As a vital part of the design process, making user research and testing part of your proposal immediately demonstrates the value your design will add for your client.

Show them that the foundation of great design is understanding their users, and you’ll also get buy-in to do more user testing further down the line.

With an evidence-based approach, it’s much easier to get projects signed off and deliver on time.” - Martin Brady, Senior Experience Designer @ Zengenti

While pretty much every designer understands that user testing is important, not so many start their research at the proposal stage. Since the immediate purpose of a proposal is to win a project, telling the client what they want to hear can seem more appealing than challenging their perspective on the importance of user research.

User research is an integral part of the design process—without it, products and websites aren’t built to address user goals and pain points.