Desk research — is it worth losing time on it?
Sometimes during the creation of a new product or feature, we have very limited time. At this point, we begin to wonder how to optimize work and whether we can safely skip one of the planned stages. In short, we are looking for shortcuts. However, this kind of thinking can be very treacherous. By skipping a stage of research, we lose part of the data that can provide valuable information, thanks to which we can develop better solutions. The same is true for desk research, which is an activity that we should always perform when a new task is before us.
What exactly is desk research?
The definition of desk research includes it as one of the secondary research methods, during which data and information are analyzed and processed that already come from existing sources. After collecting this data, conclusions are formulated. In the next paragraphs, I will describe what good desk research is.
Why is desk research so important?
By gaining knowledge about the market, competition, and to some extent solutions, we can look at the problem we need to solve much more broadly. As a result, a broader perspective allows us to define much more comprehensive solutions.
What does good desk research mean?
It is work that involves collecting and gathering data about the problem we want to solve, which is related to the product. What elements are we looking for in the market to conduct research? All kinds of reports, information, blog posts, or even books. When it comes to books, it’s not necessary to read the entire text — it’s worth focusing on the sections dealing with a similar problem. Next, we analyze the competition and companies that already operate in the given market, and then we wonder whether their products will be in the categories of the product we want to create or design.
Great, but what to do with this data?
Nothing could be simpler: we systematize the collected data and then try to arrange it in such a way that we can conclude it. Next, we categorize the information. Writing a script for the analysis, and creating a plan of action is very important. We analyze the market and competition, then we look for selected products and take them under a microscope (the same is true for user feedback, ratings, and opinions). We analyze in detail what a given company provides in the given market, whether it is in the categories of the product we are currently dealing with or not.
Desk research conducted in this way allows for conscious designing and proper modeling of the entire product, because thanks to it, we can create and shape the product even at the very beginning of its creation. Desk research helps at every stage of creation — both when products are at an advanced stage and in their very embryonic stages. It is therefore an essential stage that broadens our knowledge in many aspects because it is about trends, competition, users, opinions, and those goals that can be achieved in the product. Applying it before starting work on the solution, even before qualitative IDI research, allows for building a broad view of many markets and many industries.
