At home
- At work
- While studying
- Other (please specify)
3. How do you currently keep track of your subscriptions?
- I don’t keep track [SKIP]
- I use a spreadsheet or document
- I use a specific app or tool currently
- I used an app or tool in past bot not now
- None of these above [SKIP]
4. Have you ever forgotten to cancel a subscription service and were charged for it?
- Yes
- No
5. Have you ever used a tool or app specifically designed to manage subscriptions?
- Use currently
- Used and left
- None tool [SKIP]
6. You are almost done with all the questions! To avoid problems during the test and to give you the best experience, we would like you to join the test using the desktop / laptop with Windows or MacOS via the Google Chrome web browser.
- Yes, I can proceed with the test using my desktop / laptop with Windows or macOS installed via the Google Chrome web browser
- No, I proceed with the test using another device or the other web browser [SKIP]
Outro
Thank you for taking the time to complete our questionnaire! If you’re selected for the study, we’ll be in touch within the next few days to schedule a session at a time that’s convenient for you. We appreciate your interest and look forward to potentially working with you to improve the way people manage their subscriptions. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Thanks again!”
⓺ Timeline
Plan your research activities effectively
Start, end, and milestone dates
Buffer time for unforeseen challenges
Regular updates for the team
Example of research study timeline with a moderator and note-takers
⓻ Session Script
Guide your conversation and keep it on track
Structured session guide – predefined questions, consistent flow
Semi-structured session guide – key topics, flexible follow-ups
Non-structured session guide – open-ended, free-form exploration
“Intro ~ 5 min
Hello, my name’s [Your Name], and I’m going to walk you through today’s session. We are currently exploring the user experience for a new product that aims to help users manage their subscriptions. The purpose of this session is to gather feedback on the usability of the product and to identify any areas for improvement.
I’d like to begin by thanking you for making time to speak with us. Just to confirm, we’d like to keep this session to 60 minutes. Does that still work for you? Do you have a hard stop?
Great. Please let me know if you need a break or stop at any time.
During this session, I’ll ask you a few questions about your experiences with managing subscriptions. We respect your privacy and don’t want you to share any sensitive information with us.
Then, I’ll send you a prototype link, ask you to share your screen and accomplish several tasks in the prototype. We encourage you to think aloud as much as possible. It is valuable to know your honest impressions and thoughts based on what you see. Please remember this is not a real application and some links might be missed.
With your permission, I’d like to record this call. The recording will only be used internally and it also helps me to recall our conversation. Do I have your permission to record this call?
Great. Do you have any questions for me at this time?”
Preliminary interview ~ 10 min
- Can you please tell me a bit about yourself? Can you tell me a bit about your occupation and lifestyle?
- Could you tell me a bit about your experience with managing subscriptions?
- How do you currently keep track of your subscriptions?
- What tools or methods, if any, do you use to manage your subscriptions?
- Can you describe any challenges you face when managing your subscriptions?
…
Usability testing ~ 30 min
OK, great. We’re done with the questions, and we can start looking at things. Next, I’d like you to visit the URL link I sent you in the comments. You will find them in the bottom-right corner.
The first thing I’d like you to do is share your screen. Before you share, make sure to close anything you don’t want to be recorded.
Task 1
Imagine you’ve just downloaded our new subscription management app. Your task is to add a new subscription to the app. The subscription is for a monthly streaming service that costs $15 per month.
Key Observations
- Multi-step flow for adding a new subscription
- Follow-up Questions
- What did you think of the process for adding a new subscription? Was there anything you particularly liked or disliked?
- If you could change anything about the process of adding a new subscription, what would it be and why? Why is it important for you?
…
Wrap up
Great, we’re finished with the bulk of the test.
You mentioned (something they said out loud) earlier and I didn’t want to jump in at that time. Can you say more about that?
Thank you so much for your time.
Before we finish, what did we forget to ask about?”
Conclusion
A UX research roadmap could be simple or bold, it’s up to your research goals. It’s a documented protocol to understand user needs, solve design challenges, and drive impactful decisions. Remember, the key to great UX research is adaptability – tailor this template to suit your unique research context.
Ready to get started? Access the template in Notion via the Gumroad link and take the first step toward meaningful insights.
