Escaping the Build Trap: How Effective Product Management Creates Real Value

by Melissa Perri

User research, in this case, is not to be mistaken for usability testing, which involves showing a prototype or website and directing people to complete actions. There, you are learning whether they can use and navigate the solution easily, not whether the solution actually solves a problem. This type of research is called evaluative. Problem-based user research is generative research, meaning that its purpose is to find the problem you want to solve. It involves going to the source of the customer’s problem and understanding the context around it. This is what Marquetly did. The team went to the customers, conducted observations, and then asked questions. “What is the biggest problem standing in the way of you finishing your course? What’s the pain?” When conducting problem-based research, you are trying to identify the pain point and the root cause of the problem. When you understand the context around a customer’s problem, you can form a better solution to solve it. Without that, you are just guessing.