Do we need to do research if we already know our audience?
Even if you know your audience well, user research often uncovers unexpected behaviours, barriers, or opportunities that can improve your product. It also helps align your team around shared evidence rather than assumptions.
Can we do just the research without the design?
Yes. We can deliver a standalone research and strategy phase, giving you a clear evidence base to guide your own team or another supplier in the design stage.
How long does a full discovery and design process take?
It depends on scope, but a typical project runs for 6–12 weeks, from initial research to tested prototypes.
Do you test with real users?
Yes. We run usability tests with actual or representative users of your product to ensure the design works in the real world, not just on paper.
How do you ensure accessibility is built in?
We design to WCAG 2.2 AA standards from the very start and include accessibility checks at every stage.
What is your approach to inclusive research?
We design research to include people with diverse needs, backgrounds, and abilities. This may involve providing materials in multiple formats, scheduling sessions at accessible times and locations, offering language support, and making sure participants feel safe and respected throughout the process.
Do you have experience with vulnerable users and hard-to-reach groups?
Yes. Our team has worked extensively with audiences in criminal justice, mental health, education, and refugee contexts. We use trauma-informed approaches, safeguard participant wellbeing, and adapt methods to suit the needs and realities of each group.
What is human-centred design?
Human-centred design is an approach to creating products and services that starts with the needs of the people who will use them, involves those people throughout the process, and continually adapts based on their feedback.
What is design thinking?
Design thinking is a problem-solving method that combines empathy, creativity, and experimentation. It involves understanding users, defining the problem, exploring ideas, prototyping, and testing to arrive at solutions that work in the real world.
What is discovery?
Discovery is the early phase of a project where we research, analyse, and define the problem we are solving before committing to specific solutions. It reduces risk, builds a shared understanding, and ensures we are solving the right problem in the right way.
Is this something our team can do ourselves?
Yes, and we encourage it. Our goal is always to involve your team in the process so they learn skills and methods they can use in future projects. This could mean co-facilitating workshops, joining user research sessions, or helping to shape prototypes together.
