When is the best time to do user research?

Chart of the day: Most user experience (UX) research is conducted during the design and prototyping phase

76% do UX research during the design and prototyping phase, whilst 72% do user research before design and development.

Just over half (52%) also do user research after launching. It isn't recommended to only do testing after launch, though doing user testing at all is better than not doing it at all. It just makes it harder to make changes after launch. It's certainly best to get the feedback early, to make changes early. It might take more time to test before launch and at various stages, but it certainly saves time in the long run. Those surveyed certainly seem to think the same as the vast majority test before launch. Some of those testing after launch will also be testing at other stages before launch too. The important thing to note here is that it's best to launch at various stages and most certainly not just after launch.

And how much resource do companies have, when it comes to UX?

Most companies surveyed have at least 2 people tho work on user experience. A few years ago this would have been much lower, UX is now a key part of marketing and technology teams and is becoming heavily advocated in businesses.

• Source: User Testing.com UX and User Research Industry Report 2017 
• Sample: 2,238 professionals
• Recommend resource: Persona Research Guide