First principles of user research

When entering unfamiliar territory, it's useful to keep returning to the first principles of User Research:
1/ Start with the assumption that you don't know what users need or how they think. (Epistemic Humility)
2/ What people say often differs from what they do.
3/ Many usage behaviors rely on unspoken, embodied knowledge that users cannot articulate. Research must surface this tacit dimension.
4/ User behaviors are shaped by their environments, tools, social contexts, and constraints - not just by preferences or rational choices.
5/ Research findings are only meaningful to the extent that they represent users' actual contexts, environments, and behaviors. The lab is never the same as the wild.
6/ Users can reliably identify problems they experience but are less reliable at envisioning effective solutions. Their struggles are data; their suggestions are hypotheses.
7/ The models we create of users and their behaviors are always simplifications. The map is not the territory.
8/ Focus research on the zone just beyond what you already know, where uncertainty is highest and learning potential is greatest.
9/ Research can never be comprehensive. Focus on reducing uncertainty in decision-critical areas rather than attempting exhaustive understanding.
10/ Package insights differently for different audiences (designers, engineers, executives) without compromising integrity or nuance.