

In interior design, we know that a thoughtfully curated collection of elements creates more impact than a space filled with countless pieces. I’ve discovered the same principle applies to user research at instaroom.ai – our most valuable product insights came from studying just 5-6 carefully selected participants.
Why This Works:
- 5-6 well-chosen participants can uncover ~85% of usability issues (based on Jakob Nielsen’s research)
- Enables deeper, more meaningful conversations
- Leads to faster iteration cycles and product improvements
Key to Success: Pre-screening Process
- Define Clear Criteria
- Identify actual target users
- List must-have characteristics
- Determine clear deal-breakers
- Create Focused Screener
- Keep it brief (5-7 questions)
- Include qualifying questions
- Add behavioral indicators
- Multi-step Recruitment
- Brief initial contact
- Focused screener survey
- Quick qualification call
Benefits We’ve Seen:
- Faster execution and analysis
- More efficient resource utilization
- Higher quality, actionable insights
Remember: The goal isn’t statistical significance – it’s uncovering meaningful insights that guide product development. A small, well-chosen sample can effectively achieve this goal.
What’s been your experience with user research? Have you found success with smaller, more focused studies?
Stay tuned for my next post where I’ll share detailed steps on conducting effective user studies, including lessons learned from our experience at instaroom.ai.