projects.
about.
I am a User Research Consultant with over 18 years of experience in product and service design. Optimisation and humanising technology based on user research and analytical insight. I combine User Research and User Experience disciplines that compliments both sides of the human brain to deliver functional and emotional satisfaction. I am extremely passionate about people and channel this passion when representing the users and when working with my clients.
I am based in York and available for freelance and contract work across the UK. I provide a full User Research and User Experience Design consultancy service and I’m happy to work in house or remotely.
approach.
I conduct research for all stages of the product development process: from “blue sky,” open explorations in the discover phase to validation oriented research in the deliver phase
My preferred approach is following a Design Thinking methodology:
"Design thinking is a human-centered approach to innovation that draws from the needs of people, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements for business success"
—TIM BROWN, EXECUTIVE CHAIR OF IDEO
Thinking like a designer can transform the way organizations develop products, services, processes, and strategy. This approach, which is known as design thinking, brings together what is desirable from a human point of view with what is technologically feasible and economically viable. It also allows people who aren't trained as designers to use creative tools to address a vast range of challenges.
To think like a designer requires dreaming up wild ideas, taking time to tinker and test, and being willing to fail early and often. The designer's mindset embraces empathy, optimism, iteration, creativity, and ambiguity. And most critically, design thinking keeps people at the center of every process.
There’s no single definition for design thinking. It’s an idea, a strategy, a method, and a way of seeing the world. It’s grown beyond the confines of any individual person, organization or website. And as it matures, its history deepens and its impact evolves. For me, design thinking is a way to solve problems through creativity. Certainly, it isn’t a fail-safe approach; nor is it the only approach. But based on the impact I am seeing in my work, the relevance of design thinking has never been greater.
A human-centred designer knows that as long as you stay focused on the people you're designing for—and listen to them directly—you can arrive at optimal solutions that meet their needs.
some of the methods I use.
I utilise a broad toolkit of UX research methods. I select the appropriate method based on stakeholder input and the research questions we are trying to answer. way to approach
the research.
selecting methods.
To help in selecting the best research method, my team has created this deck of UX method cards. We often use these cards in kickoff meetings with stakeholders to decide the best way to approach the research.
Digital abilities
A ranking of a person's skill, access, and attitude to using software applications, the internet and social media on digital devices (desktop, laptop, and mobile).
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Users select category that suits their skill
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Includes people of all digital abilites
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Considers all user types
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Feeds into Persona Creation
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Helps to find opportunities
Complexity: S M L XL
Discover • Design • Deliver
Personas
A fictional person based on recurring themes gathered through conversations and observations with real people.
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Gather information about the different users
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Look for patters in the data collected
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Identify key insights
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Create a visual representation of the users
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Share the findings with the team
Complexity: S M L XL
Discover • Design • Deliver
User interviews
Explore users' attitudes towards a situation and understand their goals and needs
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Perform the interview and analyse results
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Get an in-depth knowledge of potential users
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Feeds into Persona Creation
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Helps to find opportunities
Complexity: S M L XL
Discover • Design • Deliver
Journey mapping
A visualisation of the major interactions shaping a person's experience of a product or service.
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Document all primary persona steps
- mediums the user interacts with
- groups/people the user interacts with
- systems and process related
- what users are thinking and feeling -
Identify the problem areas
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Transform the most relevant information
Complexity: S M L XL
Discover • Design • Deliver
