Understanding Discourse Analysis in Qualitative Research

In a world overflowing with content and conversations, it’s no longer enough to know what your users are saying, you need to know how and why they’re saying it. Enter discourse analysis. This qualitative research method is less about counting words and more about uncovering the social stories they tell.

Discourse analysis dives into the messy, fascinating business of how language shapes our views, decisions, and behaviour. Whether you’re a UX designer, a marketer, a service designer, or a curious product owner, this guide will give you the tools to start using discourse analysis to make sense of the subtle signals hidden in everyday language.

What is Discourse Analysis?

Discourse analysis looks at how language is used in real-world situations, not just what is said, but how it’s said, who’s saying it, and why. It helps us understand how communication constructs social norms, relationships, and even identities.

It goes beyond the literal meaning of words to explore their context. Why does a user say “I guess it’s okay” instead of “I like it”? That difference is where discourse analysis thrives.

Take, for instance, how brands talk about sustainability. One might use language like “planet-positive choices” while another says “eco-friendly, because it’s cheaper.” Same goal, wildly different social messages, and audience reactions.

A Quick History Lesson (Don’t Worry, It’s Interesting)

Discourse analysis comes from a blend of linguistics, sociology, and anthropology. It’s been shaped by thinkers like Michel Foucault, who explored how language links to power structures, and Mikhail Bakhtin, who saw language as inherently social and full of competing voices.

Foucault’s idea of discourse as something that shapes knowledge and truth is key to critical discourse analysis today. It’s not just about observing; it’s about questioning the status quo.

Types of Discourse Analysis (With Real-World Flavour)

Let’s take a quick tour of the different flavours of discourse analysis:

Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)

Focus: Language and power. Use it when: You want to understand how a tech platform might subtly reinforce gender roles in its ad copy. Example: Analysing how financial apps market “confidence” tools to men and “budgeting” tools to women.

Conversation Analysis

Focus: Everyday talk. Use it when: You want to know how call centre agents and customers co-create meaning. Example: Studying recordings of support calls to see how agents redirect frustration or create empathy.

Narrative Analysis

Focus: Stories and how people construct meaning. Use it when: You’re trying to understand customer journeys through the stories they tell. Example: Mapping out how users narrate their experience of switching from one product to another.

Multimodal Discourse Analysis

Focus: Language plus visuals, gestures, and design. Use it when: You’re looking at things like Instagram posts, brand videos, or interface language. Example: Exploring how a beauty brand uses soft lighting, pastel colours, and words like “glow” to promote a wellness aesthetic.

How to Actually Do It

Step 1: Gather Your Data

Your data could be interviews, forum posts, chatbot transcripts, or even marketing materials. Choose texts that are rich in context.

Step 2: Transcribe Thoughtfully

If your data is spoken, transcribe it. Include hesitations, pauses, and tone shifts; they often carry more weight than words alone.

Step 3: Start Coding

Look for patterns; repeated phrases, metaphors, or shifts in tone. Highlight moments where users sound unsure, excited, or frustrated.

Step 4: Interpret with Care

Ask yourself: What social norms or assumptions are being reinforced here? What identities are being presented or challenged?

For example, if users keep saying, “I had to ask my husband before buying it,” that tells you something more than financial caution; it signals gender dynamics at play.

Why It’s Useful for Product, Design and Marketing

• For UX Designers: Discourse analysis helps you go beyond what users say in usability tests. It reveals emotional cues and deeper meanings.

• For Marketers: It can show you how to write copy that aligns (or disrupts) dominant narratives. Are you empowering or patronising?

• For Product Owners: It provides insight into how users position your product within their lives; not just what they click, but what they feel.

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Case in Point: Analysing Sustainability Talk

Let’s say you’re designing a new zero-waste delivery service. In user interviews, some say, “It’s good for the planet.” Others say, “My friends think it’s cool.”

On the surface, same outcome. But discourse analysis shows one user is driven by ethics, the other by social identity. That’s the kind of nuance that changes how you message your product.

The Role of AI (Friend or Foe?)

AI is now being used to analyse language at scale. Tools like GPT and text mining software can identify word frequency and sentiment, handy for the quantitative side of things. But they can’t pick up sarcasm, context, or power dynamics quite like a human can.

Use them as assistants, not replacements. Let AI spot the patterns,and you, the human, interpret the poetry.

Wrapping Up: Why Discourse Analysis Deserves a Spot in Your Toolkit

Discourse analysis is about more than language. It’s about power, identity, culture, and meaning. It helps you understand how people make sense of the world, and where your product or service fits into that world.

So, next time someone says, “It’s just semantics,” remember: semantics is everything.

Curious to dig deeper into how users really think and speak?

Explore our behaviour design and consumer psychology courses. Learn how to decode the hidden meanings in everyday language, and design with more impact Check out our practical, hands-on interviewing course to take your qualitative research to the next level.