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Research Design Template

Most marketing research fails not because the data is bad, but because the project was poorly scoped from the start. This template forces you to connect research objectives to business decisions before you spend a single pound on fieldwork. It covers the full lifecycle: define the decision at stake, choose qualitative vs. quantitative methods, set sample criteria, plan the timeline, and specify how findings will be used.

When to use this framework

  • →You need to commission or conduct primary research (qual or quant)
  • →A stakeholder asks 'can we do some research on this?' and you need to scope it
  • →You're briefing a research agency and need a clear project plan
  • →You want to validate assumptions before a product launch or repositioning
  • →You need to justify research spend with a clear link to business outcomes
Related:Survey Design Framework Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) STP Model (Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning)

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Worked Example

Oatly

1. Business Context & Decision

Start with the decision, not the data. What will change based on what you learn?

What specific decision will this research inform? Be precise — 'should we enter market X' is better than 'understand market X.'

Should Oatly launch a barista-specific product line in the UK, or focus marketing spend on the existing range?

Summarise existing data, previous research, and assumptions. Don't research what you already know.

1. Oatly already has 15% share of plant-milk in UK grocery 2. Baristas are key influencers — word-of-mouth from coffee shops drove early growth in Sweden 3. Internal sales data shows coffee shop accounts growing 40% YoY but we don't know why 4. Competitor Califia Farms launched a barista blend 6 months ago

What specifically do we NOT know that is preventing us from making the decision?

1. What do baristas specifically need from a plant milk (frothing, taste, consistency)? 2. How do baristas currently choose which plant milk to stock? 3. What would make them switch from their current choice to Oatly? 4. Is there a willingness to pay a premium for a barista-optimised product?

2. Research Objectives

One clear statement of what the research must answer. If you can't state this in one sentence, your project is too broad.

To determine whether a barista-optimised Oatly product would drive meaningful trial and switching among UK specialty coffee shop baristas.

Additional questions the research can address without diluting the primary objective.

1. Identify the 3-5 product attributes baristas value most in plant milk 2. Understand the decision-making process for coffee shop plant-milk purchasing 3. Gauge price sensitivity for a premium barista product

3. Methodology

Qualitative (explore, understand 'why'), Quantitative (measure, validate 'how many'), or Mixed Methods?

mixed

What specific technique will you use? In-depth interviews, online survey, diary study, concept test, etc.

Phase 1 (Qual): 12 in-depth interviews with baristas across independent and small-chain coffee shops in London, Manchester, and Bristol. Include observed coffee-making sessions. Phase 2 (Quant): Online survey of 300 UK baristas recruited via coffee industry panels to validate qual findings and measure willingness-to-pay.

Who do you need to talk to / survey? Define the criteria: demographics, behaviours, customer status.

Baristas working in specialty/independent coffee shops or small chains (<50 locations). Must make plant-milk drinks daily. Mix of Oatly users and non-users. UK-based.

How many respondents? Qual: 8-15 per segment. Quant: 200+ for statistical reliability, 400+ for subgroup analysis.

Phase 1: 12 interviews (4 per city). Phase 2: 300 survey respondents (min 150 current Oatly users, 150 non-users).

4. Timeline & Budget

Key milestones: briefing, fieldwork start/end, analysis, debrief presentation.

Week 1-2: Brief agency, finalise discussion guide and survey. Week 3-4: Qual fieldwork (interviews). Week 5: Qual analysis and survey refinement. Week 6-7: Quant fieldwork. Week 8: Analysis. Week 9: Debrief workshop with product and marketing teams.

Total budget including incentives, recruitment, agency fees, tools.

Total: £45,000. Qual interviews: £18,000 (recruitment, incentives, moderator). Quant survey: £15,000 (panel, programming, analysis). Agency management & debrief: £12,000.

How will findings be delivered? Full report, exec summary, workshop debrief, dashboard?

workshop

5. From Findings to Action

Before you start: what results would lead to which decisions? Set these in advance to avoid post-hoc rationalisation.

If 60%+ of baristas say product attributes (frothing, consistency) are a top-3 purchase driver AND willingness-to-pay supports a 15%+ price premium → launch barista line. If product attributes rank below price and brand familiarity → invest in brand marketing for existing range instead.

Who needs to see the results? Who has decision-making authority?

VP Marketing (decision maker), Head of Product Development (formulation), UK Sales Director (channel strategy), CEO (budget approval for new SKU).
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