UR
Co-discovery Sessions
A practical research method for understanding collaboration, shared reasoning, and how people make sense of things together.
How to use co-discovery sessions to observe collaborative behaviour, richer verbalisation, and how shared understanding develops in real time.
Quick take
If you want to see how people figure things out together, not alone, run co-discovery sessions.
Related Services
What it is
Co-glossaryDiscoveryDiscovery is the phase of understanding problems, users, and opportunities before building solutions.Open glossary term glossarySessionA session is a single period of user interaction with a product, from entry to exit within a defined timeframe.Open glossary term are a qualitative UX serviceUser ResearchUnderstand user behaviour, validate ideas, and make clearer product decisions with evidence you can act on.Open service method where two participants work through tasks together while thinking aloud and discussing what they are doing.
They are often used in guideUsability TestingObserving users complete tasks to identify usability issues, friction, and barriers to success.Open guide and exploratory serviceUser ResearchUnderstand user behaviour, validate ideas, and make clearer product decisions with evidence you can act on.Open service to observe how people collaborate, explain decisions, and react in real time.
Unlike individual glossarySessionA session is a single period of user interaction with a product, from entry to exit within a defined timeframe.Open glossary term, co-glossaryDiscoveryDiscovery is the phase of understanding problems, users, and opportunities before building solutions.Open glossary term introduces social glossaryInteractionInteraction refers to any action a user takes within a product and how the system responds. It includes clicks, taps, gestures, and inputs that drive the user experience.Open glossary term. Participants naturally question, challenge, and explain things to each other.
The goal is to uncover glossaryBehaviourBehaviour refers to how users interact with a system, including actions, patterns, and responses.Open glossary term, reasoning, and shared understanding through conversation and collaboration.
Co-discovery sessions are useful when the interaction between people tells you as much as the task itself.
When to use it
Use this method when collaboration or shared understanding is part of the experience.
It is most useful when:
It is less useful when:
Co-discovery sessions are often used alongside usability testing and interviews to provide both behaviour and reasoning.
Key takeaway
Use co-discovery when collaboration itself is part of the behaviour you want to understand.
How to run it
Set up properly.
Before you start, be clear on what tasks participants will complete, whether participants should know each other, and how collaboration fits into the glossaryContextThe surrounding conditions that shape behaviour and decisions.Open glossary term.
Choose participants who are comfortable interacting. This affects the quality of the glossarySessionA session is a single period of user interaction with a product, from entry to exit within a defined timeframe.Open glossary term.
Run the method.
Co-glossaryDiscoveryDiscovery is the phase of understanding problems, users, and opportunities before building solutions.Open glossary term glossarySessionA session is a single period of user interaction with a product, from entry to exit within a defined timeframe.Open glossary term should feel natural and collaborative.
Introduce the task and set expectations. Encourage participants to talk to each other, not just the moderator. Let them work through tasks together. Observe how they explain, question, and decide. Intervene only when needed to keep things on track.
Avoid over-structuring. The glossaryInteractionInteraction refers to any action a user takes within a product and how the system responds. It includes clicks, taps, gestures, and inputs that drive the user experience.Open glossary term is where the value lies.
Capture and make sense of it.
The value comes from both glossaryBehaviourBehaviour refers to how users interact with a system, including actions, patterns, and responses.Open glossary term and conversation.
Look across glossarySessionA session is a single period of user interaction with a product, from entry to exit within a defined timeframe.Open glossary term to identify how participants explain concepts, where confusion or disagreement occurs, shared glossaryMental ModelA mental model is the way users understand how a system works based on their past experiences and expectations. It shapes how they predict interactions and outcomes.Open glossary term or misunderstandings, and glossaryPatternA reusable solution to a common design problem.Open glossary term in decision-making.
Pay attention to both what they do and what they say to each other.
What to look for
Focus on:
Where it goes wrong
Most issues come from:
If the glossarySessionA session is a single period of user interaction with a product, from entry to exit within a defined timeframe.Open glossary term feels controlled, you lose the natural dynamic.
What you get from it
Done properly, this method gives you:
Key takeaway
It helps you see how understanding is formed, not just what people do.
Get in touch
If this sounds like something you need, we can help you understand how people think, decide, and work together.
No guesswork. No assumptions. Just clear glossaryInsightAn insight is a meaningful understanding that explains why something is happening and what it means.Open glossary term you can act on.
FAQ
Common questions
A few practical answers to the questions that usually come up around this method.
What are co-discovery sessions in UX?
Co-glossaryDiscoveryDiscovery is the phase of understanding problems, users, and opportunities before building solutions.Open glossary term glossarySessionA session is a single period of user interaction with a product, from entry to exit within a defined timeframe.Open glossary term are a serviceUser ResearchUnderstand user behaviour, validate ideas, and make clearer product decisions with evidence you can act on.Open service method where two participants complete tasks together while discussing their actions and decisions.
When should you use co-discovery sessions?
Use them when collaboration is natural or when you want more verbal glossaryInsightAn insight is a meaningful understanding that explains why something is happening and what it means.Open glossary term than individual glossarySessionA session is a single period of user interaction with a product, from entry to exit within a defined timeframe.Open glossary term provide.
What is the difference between co-discovery and usability testing?
Co-glossaryDiscoveryDiscovery is the phase of understanding problems, users, and opportunities before building solutions.Open glossary term involves two participants working together, while guideUsability TestingObserving users complete tasks to identify usability issues, friction, and barriers to success.Open guide typically involves one participant working alone.
Should participants know each other?
It depends. Familiar participants may collaborate more naturally, but unfamiliar pairs can reveal different glossaryBehaviourBehaviour refers to how users interact with a system, including actions, patterns, and responses.Open glossary term.
Are co-discovery sessions better than individual sessions?
They provide different glossaryInsightAn insight is a meaningful understanding that explains why something is happening and what it means.Open glossary term. Co-glossaryDiscoveryDiscovery is the phase of understanding problems, users, and opportunities before building solutions.Open glossary term reveals glossaryInteractionInteraction refers to any action a user takes within a product and how the system responds. It includes clicks, taps, gestures, and inputs that drive the user experience.Open glossary term and discussion, while individual sessions show independent behaviour.