Why Research Objectives help setting up useful tests

In product work, it’s surprisingly easy to fall into the trap of testing for the sake of testing. You can have tons of data and user feedback, but without clear research objectives, even the most carefully run experiments can miss the point. Research objectives aren’t just a box to tick—they give your team focus, direction, and a way to measure whether what you’re doing actually matters.

Start with the Right Question

Every launch, feature, or update should start with one question: Why are we doing this?

At Farfetch, we ask this constantly. Are we trying to reduce drop-offs on out-of-stock product pages? Are we nudging users toward products they’re most likely to love? Getting this right up front keeps the team from wandering down paths that don’t move the needle.

For a product like ubbu, it might be something like: Are parents actually understanding the value of the subscription? Do they know how it works, and does it make sense for their family? Starting with these questions grounds your testing in real user needs.

Pinpoint What to Test

Once you know your “why,” the next step is deciding what to test. Are we looking at clarity in messaging? Are we testing whether users feel confident and excited? Or are we testing the flow that leads them to sign up?

With clear objectives, you don’t just test for testing’s sake—you focus on what matters. For example, if the goal is to increase subscriptions for ubbu, you might test whether parents can easily see the benefits, understand the family plan, and feel comfortable taking the next step.

Define Success Early

Research objectives also help you define what success looks like. It’s easy to make changes and assume they’re working, but without clear metrics, you can’t really know.

For ubbu, success might be as simple as a parent being able to explain the product in their own words, or completing a subscription without hesitation. Clear success criteria keep the team aligned and help guide decisions along the way.

Why It Matters

Starting with strong research objectives saves time, keeps the team focused, and ensures your efforts are actually solving the right problems. They reduce bias, make it easier to justify decisions, and help everyone understand whether a change is having a real impact.

At the end of the day, research objectives are your anchor. They make sure testing is purposeful, insights are actionable, and the product actually meets user needs.