User Research Vocabulary

a fictional character representing a user type

“The primary persona was a time-pressed working parent.”

comparing two versions to determine which performs better

“A/B testing proved the shorter form converted better.”

a technique where users organize content into groups

“Card sorting revealed unexpected category groupings.”

expert review using established usability principles

“The heuristic evaluation identified navigation issues.”

users verbalize thoughts while completing tasks

“Think-aloud protocols revealed user confusion points.”

observing real users attempting to complete tasks

“Usability testing uncovered critical workflow issues.”

observing users in their natural environment

“Ethnographic research revealed unarticulated needs.”

visualization of user experience across touchpoints

“The journey map highlighted pain points in onboarding.”

anyone with an interest in the design outcome

“Stakeholder interviews aligned business and user goals.”

organizing research findings into thematic clusters

“The affinity diagram synthesized 200 interview notes.”