Freelance principal user researcher
Evidence that helps teams build services people can use
Hello, I’m Brendan
I plan and lead user research for clients across the private and public sectors, at every stage of service and product lifecycles.
I’ve optimised product pages, user journeys, checkout flows and marketing communications. I’ve guided teams through government GDS service assessments, run research with people who use assistive technology, and worked on sensitive subjects such as child safeguarding and victims of crime.
Before moving into research I spent 16 years creating and publishing content at the BBC, including BBC Bitesize and BBC Food websites.
Organisations I’ve worked with
Private sector
Public sector and not-for-profit
Department
for Education
Ministry
of Justice
UK Health
Security Agency
Research strategy and delivery
Planning research that asks the right questions, guiding conversations to uncover the underlying needs of your users, in interviews, usability tests, surveys and workshops.
I work across the full range of service development. From discovering user needs, scoping out requirements, iterating designs with evidence-based insights and continuous improvement of live services.
Collaborative partnership
Partnering with you and your teams to make sure that reporting, presentations and workshops are tailored to communicate in the right way. Landing what we’ve learned, connecting stakeholders and enabling effective decision making.
Accessible, inclusive research
Testing with people who use screen readers, magnifiers, switch and voice control, so services work for everyone.
Service assessments
Building the evidence and the story teams need for GDS Alpha and Beta assessments.
Leading and mentoring
Leading multidisciplinary teams and coaching researchers to grow their skills and confidence.
Selected work
Met Office
Improving live services
Worked closely with product owners and agile development teams on live service improvements, combining analytics, interviews and online surveys. The changes brought a significant, measurable rise in user approval scores.
Hargreaves Lansdown
New investment product journeys
Usability testing of new investment product journeys and their content, working with the product owner to understand the value proposition and the regulations it had to meet.
Department for Education
Department
for Education
Vulnerable children and families
Led research for an alpha exploring a single unique identifier for children: more than 60 interviews and surveys with over 160 safeguarding professionals in more than 20 local authorities.
NHS Business Services Authority
NHS Volunteering
Fifteen months of research through private beta, co-designing new features with NHS trusts, charities and volunteers, then presenting the research at a successful GDS assessment.
Competition and Markets Authority
Alpha usability testing
Led usability testing and prepared the user needs, journeys and research evidence the team presented at a successful GDS Alpha assessment.
