Design Research Field Guide: Methods,

Maps, and Worksheets

Practical Class Notes & Templates for Product, UX, and Service Design

Abstract / Summary (for search)

A comprehensive, classroom-ready field guide to design research. Covers method selection,
primary/secondary research techniques, interview and usability testing guides, synthesis
and mapping tools (KJ/Affinity, Jobs To Be Done, How Might We), journey maps,
stakeholder maps, service blueprints, and evaluation metrics. Includes printable
worksheets, checklists, consent and scripts, and a week-by-week project plan.

Keywords
Design research; UX; Service design; Affinity mapping; JTBD; Journey map; Service
blueprint; Usability testing; Evaluation metrics; Templates; Worksheets

Edition
Version 1.0 — September 2025

Table of Contents
1. Principles & Mindset

2. Choosing a Method (Decision Matrix)

3. Primary Research Methods

3.1 Semi-Structured Interviews

3.2 Contextual Inquiry / Shadowing

3.3 Diary Studies & Cultural Probes

3.4 Survey Design Basics

4. Secondary Research & Landscape Scans

5. Synthesis Tools

5.1 KJ / Affinity Mapping

5.2 Jobs To Be Done (JTBD)

 5.3 Problem Statements & HMW

6. Maps & Blueprints

6.1 Stakeholder Maps

6.2 Journey Mapping

6.3 Service Blueprints

7. Prototyping & Test Planning

8. Evaluation Metrics & Analysis

9. Ethics, Consent & Data Hygiene

10. Project Plan (Week-by-Week)

Appendix A: Interview Guide Worksheet

Appendix B: Usability Test Plan Template

Appendix C: Journey Map Worksheet

Appendix D: Service Blueprint Worksheet

Appendix E: Research Log & Coding Sheet

Appendix F: RACI & Risk Register Templates

Glossary

1. Principles & Mindset

Design research reduces uncertainty so teams can make better decisions faster. It
complements creativity with evidence. Adopt a posture of curiosity, humility, and iteration.
Bias for action: learn by building and testing. Use mixed methods and triangulate findings
rather than treating any single method as truth.

Core principles:

 Start with people and context; end with systems and consequences.
 Make assumptions explicit; turn them into testable hypotheses.
 Prefer lightweight, repeatable methods over one-off hero studies.
 Synthesize continuously; insights age quickly.
 Ethics and inclusion are not optional—they shape data quality and impact.
2. Choosing a Method (Decision Matrix)
Use this matrix to match questions to methods and plan scope.

Question Type Best-fit Sample Size Timeframe Deliverables

Methods

Who are users Stakeholder 8–15 1–2 weeks Personas

& contexts? map, field (evidence-base
visits, d), context
interviews notes

What problems Contextual 6–12 2–3 weeks Problem

exist? inquiry, diary statements,
study, JTBD
jobs-to-be-done statements

Does concept Concept testing, 5–8/iteration 1 Usability issues,

solve it? think-aloud, week/iteration desirability
prototype tests signals

How Secondary N/A 1–2 weeks Landscape

competitive is research, scan, heuristics
the space? heuristic eval, scorecard
comparative
tests

How to scale Journey map, Cross-functiona 2–4 weeks Blueprint, KPI

service? service l framework
blueprint, pilot

Tip: small, frequent studies compound insight faster than rare, expensive ones.

3. Primary Research Methods

3.1 Semi-Structured Interviews

Purpose: uncover goals, constraints, language, and mental models.

Steps:

1. Write 4–6 research questions → derive 10–12 open prompts.

2. Recruit varied participants (include edge cases).
3. Warm-up → recent experience → deep dives → wrap-up.
4. Record (with consent) and take timestamped notes.
5. Immediate debrief: list surprises, contradictions, quotes.
Do/Don’t:

 Do probe with “Can you tell me more?”

 Do ask for concrete, recent examples.
 Don’t ask leading questions or hypothetical futures (“Would you pay…?”).
 Don’t correct participants; study their model.

3.2 Contextual Inquiry / Shadowing

Observe real tasks in situ to capture workflows, artifacts, and constraints.

Checklist:

 Define tasks and triggers to observe.

 Minimize observer effect; ask participants to ‘think aloud’.
 Capture photos of artifacts (with permission).
 Map handoffs, bottlenecks, and workarounds.

3.3 Diary Studies & Cultural Probes

Collect longitudinal data about habits, moods, and context variability.

Design choices: cadence, prompts, incentives, exit interview.

3.4 Survey Design Basics

Use only after you know the language of the domain. Avoid double-barreled and leading
questions.

 Pilot test; remove ambiguous items.

 One idea per item; 5–7 point scales.
 Include attention checks and optional free-text.

4. Secondary Research & Landscape Scans

Synthesize credible sources: standards, academic literature, market reports, public datasets,
competitor materials. Extract claims, evidence, and implications; track provenance and
dates. Aim for triangulation over single-source certainty.

5. Synthesis Tools

5.1 KJ / Affinity Mapping

Turn raw notes into themes:

6. Decompose notes into atomic statements (one per sticky).

7. Silent grouping by similarity; name clusters with short nouns.
8. Surface tensions and exceptions; capture ‘insight statements’.
9. Trace each insight back to sources (maintain a chain of evidence).
5.2 Jobs To Be Done (JTBD)
Format: “When [situation], I want to [motivation], so I can [expected outcome].”

Example: When starting night cycling on a new route, I want quick hazard visibility, so I can
ride safely without stopping.

Anti-patterns: personas as stereotypes; goals phrased as solutions.

5.3 Problem Statements & How-Might-We

Problem Statement Template: ‘[User] struggles to [task] because [constraint], leading to
[impact].’

HMW prompts pivot from constraints to possibilities without implying solutions.

6. Maps & Blueprints

6.1 Stakeholder Maps

Steps: list actors, flows (info/material/value), incentives, conflicts, and power relations.

6.2 Journey Mapping

Structure: phases → actions → touchpoints → emotions → pain points → opportunities.

Phase Actions Touchpoints Emotions Pain Points Opportunitie

s

Phase 1 Key steps… App, Web, High/Low Breakdowns Ideas /

Offline… moments… … HMW…

Phase 2 Key steps… App, Web, High/Low Breakdowns Ideas /

Offline… moments… … HMW…

Phase 3 Key steps… App, Web, High/Low Breakdowns Ideas /

Offline… moments… … HMW…

6.3 Service Blueprints

Add backstage systems and support processes to the journey to reveal dependencies and
failure modes.

Customer Frontstage Backstage Support Evidence / KPIs

Actions (Visible) (Invisible) Processes

Browse → Screens, staff Order routing, Logistics, alerts Wait time, error
Select → Pay inventory rate

Browse → Screens, staff Order routing, Logistics, alerts Wait time, error
Select → Pay inventory rate

Browse → Screens, staff Order routing, Logistics, alerts Wait time, error
Select → Pay inventory rate

7. Prototyping & Test Planning

Prototype to learn, not to impress. Choose fidelity that answers the next question the
cheapest.

Usability Test Plan Checklist:

 Objective & hypotheses

 Participant criteria & recruitment
 Tasks (realistic, independent)
 Success criteria & metrics
 Environment & apparatus
 Moderator script & timing
 Risks & contingencies

8. Evaluation Metrics & Analysis

Core task metrics:

 Task success rate = completed tasks / total tasks

 Time on task (median; outlier-robust)
 Error rate (critical vs. non-critical)
 Post-task confidence (Likert)
 System Usability Scale (SUS) score (0–100)

Severity Definition

0 – Cosmetic No impact on task; purely aesthetic.

1 – Minor Slows some users; workaround exists.

2 – Major Blocks many users; risky workaround.

3 – Critical Blocks completion; no safe workaround.

9. Ethics, Consent & Data Hygiene

Respect participants and protect data. Obtain informed consent, minimize personal data,
and store securely. Avoid dark patterns in studies. Consider accessibility from recruitment
to reporting.
Sample Consent Script:

“This session is voluntary. You may skip questions or stop at any time. With your
permission, we’ll record audio/video to analyze how the product works for you. Recordings
are stored securely and used only for research. Do you consent?”

10. Project Plan (Week-by-Week)

Week Focus Activities Outputs

1 Scope & Risks Questions, Research plan, risk

assumptions, log
stakeholder map

2–3 Primary Research Interviews, field Notes, recordings,

visits, diary setup raw insights

4 Synthesis KJ mapping, JTBD, Insight deck,

problem statements opportunity areas

5 Concepts HMW ideation, Concept sketches,

quick protos testable hypotheses

6 Testing Usability tests, Issue list with

metrics collection severities

7 Service Design Journey map, Blueprint v1, KPI

service blueprint targets

8 Pilot & Handover Roadmap, owner Pilot plan, decision

RACI, risks log

Appendix A: Interview Guide Worksheet

Research goals:

Participants & criteria:

Opening prompts:

Core prompts:

Wrap-up & thank-you:

Appendix B: Usability Test Plan Template

Prototype / Version:
Participant profile:

Tasks (success criteria):

Metrics to collect:

Moderator script:

Appendix C: Journey Map Worksheet

Persona / Segment:

Phases and goals:

Touchpoints & channels:

Pain points & opportunities:

Appendix D: Service Blueprint Worksheet

Customer actions:

Frontstage:

Backstage:

Support processes:

Evidence / KPIs:

Appendix E: Research Log & Coding Sheet

ID Timestamp Quote / Code Source
Observation

6
Appendix F: RACI & Risk Register Templates
RACI Matrix:

Task R (Responsible) A C (Consulted) I (Informed)

(Accountable)

Recruitment

Fieldwork

Synthesis

Prototyping

Testing

Blueprinting

Risk Register:

Risk Impact Likelihood Mitigation

Glossary
Affinity Mapping: Clustering qualitative data into themes to generate insights.

Blueprint: A service map showing frontstage, backstage, and support layers.

Contextual Inquiry: Observing users in their environment to understand tasks and

constraints.

HMW (How Might We): Framing opportunities as questions to spark ideation.

JTBD: Jobs To Be Done: a model describing the underlying progress users seek.

KPI: Key Performance Indicator used to track outcomes.

SUS: System Usability Scale—10-item questionnaire yielding a 0–100 usability score.