Many designers I've managed think research only means "talking to users."

So wrong.

There are so many ways to do research that doesn't involve talking to a user. Most of the time it's not even the first place to start.

Usage data is a go-to if you have it. There's also product data (the data is stored for your customers), domain research (learning about the domain you're serving), competitive analysis (what your competitors have built, and so much more.

User interviews are usually the least efficient method to collect data.

Research isn't only about the user interview -- it's one set of data points you can collect about an experience. Collect them all to get a 360 view.

I did a presentation at this at @theiaconf last year. Reach out to me for the deck.

Also, this thread has been cross-posted on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6691074876930977792/