useidentifying

Useidentifying is a practice in product research and user experience that focuses on determining the real-world contexts in which a product or feature is used. It involves identifying who uses the product, what tasks are performed, where and when use occurs, and what goals users seek to achieve. The goal is to build an evidence-based picture of actual use cases rather than relying solely on assumptions or planned use.

The term appears in contemporary UX and product literature as a descriptive label for methods that bridge quantitative telemetry with qualitative inquiry. It emphasizes understanding diverse contexts, including edge cases, multi-device usage, and variations across user segments, to inform design and strategy.

Methodologically, useidentifying combines data sources such as click streams, event logs, and performance metrics with qualitative inputs from interviews, field studies, and contextual inquiries. Analysts distill these inputs into use cases, scenarios, user journeys, and contextual requirements. The approach supports segmentation by task type, environment, or user role, and often feeds into prioritization, feature design, and roadmap decisions.

Applications of useidentifying include improving feature relevance, reducing unnecessary complexity, guiding accessibility improvements, and informing localization or platform strategy. Benefits include a clearer understanding of user needs, better alignment between product goals and actual usage, and more efficient allocation of development effort. Challenges can involve privacy considerations, data interpretation biases, and the dynamic nature of usage contexts that require ongoing, iterative investigation.

See also: user research, use case analysis, scenario planning, product discovery.