vt-c-pd-1-research¶
User research phase for product design - interviews, personas, and analysis to inform PRD creation.
Plugin: core-standards
Category: Product Design Workflow
Command: /vt-c-pd-1-research
Product Design: User Research¶
Comprehensive user research workflow for the product design conceptual phase. Creates interview scripts, analyzes interviews, builds personas, and designs validation tests.
Workflow Position¶
/vt-c-pd-0-start → /vt-c-pd-1-research → /vt-c-pd-pid → /vt-c-pd-2-prd → /vt-c-pd-3-prototype → ...
│
├── script (before user interviews)
├── analyze (after interviews)
├── persona (synthesize into personas)
└── usability (validate prototype - also in /vt-c-pd-4-validate)
Invocation¶
/vt-c-pd-1-research script # Create interview script
/vt-c-pd-1-research analyze FILE # Analyze interview transcript
/vt-c-pd-1-research persona # Create/update personas from findings
/vt-c-pd-1-research usability # Create usability test plan (also /vt-c-pd-4-validate)
Configuration¶
# Project paths (OneDrive structure)
project_root: "[OneDrive Project Path]"
personas_path: "02-Knowledge/02-Zielgruppen-Personas/"
research_output: "02-Knowledge/04-Dokumente/"
prd_path: "03-PRD/PRD.md"
prototype_path: "04-prototyp/"
Agents Used¶
This skill leverages shared research agents:
- interview-script-writer - Creates semi-structured interview guides
- interview-analyzer - Extracts insights from transcripts
- usability-test-designer - Designs prototype test plans
Iteration Loop Integration¶
Step 0: Check Design State (Before Starting)¶
Before beginning research work, check the design state:
# Load design state
Read: .design-state.yaml
# Check for pending inbox items
if inbox.pending_items exists:
Run: /vt-c-pd-inbox-scan to process first
If this is an iteration (returning to research):
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Iteration Context: pd-1-research
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Returning to research phase (Iteration {n})
Trigger: {trigger from state file}
Reason: {reason from state file}
Previous research version: {artifacts.research.version}
Focus areas:
• {items from iteration trigger}
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Quality Gate: pd-1-research¶
Mark phase as complete when: - [ ] Minimum 5 user interviews completed - [ ] Personas created in 02-Knowledge/02-Zielgruppen-Personas/ - [ ] Key findings documented in 02-Knowledge/04-Dokumente/ - [ ] Research insights validated
Update state file on completion:
quality_gates:
pd-1-research:
passed: true
passed_at: "{timestamp}"
criteria:
personas_defined: true
interviews_completed: 5 # or actual count
key_findings_documented: true
Mode 1: Interview Script Creation¶
Invocation¶
Purpose¶
Create interview guides to validate product assumptions and understand user needs BEFORE writing the PRD.
Execution Instructions¶
Step 1: Gather Research Context¶
Ask user for: - Product concept: What are you building? (1-2 sentences) - Target users: Who will use this? - Key assumptions: What do you believe but haven't validated? - Research goals: What do you want to learn?
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Interview Script Generator - Product Discovery
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Product Concept: [gather from user]
Target Users: [gather from user]
Research Type:
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
1. Discovery - Understand problems and needs (before PRD)
2. Validation - Test specific feature ideas (after PRD draft)
3. Usability - Test prototype (after prototype)
Key Assumptions to Validate:
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
• [Assumption 1]
• [Assumption 2]
• [Assumption 3]
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Step 2: Generate Interview Script¶
Invoke interview-script-writer agent with gathered context.
Output structure: - Consent and setup checklist - Warm-up questions (5 min) - Current state exploration (15 min) - Problem validation (15 min) - Solution exploration (15 min) - Wrap-up (5 min)
Step 3: Save Output¶
Save to: 02-Knowledge/04-Dokumente/interview-script-[date].md
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Interview Script Created
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File: 02-Knowledge/04-Dokumente/interview-script-[date].md
NEXT STEPS
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
1. Schedule 5-8 user interviews
2. Conduct interviews (record with consent)
3. Analyze: /vt-c-pd-1-research analyze [transcript.pdf]
4. Build personas: /vt-c-pd-1-research persona
5. Then: /vt-c-pd-2-prd to create PRD from findings
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Mode 2: Interview Analysis¶
Invocation¶
Purpose¶
Extract insights from interview transcripts to inform PRD creation.
Execution Instructions¶
Step 1: Read Transcript¶
Read provided file (PDF or Markdown). Claude can read PDFs directly.
Step 2: Extract Insights¶
Invoke interview-analyzer agent to extract:
- Key quotes (verbatim with context)
- Pain points identified
- Needs and desires
- Current workflow/solutions
- Feature reactions (if discussed)
- Contradictions between stated and actual behavior
Step 3: Generate Analysis Report¶
# Interview Analysis: [Participant ID]
## Summary
[2-3 sentence summary of key takeaways]
## Key Findings
### Finding 1: [Theme]
**Insight**: [Description]
**Quote**: "[Exact quote]"
**PRD Implication**: [How this affects requirements]
## Pain Points
| Pain Point | Severity | Quote |
|------------|----------|-------|
| [Pain] | High/Med/Low | "[quote]" |
## Unmet Needs
1. **[Need]**: [description]
- Quote: "[supporting quote]"
## Recommendations for PRD
- [ ] [Specific recommendation]
- [ ] [Specific recommendation]
Step 4: Save and Guide Next Steps¶
Save to: 02-Knowledge/04-Dokumente/interview-analysis-[participant]-[date].md
NEXT STEPS
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Interviews analyzed: X of recommended 5-8
After all interviews:
1. Synthesize into personas: /vt-c-pd-1-research persona
2. Create PRD: /vt-c-pd-2-prd
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Mode 3: Persona Creation¶
Invocation¶
Purpose¶
Synthesize interview findings into user personas for the PRD.
Execution Instructions¶
Step 1: Load Interview Analyses¶
Scan 02-Knowledge/04-Dokumente/ for interview analysis files.
Step 2: Identify Patterns¶
Group findings by: - User type/role - Goals and motivations - Pain points - Behaviors - Tech proficiency
Step 3: Generate Persona Documents¶
For each identified user type:
# Persona: [Name]
## Demographics
- **Role**: [Job title/context]
- **Experience**: [Years in role]
- **Tech Proficiency**: [High/Medium/Low]
## Background
[2-3 sentences about typical day/context]
## Goals
1. [Primary goal]
2. [Secondary goal]
3. [Tertiary goal]
## Pain Points
1. [Pain point from interviews]
2. [Pain point from interviews]
## Current Solutions
- [How they solve the problem today]
- [Workarounds and hacks]
## Key Quotes
> "[Quote from interview]"
> "[Another quote]"
## Needs
- [What they need from our product]
- [What would make them successful]
## Success Metrics
- [How they measure success]
- [What "good" looks like to them]
## Interview Sources
- [Interview 1 reference]
- [Interview 2 reference]
Step 4: Save Personas¶
Save to: 02-Knowledge/02-Zielgruppen-Personas/persona-[name].md
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Personas Created
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Personas: [list created]
Location: 02-Knowledge/02-Zielgruppen-Personas/
NEXT STEPS
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Research phase complete! Ready for PRD creation.
Run: /vt-c-pd-2-prd
The PRD will reference these personas and incorporate
the pain points and needs you've identified.
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Mode 4: Usability Test Design¶
Invocation¶
Note¶
This mode is primarily used in /vt-c-pd-4-validate after prototype exists.
Available here for planning ahead or when prototype already exists.
Execution Instructions¶
Invoke usability-test-designer agent to create:
- Task scenarios based on PRD user journeys
- Success metrics for each task
- Moderator script
- Observation template
- Analysis framework
See /vt-c-pd-4-validate for full usability testing workflow.
Research Best Practices¶
Interview Quantity¶
- Minimum: 5 interviews per persona
- Recommended: 8 interviews per persona
- Diminishing returns: After 8-10 interviews
Interview Length¶
- Discovery: 45-60 minutes
- Validation: 30-45 minutes
- Usability: 30-45 minutes
Key Principles¶
- Listen more than talk - Aim for 80/20 split
- Ask "why" repeatedly - Get to root causes
- Watch for behavior vs stated preferences - Actions > words
- Follow unexpected threads - Best insights often unplanned
- Capture exact quotes - Verbatim is more powerful
Common Mistakes to Avoid¶
- Leading questions ("Don't you think...?")
- Asking about future behavior ("Would you...?")
- Showing prototype too early
- Validating your assumptions instead of testing them
- Insufficient probing ("Why?")
Output Files Summary¶
All outputs to 02-Knowledge/:
| Mode | Output Path |
|---|---|
| script | 04-Dokumente/interview-script-[date].md |
| analyze | 04-Dokumente/interview-analysis-[participant]-[date].md |
| persona | 02-Zielgruppen-Personas/persona-[name].md |
| usability | 04-Dokumente/usability-test-plan-[date].md |
Integration with Product Design Workflow¶
/vt-c-pd-0-start ← You created project structure
│
▼
/vt-c-pd-1-research ← YOU ARE HERE
│
│ Outputs:
│ • Interview scripts
│ • Interview analyses
│ • Personas
│
▼
/vt-c-pd-2-prd ← Uses personas and findings to create PRD
│
▼
/vt-c-pd-3-prototype ← Generates prototype from PRD
│
▼
/vt-c-pd-4-validate ← Uses /vt-c-pd-1-research usability for testing
│
▼
/vt-c-pd-6-handoff ← Development handoff
Shared Component Note¶
User research capabilities are available in both workflows:
- Product Design (/vt-c-pd-1-research): Focus on product discovery
- Knowledge Work (/kw-*): Can invoke research agents directly for standalone research projects
The underlying agents (interview-script-writer, interview-analyzer, usability-test-designer) are shared components.