Generative vs. Evaluative Research: Define Problems vs. Judge Solutions
Generative research defines problems by asking, "What should we build?" Evaluative research judges solutions by asking, "Did we build it right?" The footgun is using evaluative methods for discovery, which just optimizes a solution for a problem nobody has.
Generative research is discovery, asking "What should we build?" to understand user needs and define new problems. Evaluative research is judgment, asking "Did we build it right?" to assess a specific solution's success. Use generative methods like interviews for early innovation, and evaluative methods like usability tests to refine later. The biggest footgun is using evaluative methods to explore a problem space, which risks perfecting a solution for a problem that may not even exist.
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