Four Levels of Customer Understanding: Moving Beyond Assumptions in UX Research
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Summary
This article explores the gap between what users say, feel, think, and do, arguing that companies often rely on assumptions rather than evidence when understanding customer behavior. It introduces a framework for looking beyond surface-level feedback to uncover hidden motivations and root causes that truly drive user actions. The piece is sponsored by a UX video course and focuses on practical methods for deeper customer understanding.
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Smashing MagazineFour Levels of Customer Understanding: Moving Beyond Assumptions in UX Researchsmashingmagazine.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledWhat people say, feel, think, and do are often very different things.
Many companies think they know fairly well what their users want and need, and how they make their decisions. Yet most of the time these are merely big assumptions and big hunches — with little real evidence to support them.
To understand the underlying reasons for user behavior, it helps to look beyond the surface and explore hidden motivations, root causes, and the different layers of reality that shape how people act.
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