Setting clear research goals and objectives is like having a reliable compass for your user research journey—it keeps you on course and ensures your findings are both relevant and actionable.

Kick off by pinpointing the specific problem or opportunity you aim to explore through research. From there, articulate your research goals as clear and broad statements that outline what you're trying to discover. Say you're researching a mobile app; a worthwhile goal might be to unearth the five features users would most love to see in such an app.

During the discovery phase—before your product hits the market—your spotlight is often on validating solutions conjured up in workshops. In this stage, we usually blend user interviews with usability tests to check if our shiny new concept resonates with the target audience.

And don't forget, your research goals should be in perfect harmony with your overall project objectives. This ensures that your research findings don't just collect dust but actually contribute to developing a product or service that’s useful and appealing to your users.