When to Use Which UX Research Deliverable

UX research encompasses all types of research activities: user research, competitive research, stakeholder or subject matter expert interviews, audits, analytics, and other information sources—with the goal of helping organizations understand how to better serve their users.

Think beyond the traditional research report! Below is a list of UX research deliverables you can use to help you communicate strategy or research insights with greater impact and engagement.

Business Strategy

Goal: Communicate business strengths, differentiators, or priorities.

UX / CX Performance

Goal: Communicate UX / CX metrics gathered from beacons, lasers, sensors, analytics, video, and voice of customer surveys.

  • CX Scorecard
  • Customer Journey Dashboard

Business Processes & Systems

Goal: Document the people, processes, systems, and platforms that make the organization run—and opportunities to improve.

  • CX Ecosystem Map
  • Ecosystem Map
  • Gap Analysis
  • Process Map
  • Service Blueprint
  • Stakeholder Map
  • System Map
  • Touchpoint Map

UX / CX Strategy

Goal: Communicate the UX or CX strategy or propose solutions to customer problems.

  • Concept / Sketch
  • Content Map
  • Customer Journey Map: Future State
  • Design Tenets
  • Prototype
  • Scenario Map
  • Site Map
  • Storyboard
  • Wireframes

Product or Service Strategy

Goal: Map product / service problems to solve, strategy, and priorities.

  • Customer Problem Map
  • Impact Map
  • Impact-Effort Matrix
  • Journey Atlas
  • Story Map & User Stories

User Needs & Behaviors

Goal: Determine user needs by first documenting how users currently complete tasks or how they will use a future state service or product.

  • Storyboard
  • Task Analysis Grid
  • Use Cases
  • User Flow
  • User Journey Map
  • User Scenarios

Research Synthesis & Collaboration Tools

Goal: Collaborate with the design or stakeholder team to map research hypotheses, questions, or findings, and then identify patterns or themes.

Research Insights

Goal: Communicate research findings.

  • Customer Journey Map: Current State
  • Customer Stories (e.g., photobook, posters)
  • Expectation Map
  • Experience Map
  • Mental Model
  • Podcast
  • Research Repository (e.g., Trello, Google Sheets)
  • Research Wall / Research Room
  • Social Media Persona
  • TV Show
  • Usability Study Log
  • User Personas
  • Video Clips

Audits

Goal: Document findings uncovered during an audit.

  • Accessibility Audit
  • Content Audit
  • Experience Audit
  • Fishbone Analysis
  • Heuristic Analysis / Expert Review

Competitive Insights

Goal: Communicate expert assessments about competitors or the competitive landscape.

  • Competitive Analysis
  • Competitive Matrix
  • Context Map

See also: When to Use Which UX Research Method

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Author: Kristine Remer

Kristine Remer is a CX insights leader, UX researcher, and strategist in Minneapolis. She helps organizations drive significant business outcomes by finding and solving customer problems. She never misses the Minnesota State Fair and loves dark chocolate mochas, kayaking, escape rooms, and planning elaborate treasure hunts for her children.