Research Playground

The right method makes research more fun. Find yours here.

Nature
Data Type
Research Phase

OR within a group · AND across groups

All 18 methods

Interview

One-on-one conversations to uncover user needs, motivations, and behaviours.

2–4 weeks·5–8 participants
AttitudinalQualitative

Survey

Structured questionnaires distributed at scale to gather measurable data.

1–2 weeks·100+ respondents
AttitudinalQuantitative

A/B Testing

Compare two or more design variants with live users to determine which performs better.

2–6 weeks·1,000+ users per variant
BehavioralQuantitative

Usability Test

Observe real users completing tasks to identify usability problems in your product.

1–3 weeks·5–8 participants (qualitative), 20+ (unmoderated)
BehavioralQualitative

Card Sorting

Participants organise topics into groups to inform information architecture.

1–2 weeks·15–20 participants
AttitudinalQualitative

Focus Groups

Facilitated group discussions to explore attitudes, perceptions, and ideas.

2–3 weeks·5–10 per group, 2–3 groups
AttitudinalQualitative

Diary Studies

Participants self-report experiences over time to capture longitudinal behaviour.

4–8 weeks·10–20 participants
AttitudinalQualitative

Eye Tracking

Track where users look on a screen to understand visual attention and scan patterns.

2–4 weeks·30–40 participants
BehavioralQuantitative

Service Safari

Researchers experience a service firsthand to uncover pain points and opportunities from the inside.

3–5 days·2–5 researchers
BehavioralQualitative

Contextual Inquiry

Observe and interview users in their own environment while they work to uncover real-world behaviours.

3–6 weeks·5–8 participants
BehavioralQualitative

Tree Testing

Evaluate how well users can find information in your navigation structure without any visual design.

1–2 weeks·50–100 participants
BehavioralQuantitative

5-Second Test

Show a design for five seconds to measure first impressions, clarity, and visual hierarchy.

3–5 days·20–50 participants
AttitudinalQualitative

Kano Model

Categorise features by how they affect user satisfaction to prioritise what to build next.

1–2 weeks·20–50 participants
AttitudinalQuantitative

Heuristic Evaluation

Expert evaluators inspect an interface against established usability principles to find problems fast.

3–5 days·3–5 evaluators
BehavioralQualitative

Guerrilla Testing

Intercept real people in public places for quick, informal usability feedback on the spot.

1–3 days·5–10 participants
BehavioralQualitative

Competitive Analysis

Systematically evaluate competitor products to identify gaps, patterns, and opportunities.

1–2 weeks·3–10 competitors
BehavioralQualitative

Secondary Research

Synthesise existing reports, studies, and data to build foundational knowledge before primary research.

3–5 days·N/A — no participants
AttitudinalQualitative

First Click Testing

Measure where users click first on an interface to reveal navigation and layout clarity.

3–5 days·50–100 participants
BehavioralQuantitative