One research framework
Connect the question, core activities and comparison measures across the agreed markets.
Our Research Approach
Understand people. Make your next move clear.
Research across products, services, spaces, systems and technology. Built around your decision. Grounded in real experience.
01 / THE PROCESS
One connected approach.
Shaped around your brief.
Every step has
a purpose.
Not a fixed package. A clear way to turn a business question into user evidence, practical priorities and a next step your team can act on.
01 / 06
Ask the right question.
Before choosing a method, we get clear on the decision your team needs to make.
We connect your business context with the people, journeys and experiences involved. Existing feedback, analytics and earlier research help us focus on what is still unknown.
- Align business and research questions
- Review existing evidence
- Identify audiences and context
The question behind the brief
QUESTION
Why do people stop before completing this journey?
EVIDENCE
Existing feedback + business context
NEXT DECISION
Define what the study must explain.
WHAT YOUR TEAM TAKES FORWARD
An agreed research brief
02 / 06
Build the right study.
Choose the people, methods and markets that can answer your question.
We define the sample, activities, comparison needs, recruitment criteria and deliverables. The plan makes timing, responsibilities and review points visible before research begins.
- Choose suitable methods and participants
- Plan markets, tasks and measures
- Agree scope, milestones and deliverables
The study blueprint
QUESTION
Who needs to take part, and what do we need to observe?
EVIDENCE
Audience criteria + methods + activities
NEXT DECISION
Agree how the evidence will be collected.
WHAT YOUR TEAM TAKES FORWARD
A practical research plan
03 / 06
See the experience first-hand.
Listen, observe and test with people who have relevant experience.
Interviews, tasks, surveys and field activities reveal needs, behaviours and barriers. We pay attention to context and workarounds, not only what participants say they prefer.
- Recruit against the agreed criteria
- Run the research activities
- Monitor fieldwork and evidence quality
The experience in context
QUESTION
Where does the person hesitate, struggle or seek help?
EVIDENCE
Observed tasks + participant explanation
NEXT DECISION
Identify what deserves closer analysis.
WHAT YOUR TEAM TAKES FORWARD
Relevant user evidence
04 / 06
Find the pattern. Explain why.
Turn individual observations into a clear account of the experience.
We connect behaviour, feedback and context, examine differences between groups, and review contradictory findings. We separate what was observed from what the team inferred.
- Connect findings across evidence sources
- Explore patterns and differences
- Review alternative explanations
From observation to insight
QUESTION
Is this an isolated moment or a recurring barrier?
EVIDENCE
Patterns + context + contrasting cases
NEXT DECISION
Explain who is affected and why it matters.
WHAT YOUR TEAM TAKES FORWARD
Clear, evidence-backed findings
05 / 06
Make the next move clear.
Translate findings into priorities your team can discuss and act on.
We show the issues, the evidence behind them and the changes worth testing. Recommendations stay connected to user impact, business context and practical constraints.
- Prioritise the opportunities
- Connect recommendations to evidence
- Review next steps with your team
From insight to a next step
QUESTION
What should the team improve first?
EVIDENCE
User impact + supporting findings
NEXT DECISION
Agree which changes to test or investigate.
WHAT YOUR TEAM TAKES FORWARD
An actionable set of priorities
06 / 06
Learn what changed.
When follow-up is included, assess whether the experience is improving.
We agree suitable measures and a baseline, then use retesting, benchmarking or repeat research to assess progress. The next round of decisions builds on what the team has learned.
- Define the baseline and measures
- Plan follow-up research
- Compare changes in context
A learning loop, not a finish line
QUESTION
Did the changes address the original problem?
EVIDENCE
Baseline + follow-up evidence
NEXT DECISION
Keep improving based on what changed.
WHAT YOUR TEAM TAKES FORWARD
A plan to evaluate progress
The depth and sequence adapt to your question, audience and stage of development.
02 / BEFORE WE BEGIN
You bring the
question.
We shape the study.
You do not need a finished brief or a research department. Tell us the decision ahead, what you already know and what you need to understand.
-
01
The decision
What will your team do differently once the question is answered?
-
02
The people and experience
Whose perspective matters, and where does the experience happen?
-
03
The practical plan
Agree the methods, participants, markets, timing, outputs and fees.
03 / THE RIGHT EVIDENCE
Explore research servicesThe question leads.
The method follows.
Choose one approach or combine methods when they answer different parts of your brief.
THE RESEARCH QUESTION
Understand people before choosing a direction.
Discover needs, routines and unmet expectations in the context where an experience happens.
- What you need to understand
- What do people need, and what are they doing today?
- Where it helps
- Early ideas, new audiences and unclear experience problems.
- What it can provide
- Needs, context and opportunities to investigate.
THE RESEARCH QUESTION
Find the friction before it becomes familiar.
Test whether people understand an idea and can complete relevant tasks with a prototype or existing experience.
- What you need to understand
- Can people understand it and use it successfully?
- Where it helps
- Concepts, prototypes, websites, apps and existing products.
- What it can provide
- Usability findings and changes worth testing.
THE RESEARCH QUESTION
See the whole journey, not one touchpoint.
Explore how channels, processes, places and interactions combine to shape the experience.
- What you need to understand
- Where does the journey become difficult or disconnected?
- Where it helps
- Onboarding, service delivery, support and physical-digital journeys.
- What it can provide
- Journey barriers and improvement opportunities.
THE RESEARCH QUESTION
Put structure around the patterns.
Use clearly defined questions and measures to compare relevant experiences, groups or time periods.
- What you need to understand
- How do experiences compare, and what changes over time?
- Where it helps
- Prioritisation, baselines, comparisons and follow-up programmes.
- What it can provide
- Structured evidence for the agreed comparison.
What people say.
What they do.
The context between.
04 / RESEARCH ACROSS MARKETS
GLOBAL THINKING. LOCAL UNDERSTANDING.A shared question.
Different realities.
Compare experiences without losing the language, routines and expectations that make each market different.
Local context matters
Shape recruitment, language and activities around the people and environments in each market.
Find the useful differences
Show common themes, market-specific barriers and what each means for the next decision.
Recruitment that fits the study.
Own-panel resources, partner panels, specialist recruitment, our own CATI centre and face-to-face fieldwork provide different routes to relevant audiences. The research plan identifies the sources and validation needed for your brief.
05 / WHAT YOUR TEAM TAKES FORWARD
ILLUSTRATIVE RESEARCH OUTPUTSEvidence with
somewhere to go.
Agree the deliverables around the people who will use the findings, not just the format of a final report.
01 / CLARITY
Understand the issue.
Findings connect the experience problem to the people affected and the evidence behind it.
02 / CONTEXT
See the connections.
Journey maps and task findings show how moments, channels and barriers fit together.
03 / DIRECTION
Know what comes next.
Recommendations and a team readout turn findings into priorities and changes worth testing.
Deliverables may include datasets, benchmark measures, research excerpts, reports and working sessions, as agreed in the study scope.
06 / HOW WE WORK
Thoughtful research.
Clear working relationships.
Relevant people
Recruit against the experience, usage or responsibilities that matter to the question.
Method-appropriate quality
Define pilot checks, validation, monitoring and review around the study.
Respect and confidentiality
Plan participation information, recording permissions and handling of client materials before collection.
Visible progress
Agree review points and keep your team informed about findings, fieldwork and material changes.
Do we need to know which research method to use?
No. Start with the decision or problem. We help clarify the question and recommend the approach that fits the audience, available evidence and practical constraints.
Can we start with a small, focused study?
Yes. A specific journey, task, concept or user group can be a useful starting point. We define what the study should answer and where a broader investigation may be needed.
Can you work with our existing research or product team?
Yes. We can deliver a full study or take responsibility for an agreed stage, working with your team and its review process.
How long does a study take?
Timing depends on recruitment, methods, markets, languages and review requirements. We set a schedule after scoping and identify the inputs needed from your team.
Will research include design or development?
Research is the core engagement. Design, prototyping or implementation support can be included when agreed; they are not automatically part of every research study.
LET US SHAPE THE NEXT STEP
A question about
your users?
Let us find the evidence.
Share the decision, the experience and the people involved.
We will help turn your question into a research plan.