User Research That Reveals Real Insights
Don’t guess what users want. Understand them. We dig into motivations, behaviors, and unmet needs—then turn those insights into design and product strategies that truly work.
What Sets Us Apart
We don’t create personas on guesswork—we surface real patterns rooted in data and dialogue.
Get meaningful research deliverables within weeks—not months—without sacrificing depth.
From early-stage concept validation to scaling a mature product, our insights evolve with you.
How We Approach User Research
Laying the groundwork
- Stakeholder interviews & alignment
- Research framing & hypothesis definition
- Defining metrics & success criteria
Listening to users where they act
- Contextual interviews & ethnography
- Diary studies & longitudinal engagement
- Usability testing & task observations
- Surveys & behavioral analytics
Turning raw data into strategic direction
- Affinity mapping & thematic clustering
- Behavior modeling & user mental models
- Opportunity mapping & gap analysis
- Insight storytelling & evidence-backed recommendations
Confirming hypotheses and refining directions
- Prototype testing & concept validation
- Feedback loops & iterative studies
- Prioritization frameworks & next-step planning
Our Research-Driven Product Process
Building context through research and alignment
- Stakeholder alignment & research brief
- Exploratory interviews & context audits
- Audit of existing metrics & data
- Setting up measurement plans
Learning from real environments and lived experiences
- In-field observation & shadowing
- Diary studies / longitudinal probes
- Survey deployment & analytics deep dive
- Synthesis workshops & pattern discovery
Turning findings into direction and opportunity
- Translating data into core insights
- Behavior maps, user models & personas
- Opportunity zones & feature directions
- Validation with stakeholders & users
Designing, testing, and refining with evidence at every step
- Rapid prototyping & concept testing
- Iteration based on feedback loops
- Handoff with rationale, data & design specs
- Measure impact, track metrics, adapt
Our Case Studies
Improving Merchant Onboarding
Merchants struggled with onboarding, leading to high drop-offs.
In-depth interviews and usability tests revealed friction points in the sign-up flow.
- 35% faster onboarding completion
- 2x increase in successful activations
- 35% faster onboarding completion
Reducing Feature Confusion
Users weren’t adopting advanced AI features.
Conducted field research and task analysis to pinpoint where confusion occurred.
- 50% increase in feature adoption
- 40% drop in support tickets
- 50% increase in feature adoption
Understanding Consultant Needs
Consultants needed advanced workflows, but adoption was lagging.
Diary studies and stakeholder workshops clarified key priorities.
- 60% improvement in time-to-complete tasks
- 90% retention of pilot users
- 60% improvement in time-to-complete tasks
Our tools and methods
Dovetail / AureliusQualitative synthesis
Lookback / UserTestingRemote usability and session recording
Miro / FigJamWorkshops and synthesis
Hotjar / Mixpanel / AmplitudeUser behavior analytics
Airtable / NotionData organization and documentation
- Contextual inquiry and diary studiesUnderstanding real user contexts
- Remote usability testing and prototype studiesValidating designs in action
- Surveys and quantitative validationMeasuring user sentiment and performance
- Affinity mapping and thematic synthesisIdentifying patterns and insights
- A/B testing and experimentationComparing and refining solutions
“Parallel’s depth of research turned vague assumptions into clear user needs. The work they delivered changed how we build product.”
“They felt like part of our team. They ran research, aligned with engineering constraints, and drove decisions grounded in evidence.”
“The insights they gave us made our design choices far less risky. We measured impact and saw real shifts in usage.”
Why Choose Parallel for User Research
Over 10 years working in fintech, AI, healthtech, SaaS—so we understand domain nuance.
We’ve influenced design decisions that touched millions of users and supported large-scale adoption efforts.
We act as research partners—frequent alignment, transparent reporting, direct stakeholder workshops.
Every insight is structured, documented, and reusable. We build frameworks that grow with your team.
We’ve been featured around the world
FAQs
