Research that changes decisions
posted 21st October 2026
I've led research for energy companies, the NHS, regulators and information providers for over 10 years. I run short test-and-learn cycles of 1 to 3 months, so big decisions are evidence led.
People can't always tell you what they need. My job is to find out anyway and to help your team act on it.
When to bring me in
- You're about to invest in a new service and want to know if people will use it
- You have plenty of data but can't see what it means for your next decision
- A tool or service exists, people aren't using it, and you don't know why
- Teams disagree about what users need and the debate keeps going round in circles
- You need evidence that will stand up in front of senior leaders or a regulator
How I work
I watch what people do as well as listen
Most everyday behaviour runs on habit, so people struggle to describe it. I ask about real, recent moments and observe people in context where I can. My Gestalt training helps me notice what people don't say: a pause, a change of tone, a missed expectation.
I ask about problems before ideas
Customer feedback tells you how your current products are doing. Unmet needs sit deeper. I stay with a problem long enough to find its root cause before anyone designs a fix.
The owners of early skyscrapers tried to build faster lifts. What worked was a floor indicator, because the real discomfort was not knowing how long the ride would take.
I stay neutral
I start from the question, with no favoured solution. Users confirm or reject a hypothesis, I don't. I report what I find, including the findings people would rather not hear. I make decisions and the evidence behind them visible to the whole team, which keeps us all honest.
I turn findings into decisions
Research is one input alongside technical constraints and business strategy. I frame insights so decision makers can weigh them, with clear priorities and what to test next.
I mix methods to fit the question
- Interviews and contextual inquiry
- Surveys at scale
- Journey mapping and service blueprints
- Concept and prototype testing, including AI-assisted rapid prototyping
- Data analysis and modelling, including AI-assisted analysis
Bringing people with me
Research only changes things if the people making decisions believe it. So I bring them into the work from the start, and they see the evidence for themselves.
Before the research
- Assumption workshops, where the team lists what it believes and what would prove it wrong
- Agreeing with decision makers the questions the research must answer
During the research
- Inviting product owners, designers and engineers to observe sessions, and sharing audio and video recordings with those who can't attend
- Fortnightly learning sessions with the team to share what we're hearing early explore opportunities
- Regular Show & Tells with wider stakeholers
After the research
- Joint analysis sessions, where the team sorts the evidence with me
- Facilitated playbacks that put different groups in the same room. At a global energy company, regional and global teams heard each other's frustrations, often for the first time. The conversation moved from blame to shared understanding.
- Regular reviews that keep the team testing and learning after I leave
What you get
- A clear answer to the question we agreed at the start
- Evidence your team has seen for itself
- Prioritised insights and the next things to test
- User profiles, journey maps and opportunity areas you can reuse