(Book Review) Just Enough Research, 2nd Edition

Overview

Review Published: October, 2019.

From author, consultant, and co-founder of Mule Design Studio Erika Hall comes a comprehensive introduction and overview of design research.

From how design research serves a critical role in identifying opportunities, to specific research strategies and techniques used throughout the design process, this book serves as an essential guide for any member of a UX project team to get the most out of their efforts.

Rating:

5 / 5

(Central Idea Quality, Presentation Quality)

What does this score mean?

Difficulty:

Beginner (Incredible Content, Presentation is Engaging).

Length:

196 pages.

Where to Buy It:

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What's Good

Very comprehensive; from the way UX research underpins successful product initiatives, to specific strategies and tools for the various types of research presented, this book provides a great overview (along with a surprising amount of detail) for anyone looking to get an introduction to this important field.
Lots of resources & further reading; naturally, the author can’t dive all the way into every aspect of UX research, but when this happens resources are always provided for the reader to learn more.
Conversational tone makes content accessible; the author takes varied and sometimes complex subject matter, and makes it digestible by focusing on the essentials with humour and candour.

What Can Be Improved

N/A .

The Bottom Line

A “must have" resource; this is for anyone interested in making better design decisions by leveraging UX research techniques to understand and serve their users more effectively.
For any member of a product team that wants to make better stuff; anyone involved in a user-centred design process (or looking to shift towards one) should be reading this book and taking notes (i.e. researchers, designers, project managers, project owners, etc.).
Even more value in a small package; for a modest cost of $15- $24 (for eBook and print copies respectively) this book provides a massive amount of knowledge that is accessible to anyone willing to take the time to read it, and the 2nd edition is a welcome update to an already wonderful book.