User Research 2024

Hannah Beresford, Design Research Lead, Deloitte Digital

@DeloitteDigital

Hannah is a Design Research Manager at Deloitte, where she leads the design of AI agents used by thousands across the firm. Recognising the predominantly technology-driven development of AI products, Hannah advocates for prioritising human needs, attitudes, and behaviours to create successful user-centered solutions.

With the recent shift introduced by GenAI - transforming user experiences from linear journeys to dialogue-driven interactions - Hannah's work focuses on exploring and educating others on the nuanced user-centered design approach essential for creating effective AI products. Hannah has presented widely on this topic, both internally at Deloitte and at external conferences.

Steve Bromley, User Researcher & Author of Building User Research Teams

@Steve_Bromley

Steve Bromley is an experienced research leader, and author of the books Building User Research Teams and How To Be A Games User Researcher. Having previously led research teams for Parliament and the UK's biggest publisher, he currently works with game studios at gamesuserresearch.com to bring player insight into the game development process, and is the co-director of ResearchThatMatters which works with cultural organisations across the UK. He is enthusiastic about helping researchers and new research teams overcome internal barriers to unlock efficient and impactful research.

Niall Cafferkey, UX Researcher, Sky Bet & Gaming

Niall is a UX Researcher at Sky Betting and Gaming. After completing a degree in English Language in 2015, he embarked on a career in PR and communications, working for in-house teams in the financial, engineering and technology sectors.

After five years in this space, Niall switched to become an experimentation analyst in the E-commerce sector, working with clients in a wide range of sectors to improve web conversion.

Within this role, Niall developed a passion for customer insight, data analysis and UX research, and joined Sky Betting and Gaming in October 2022.

During his almost two years with the business, he has worked on a wide of user research projects for high profile products such as Build-a-Bet (BAB), Super 6 and Acca Freeze, a unique football accumulator feature that launched to the market in September 2023.

Kathryn Davies, UX Researcher - Digital Communications, Cardiff University

@cardiffuni

Kathryn has worked in user research and software design for nearly 20 years, beginning her career in a consultancy house specialising in government and telecoms. Since then she has worked across the UK – with the odd dip into Europe – researching and designing at scale across business sectors. 

More recently she has specialised in user research, in particular in the use of evidence-based storytelling to communicate with customers, clients and businesses. In her current role at Cardiff University she works with school leavers, students and staff to enhance software and communication across the education environment. Her current work focuses on the interaction of students with University services spanning digital and physical environments, and the interplay between them.

Natasha den Dekker, Lead UX Researcher, Santander

Natasha den Dekker is currently a Lead UX Researcher at Santander UK. Her role is focussed on developing the ongoing UX Research strategy for multiple areas of the bank as well as supporting her team with Europe-wide research. Prior to this she worked at LexisNexis, working across current products and the new development of products. She has also worked at varying agencies as a User Research consultant focussed on improving digital services for different government departments across the UK government and abroad. Natasha has also worked as an information professional in the NHS and a Librarian at Microsoft. Outside of work Natasha is most likely to be found planning a holiday, hanging out with her dog Goose,  playing the drums, or lifting weights (not necessarily in that order!).

Elliot Hollamby-Jones, Product Experience Insights Manager, Bayer

Elliot Hollamby-Jones (He/Him/His) currently is exploring how to make consumer research inclusive to more and more of the population as part of his role as Product Experience Insights Manager at Bayer Consumer Health

Day to day, Elliot works on a range of categories and brands working specifically in front end innovation, however, his passion project is his work leading R+D Inclusivity Research. Fed up with a cross-industry focus on designing for ‘average’ (what the hell even is average when it comes to consumers!?), this growing capability within the business, aims to help create responsible and remarkable experiences with all.

To date this research capability has focussed on making packaging genuinely suitable for the people that have to use it on a daily basis. One example is creating a next generation packaging solution to make pain relief, actually accessible to those with dexterity restrictions (arthritis, carpal tunnel, limited vision, limited mental capacity etc); all while ensuring that products compete on traditional KPI’s too.

Prior to his time at Bayer, Elliot graduated in Marketing and Consumer Psychology before going on to cut his teeth at both Dyson and Gymshark. Always focussed on creating better physical products (from air purifiers to leggings) for a wide variety of consumers across the world. Regardless of the product and the consumer (Beauty obsessed consumers interested in the latest Dyson haircare product have a surprising amount in common with the weightlifter looking for the best kit to workout in) the question remains the same, how do we create better products?

Robert Jones, Senior User Researcher - Mindsets and Systemic Design, HMRC

@HMRCgovuk

Robert Jones is a Senior User Researcher within the Mindsets and Systemic Design team at HMRC. He's part of a team that provide insights and interventions using the two methodologies and works organisation-wide to solve complex problems. 

Previously, Robert was a User Researcher in HMRC's PolicyLab and prior to that a User Researcher at the Department for Work and Pensions. Robert has over 10 years experience in User Research and Insights and has been a Research Manager at a leading digital marketing agency in the North of England as well as managing the panel and all associated research conducted for a leading supermarket. 

Robert has a passion for creative research methods and for bringing innovative techniques into Government and the public sector. 

Stephanie Marsh, UX Research Operation Lead, Springer Nature London

@SpringerNature

Stephanie is the UX Research Operation Lead at Springer Nature with 20 years of experience in and around the fields of User Research and User Experience. They have worked across fields and industries such as Government and Public Sector, Consultancy, Publishing, Travel and Entertainment. They have spoken and facilitated workshops at international UX conferences covering a wide range of topics, including Research Ethics, Research Operations, how to choose the right methodology, and how to integrate quantitative and qualitative data for holistic insights. A second edition of Stephanie’s book User Research was published in 2022. They are currently writing a book on Customer Research Operations, to be published in August 2025. 

 

Neha Mittal, Director, C Space

Neha Mittal is a dynamic Global Insights Leader with experience at industry giants like C Space, Ipsos, and Kantar across the UK, Middle East, and Asia. She has driven success for Fortune 500 clients, non-profits, and government bodies through her expertise in qualitative research, brand strategy, and customer/employee experience and UX. Championing user research as the cornerstone of product development and customer-centric strategies, Neha combines innovative methodologies with cross-cultural understanding. She leverages both classic and digital qualitative tools, harnessing AI and cutting-edge technologies to gain deep insights into user behavior.

At the forefront of inclusive user research, Neha has pioneered methodologies that bridge cultural gaps and eliminate WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) bias in product development ensuring products are truly global and meet the needs of diverse audiences.

As a DEI Champion, Neha actively shapes policies related to equity and allyship, ensuring inclusivity is embedded in both research practices and organizational culture. Her work consistently amplifies underrepresented voices, driving more representative and impactful user research globally

Tom Paget, Head of UX & Design - Retail & Business Banking, Santander

Tom Paget is Head of UX & Design at Santander. He leads a mixed methodology team who are responsible for the design, usability, and accessibility of experiences across the bank’s digital platforms. His recent work in User Research has been focussed on democratising user testing across non-traditional research roles and building a greater awareness and understanding of vulnerable customer groups in research. Previously he led the implementation of design standards and accessibility frameworks into ways of working.  He’s currently exhibiting his work as an abstract photographer at Holding Space Gallery in Saltaire while also trying to run every Parkrun in Yorkshire.

Elli Panagopoulos Bundy, Lead User Researcher, Universal Credit (DWP)

@DWPDigital

With over a decade of experience as a user researcher across both public and private sectors, Elli has enhanced user experiences in various public services, including bin collections, child sanitation facilities in displacement camps, local libraries, and now the UK’s benefit system, as well as in digital health and financial inclusion products.

Currently leading the user research team for Universal Credit, Elli oversees the practice in one of the largest UK government departments and one of the most extensive government digital transformation programmes. As a leader, Elli’s focus is on balancing high research demands with maintaining the quality and integrity of work, managing a wealth of insights, and extending the application of user insights from informing narrowly scoped design decisions to shaping the service’s strategic future.

Cyril Rebetez, Lead User Researcher, Tencent Games

Cyril’s job is to watch people play video games. He is an UX research practitioner with a PhD from the university of Geneva and 15 years in the industry. He worked in health-tech, fintech and generative AI across start-ups, scale-ups and multinationals. But most of his time in the industry has been spent working with video games studios at PlayStation and Tencent Games. Cyril led research on major gaming franchises, innovative tech products and gaming peripherals. He’s been a research team of one, an external consultant and a team lead. Currently, he’s senior manager at Tencent Games, one of the largest video game companies in the world, where he built a user research team working in partnership across studios displaying varied levels of research maturity.

@TencentGames

Dr. Yemi Safra, Senior User Researcher, Transform

Yemima Safra is a Senior User Researcher at Transform, where she has led innovative research, championed engagement with hard-to-reach groups, and worked across a range of complex government projects, including sensitive areas such as asylum, immigration, and post-Brexit trade.

With extensive experience at the intersection of human-centered design and public policy, Yemima’s work is dedicated to ensuring that policies and services are designed in ways that make sense to people and effectively improve their lives.

Her PhD research, conducted through a partnership between Central Saint Martins and King’s College London, explored participatory design approaches to reengage marginalized groups in shaping public policy agendas.

Christina Sanders, Senior UX Researcher, Reach

Christina Sanders is a Senior UX Researcher with over a decade of experience in user research, customer experience, and business support. Currently at Reach Plc, she provides strategic, evidence-based insights that help shape the user experiences of leading UK news brands, including The Mirror, Express, and Manchester Evening News.

Previously, Christina contributed to Sky’s products, such as Sky Q and Sky Glass, delivering insights on TV interfaces, app design, and accessibility. She also worked as a Senior Research Executive at Ipsos Mori, where she connected clients and users across various industries, including Retail, Finance, and Government.

Christina excels in qualitative research, stakeholder engagement, and translating complex user needs into effective design strategies. She is dedicated to promoting the value of UX, mentoring junior researchers, and ensuring high standards in business and research practices.

Nicola Sharp, user researcher in public and private sectors

Nicola is a consultant in the user experience space - helping teams to deliver projects through a deeper understanding of their customers, users and stakeholders alike.

Over the past six years, Nicola has worked with a variety of clients in both the public and private sector. Her roles have spanned from research to project management, supporting both user-centred design and research activities and the implementation of digital transformation programmes.

A sociologist at heart, Nicola’s primary focus is finding new ways to understand and connect with colleagues, customers and users to reach goals that work both commercially and socially.

Karina Taylor, Principal Strategy Brain, Watch Me Think

Karina Taylor is a seasoned Principal Qualitative Researcher, with over 15 years of experience across consumer and sensory research methodologies in both client-side and agency roles.Karina is currently working at video ethnography agency Watch Me Think, where she specialises in watching deep, behavioural research to help companies identify new opportunities, develop prototypes and improve in-market products.Karina’s career is marked by a commitment to innovation, team development, and the ability to translate complex consumer insights into strategic business decisions. 

Katie Utley, Lead UX Researcher, Sky Bet & Gaming

Katie is the Lead UX Researcher for Sky Betting and Gaming. After discovering a passion for analysing consumer behaviour during her Psychology degree, Katie started her research career over 7 years ago in the Market Research industry. She began in the agency world which provided an opportunity to work in range of different sectors with various clients across the globe. In 2022, Katie decided to take a leap from the Market Research world and jump into UXR. During this time, she has utilised her Market Research knowledge to help build an established UXR team within the business. Katie is the UXR voice for the business, making sure a customer centric vision is leading all product and design decisions within Sky Bet and the five Sky Gaming brands (Vegas, Casino, Poker, Bingo and Sky Bet Games). 

Kathryn Vickers, Lead Service Designer, Universal Credit (DWP)

Kathryn Vickers is a dedicated service designer who transitioned from a career in law to pursue her passion for helping others. As a legal practitioner Kathryn acted on a range of pro bono cases from advising the Human Dignity Trust on a constitutional challenge to same sex discrimination laws in Kenya, to supporting clients of the North Kensington Law Centre following the Grenfell tragedy. Kathryn began her career in driving public services through human centred design thinking by joining The Reasons Why Foundation. She took a ground up approach to establishing user-centred evaluation strategies and co-creation of user journeys to maximise the value that the third sector organisation could deliver to ex-offenders.

For the past 5 years, Kathryn has been shaping user centricity in the Universal Credit programme, one of the largest and most complex omni-channel services in government. Now, as a leader in service design, she specializes in maturing the empathically driven curation and use of insights across teams, empowering decision-makers to be confidently human-centred in the pursuit of improved public service outcomes.

Susana Vilaça, UX Research Lead, Springer Nature Lisbon

@SpringerNature

Susana is a UX Research Lead at Springer Nature and has been working in the UX field since 2009, bringing over a decade of experience to the table. Her passion lies in deeply understanding user behaviour, and she has helped craft user-centric experiences across diverse industries, including Travel and Entertainment, Publishing, Communications, and Energy. Susana is proficient in conducting both qualitative and quantitative research, translating user insights into actionable recommendations that enhance products and services. Additionally, she has expertise in leading workshops for senior stakeholders, helping to navigate complex topics and build consensus around strategic UX research initiatives. 

Ben Riding, Head of Marketplace and Experience Research and Insight, Deliveroo

Ben has spent his career working in the tech and hospitality industries in both marketing & insights roles - helping to create a customer first culture that enables a strategic focus on the real areas that create both pain and delight for our customers. 

Currently at Deliveroo managing a combined team of User Reseach & Insights Professionals, our role is to help Deliveroo deeply understand their Partners, Riders and Consumers, ensuring a consistency of message right from the product engine room to the executive level. 

Ben is particularly passionate about bridging the gap between 'research' and the business, positioning UR & Insights teams as vital parts of the team that drive strategy a provide customer understanding alongside a clear and thorough understanding of real commercial opportunities.