The best products fall in love with the problem, not the solution.
Editorial insight
Hey, you came back! We are so glad you are here.
In the first edition, the numbers told us something important. Many of you opened the email, some of you more than once, but only a small group clicked. That means you are willing to give us attention and that we need to earn your action with sharper, more practical value.
So now it’s time to move from introductions to work. This edition is where we start showing what that looks like in practice.
When we say “you need to stop guessing and start observing,” we are not talking about slogans. This is the shift we have been making since early 2025. We have done UX research for years, but at some point this year we realised that it could not stay in the shadows. It had to become more visible and part of our business foundation.
That is why, instead of talking about UX research in abstract terms, we want to show what happens when it is treated as part of the product infrastructure. Not a workshop. Not a one month phase. A quiet engine that keeps decisions honest.
A few months ago, we wrote on our blog that UX research is more than understanding users. It is about uncovering insights that shape business strategy, guide innovation and lead to better digital products.
This edition is that idea in real life. It is about the gap between what we think we are building and what people are really trying to do, and how a small, steady investment in research can keep that gap small enough that your product can still win.
Value piece
UX research is not a phase, and here is why
When product teams skip research, they are not saving time. They are choosing to place bigger bets with less backup data. The cost shows up later, in the form of unwanted features, rework for engineering, and roadmaps that drift away from what users need.
The data is clear. Teams that integrate UX research across the product lifecycle often reduce development time by 20 to 30%.
You can see this in a simple example. In a recent project, the founders chose to start with user interviews instead of a feature list. A few weeks of talking to real people were enough to expose what really mattered and point the team in the right direction.
The interesting part is not that research surfaced insights. It is what allowed the team to stop doing. They stopped arguing based on opinions. They stopped prioritising features that sounded good in a pitch deck but did not match real behaviour. They stopped briefing engineering on vague ideas just to see what would happen. Research did not slow the project down; it prevented months of slow, invisible waste.
If you are thinking about where to start, one simple lens helps. Ask yourself three questions:
What important decision can we make when we are mostly playing a guessing game about our users?
Which business outcome is at stake with that decision: revenue, retention, or risk?
What is the smallest research step we could run this week to learn before we commit?
The overlap of those three is usually where a small research loop pays for itself quickly.
Whether you are shaping a first release or iterating on a mature product, the pattern is the same. The teams that win are the ones who reduce how much they need to guess at all. UX research is simply the discipline of doing that on purpose.
Most importantly, just remember: you are not the user.
Untile Picks & Trends Radar
Here are a few things our team shared lately, and we think they’re worth your time:
Two pieces from our team if you want to go deeper into this theme: one on UX research as a business engine and another on the human AI hybrid in research.
Do you feel like everything looks the same in 2025? We do too. This article, shared by our Product Manager, digs into why so many products end up looking identical.
This podcast episode is from 2024, but it could have been recorded yesterday. If you only listen to one thing this week about building products with real discovery, make it this one.
📝 And hey, do not forget:
You can always share links, articles or your own insights with us.
→ Just reply to this email and we will read everything, and maybe feature a few in the next edition.
Use Cases & Case Studies
How talking to users gave us a clear vision for this MVP
By starting with user interviews instead of a feature list, the team turned a broad idea into a clear, focused MVP. A few weeks of conversations with real people were enough to surface the main pains, cut nice-to-have features, and define what actually needed to be in version one.
That research helped:
Shape the experience around the key needs we heard repeatedly
Reduce development effort by concentrating on a very narrow first scope
Build a product strategy that respects real daily routines and home setups
If you want to see how this played out in practice, you should check the full case study.
📝 You may also like:
If your world is closer to websites, the MODAPORTUGAL website shows how usability testing on wireframes helped refine navigation and prevent engineering rework.
Inside Untile
A lot is happening on our side. Here are a few highlights just for you:
Final 2025 edition of Open Days by Untile: 2025 is coming to an end, and so are this year’s Open Days by Untile. Next week, we will dig into what it really means to build teams that stay human first while working with AI every day. If you are interested, you can register here.
Viana do Castelo Tech Day, literally on the way up: In early November, we joined Viana do Castelo Tech Day as partners. We had an elevator pitch, a workshop, and a talk on the decentralisation of the tech scene beyond the usual hubs. Check the recap on LinkedIn.
This might be your sign: If you have been thinking about joining a product team, this is your friendly nudge to check our open roles. See what we are hiring for.
From the team
“In the meantime, do not forget that UX research drives action when it’s accessible, connected and influential. Remember to shift your mindset towards the problem, not the solution.”
Till next month!
If you made it this far, thank you for staying with us.
If something in this edition made you think of a decision where you might be guessing about users, we would genuinely love to hear about it.
Reply to this email with the one product decision you are most unsure about right now. We read every reply and, when it makes sense, we share how we would approach it from a UX research perspective.
Or, if you prefer to explore quietly, you can click below to see how we work with teams through UX research.
We will be here when you are ready. 👀