Analysis is necessary even in the discovery phase of your research. UX practitioners are humans too, and some things can slip away from their memory if not logged down. Taking notes, reviewing records, and jotting down first impressions while they're still fresh in memory help researchers remember and retain critical thoughts or ideas.

Write down the words participants choose, their facial expressions, body language, and overall behavior — everything is important to get a deep understanding of their rationales, feelings, and needs.

UX researchers usually conduct more than one session, so analyzing data immediately after each session prevents it from blending together. Team discussions after each session can help look at the process from different angles and spot inconsistencies and questions that don't work.

Analyzing data in the discovery phase can save you a ton of time and resources before you work on the final analysis. In the long run, it helps you identify users' pain points and needs and create better products.^[1]