1. Anchor on a core question
Clarify the outcome you want to influence. Example prompts:
- What decision will this research unlock?
- Which user segment feels the most friction today?
- How will we know we made life better for them?
2. Recruit a diverse voice set
Build a six-interview sprint that spans new, active, and churned users. Capture sessions with permission so teammates can absorb tone, emotion, and hesitations firsthand.
3. Translate insights into opportunities
Synthesize with an affinity map. Cluster around needs, behaviors, and blockers. Frame each cluster as an opportunity statement using the structure: “How might we help [persona] accomplish [job] so they can [outcome]?”
4. Prototype what you learned
Draft a sketch, storyboard, or clickable flow that responds to the opportunity statements. Share it in crit with product, engineering, and support to expose blind spots before sprint planning.
5. Close the loop visibly
Send a thank-you note to research participants summarizing how their feedback shaped the next release. Internally, record a three-minute Loom recapping what the team changed because of the insights.
Continuous discovery is less about volume and more about the rhythm of asking, listening, and acting without delay.
Need templates or a partner in the work? Reach out at hello@userfirst.blog and we’ll share our favorite canvas files.