User research is not asking people what they want. It's understanding what people try to do, how they try to do it, and how you can help them reach their goals.
"Asking people" is a method. It's not always a good one because what people think and what they will say are different. Often, users lack the mental model to know what the best way to achieve their end goal is.
Asking questions is most helpful when you've already observed the user, to unearth motivations and understand their understanding of the present system state. Don't put the burden of defining future state on the user.
