How to refine your product with scalable UX Research: A guide for startups

Why startups need scalable UX Research

So, you've validated an idea, designed an MVP, and gathered initial user feedback. Now what?

The refine stage isn’t just about getting excited and launching a full-blown product. Before scaling, startups need to test their designs with real users in real-world scenarios. This ensures that you’re making data-driven decisions that improve usability and business impact.

At InsightDash, we specialise in weekly UX research sprints that help startups test, iterate, and scale based on real user insights. Here’s how you can refine your product or service with quantifiable UX research before going all in.

How to create a quantitative UX research hypothesis

A solid quantitative hypothesis helps measure whether changes truly improve user experience. Let’s break it down:

Step 1: Identify your user groups & hypothesis

Define who you are testing and what you want to prove.

Example hypothesis:
"We believe that including contact center information on service error pages will reduce user drop-off and improve journey completion rates."

User groups to consider:

• Users interacting with error pages
• Contact center staff handling related calls

Step 2: Choose the right UX metrics to track

Your hypothesis should be backed by measurable user behavior. If you’re unsure what to track, start by listing the different touchpoints you have with users. Below are some example UX metrics for the hypothesis.

 Example key UX metrics
- Call Volume: Are fewer users calling support after seeing the updated error page?
- Call Types: Are users calling about different issues?
- Time on Call: Are users getting faster resolutions?
- New vs. Returning Customers: Does the change impact first-time vs. repeat users differently?
- Customer Satisfaction: Are users happier with the improved journey?

Step 3: Set a Specific, Measurable Goal

Your goal should be quantifiable and actionable.

Example Goal:
"Increase journey completion rates by 5% within four weeks."

Tracking this in a hypothesis ticket allows teams to assess the impact and refine the experience before fully implementing changes.

UX Research methods for rapid UX Research

Once you’ve defined your hypothesis, the next step is testing and validating through UX research. Here are four effective UX research methods startups can use, and these methods we use day in and day out here at InsightDash.

1. Highlight testing

Identify patterns in content usability by testing it in a survey format. This acts as a manual heat map, highlighting where users struggle with decision-making.

Use Case
Test whether users understand error messages, onboarding instructions, or navigation labels.

2. Card sorting

Understand how users group and categorize information. If users struggle to find key content, this method reveals how they expect information to be structured.

Use Case
If users can’t find your sign-up form, pricing page, or FAQ, card sorting helps reorganize your site navigation for clarity.

3. Ten-Second testing

Users form first impressions in seconds. This method tests whether your key touchpoints communicate the right message instantly.If users are confused, your messaging needs to be clearer before launch.

Use Case
Show your landing page or sign-up flow for 10 seconds, then ask users the following 3 questions.

• What do you think this product/service does?
• What action would you take next?
• What stands out the most?

4. Task analysis

Discover how users naturally complete tasks and where they encounter friction.If users can’t complete key actions smoothly, your startup risks losing customers before they even convert.

Use Case

• Test user flows for sign-up, checkout, or profile setup.
• Identify drop-off points in key journeys.
• Optimize time-to-task completion for better conversion rates.

UX Research is cyclical – Keep testing & iterating

The startup world moves fast. Your users' needs will evolve, and your product must adapt.

• Regularly track UX performance metrics
• Prioritize research in your product roadmap
• Continuously refine based on new data

At InsightDash, we help startups integrate weekly UX research sprints into their process—ensuring your product scales based on real user insights, not guesswork.

Want to test, learn, and iterate quickly? Book a UX research sprint today!

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