People in different parts of the globe hope to have a more “normal” world in 2022. But due to the latest developments in the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems like things will remain far from what everyone is used to. The pandemic drastically changed the way the world works that even digital environments were not spared. It also paved the way to speed up today’s digital transformation. Even UX research is no longer done the way it used to due to the need to curb the spread of the virus.
While in-person and in-home user research methods are put on hold at the moment, researchers were able to find ways to continue doing their jobs to come up with the best user experience. In 2022, these UX research trends are likely to dominate the digital marketing industry in Singapore and all parts of the world.
Renewed Attention to Privacy 
Safety and privacy are already considered crucial user experience research factors during the pre-pandemic days. But due to the growing demands of online activities, brands are starting to develop more comprehensive privacy statements. Therefore, researchers must ensure that respondents in their surveys and other research methods will take their time to read and understand terms and conditions and research mechanics and objectives, especially items related to security and privacy policies.
Since data breaches and privacy issues continue to proliferate due to cybersecurity attacks, you can expect to see brands conducting more research about their customers’ privacy concerns. It can significantly improve the customers’ user experience by ensuring that your company puts enough focus on the security measures of your products and services to earn the trust of your customers.
Developing User Connection Through Diary Studies
Researchers managed to refine and master their remote research methods since the beginning of the pandemic. It is different from exploratory research, which requires using in-person methods to allow researchers to understand the experiences of the participants in context. But since COVID-19 cases continue to rise sporadically in Singapore and worldwide, using diary studies can help connect better with the participants.
Diary studies are primarily used during the early stages of product development. It aims to help researchers know more about their target customers by having them record their experiences concerning a specific topic. It is also used to evaluate whether your customers use your products according to their purpose.
More Focus on Gen Z Respondents
The Gen Z generation is rapidly growing. The people who belong to this generation were born between 1997 to 2012. They are the next in line after the millennials.
Studies claim that Gen Z will be the next most significant group of consumers. While the youngest members of this group may still be in primary school, the older ones have entered the workforce after finishing their studies. It is why brands must have a deeper understanding of this Internet- and social media-driven generation if they want to tap into this market. Gen Z members are the first generation of digital natives, which means they are more welcoming of digital trends and readily adopt digital platforms.
Improved Accessibility
Plenty of industries consider accessibility as one of the critical issues they need to deal with in the past couple of years, which includes constantly under-represented user groups. Even the user experience consulting service providers also need to address this problem, as organisations try to adjust UX quality for mobile-first strategies.
Your company may consider using market research focus groups to create favorable marketing strategies for this sector. There are many new methods of recruiting and inviting talent through digital means, and also new and secure channels to transmit data from tests and surveys. Fortunately, researchers are now coming up with more ways to make research techniques more comfortable for every participant, such as the visually impaired, in 2022 and beyond. User-centric systems will always include accessibility options for people normal people and those with disabilities.
Building Stronger Trust with the Public
One of the most advanced novel developments of late is using highly-analytical artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to conduct research by various means. But tech giants faced public scrutiny in 2021 for using the latest devices and technology to do their research.
Thorough user research can allow you to address trust and transparency issues for every industry. You need to make your users feel at ease about how their essential data are extracted and used to help your company understand how to serve them better.
Conclusion:
Innovations in user research can improve the industry in 2022 and beyond. You only need to find a service provider to help you conduct appropriate research to benefit your product, services, or brand for the rest of the year.
One such service provider of excellent services for user experience, Singapore based company USER Experience Researchers, offers high-quality research expertise in digital marketing and user research. We understand your need to keep up with the trends in UX research, application design, and more. Send us a message at https://www.user.com.sg/contact to know more about our services.
