Qualitative research overview

What is qualitative research?

Qualitative research focuses on exploring concepts, understanding experiences, and uncovering patterns in data that are often not quantifiable. It typically uses methods such as interviews, focus groups, usability sessions, concept testing sessions, and observations.

They can be customer-facing interviews or interviews with your internal team.

  • Customer interviews
  • Stakeholder interviews
  • Prototype testing
  • A/B testing
  • Moderated interviews
  • Open-ended questions


Qualitative research allows you to gain deep insights into people’s experiences, thoughts, behaviors, emotions and underlying motivations. Unlike quantitative research, which focuses on numerical data and statistical analysis, qualitative research delves into the "why" and "how".

For example, while a survey might tell you that 70% of users are satisfied with a product, qualitative research lets you dig deeper to reveal the specific aspects of the experience that contribute to or detract from user satisfaction. When done well, qualitative research is an important source of insight for you and your team, allowing you to create better products and services for your users.