Quantative vs. Qualitative Research and Data: Inspiring Great Design

I read an article recently that touched on the difference in effectiveness of quantitative data versus qualitative data in the overall UX design process. The article can be found here (http://tinyurl.com/62gj87x), for those that want to read it (see point number 6, "Using quantitative data to inform decision-making can be uncomfortable for UX professionals").

In my years of design Web sites, apps, software, and other types of digital experiences, I will say that I'm driven by research to inspire the design process. What do we know about who we are designing for? Who are these users? How do they behave? What is the general contextual environment for use?

But I will also say that the value of quantitative research techniques and data is almost always never that helpful to the design process. For me, as a UX professional, my focus has been much more on qualitative data sets and models, and qualitative research techniques.

Quantitative data sets is never particularly inspirational. Focus groups may deliver useful information on what a group thinks, but not how a single user will behave. For that, please just give me a handful of one-on-one research or participatory design sessions. Sitting with an actual users, in front of a prototype of any kind (hand sketch, full design interactive prototype, anything) is infinitely more helpful to delivering a great UX design than any online survey, focus group, clickstream analysis, or marketing segmentation.

Unfortunately, though, so many clients still distrust research samples that are not "statistically significant". For that data, I look to later-stage design testing (to evaluate and articulate true business effectiveness of the new design).

Quantitative or Qualitative? Definitely Qualitative. Smaller, richer data sets are always more insightful and inspiring to the Experience Design process