Most interface problems are research problems in disguise.

User Research & UX Strategy is where every Nova Studio project begins. Bad assumptions about users are the most expensive mistakes in product development. We find them before your development team builds on top of them.

The standard user research process at most companies looks like this: someone holds a few internal meetings, writes a brief based on gut feel, and design work begins. Three months later, the redesign launches and metrics do not improve — because the real problem was never identified.

Our research starts with a structured discovery phase. We review any existing analytics, identify the questions data cannot answer, and design activities to answer them. This might include moderated usability tests, unmoderated task analysis, customer interviews, or contextual inquiry.

User interviews are the most frequently misused research method in product design. Done poorly, they confirm what the interviewer already believes. Done correctly — with careful screening, structured discussion guides, and rigorous analysis — they surface the gap between what users say and what they actually do.

The research deliverable is a synthesis document: not raw transcripts, but structured insights with evidence, a prioritised list of identified problems, and clear design implications.

In practice

Common questions