Putting the self-care of user researchers at the heart of Service Design, by combining therapeutic and user research practices to reduce trauma.

About ResearchU

We are a user research consultancy specialising in the delivery of all aspects of user research and training. We place a strong emphasis on self-care and how to conduct sensitive research. Our services have derived from over 20 years of experience working with trauma and complex needs, in a wide range of settings including, public, private and third sector. We combine user research and therapeutic techniques to explore difficult topics, for example; researching death and bereavement.

Read more about how we use art to encourage self-reflective practice.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/exposure-others-trauma-toxic-jane-reid/

What we offer

Training

We offer a full range of user research training from introductory to advanced levels. Topics include, for example; how to plan and conduct user research, what methods to use and when, analysis, how to create personas, interview techniques, and how to communicate findings with impact.

Consultancy

We work directly with clients to provide user research expertise throughout the service and product design lifecycle lifecycle i.e. discovery, alpha, beta and live. We also help organisations scale user research, as a profession.

Other services

We offer individual EQ-I2.0 Emotional Intelligence Assessments and work with teams and leaders to help them to facilitate the performance, learning and development of the organisation.

We also offer 121 and team coaching, mentoring and follow up support.

A paper mask which has been decorated by hand. The right side of it is yellow; it has blue and purple paper flowers as hair; the eye is blue, with long black eyelashes; it has a red love heart on the cheek; its lips are read; the word content is written down the side in different coloured letters. The left side is white; there is a house drawn on the forehead in blue and also a question mark; the eye is dark and circled in red; there are blue dashes down the cheek depicting tears; the mouth is black with a red cross indicating unable to speak.
Several workshop participants are designing their own masks. The masks are white and made from paper and they are using different coloured pens, paper and feathers to decorate them.
A white paper mask that has been decorated with text and drawings sitting on some brown paper with a notepad and pen in the background. The right side of the mask has positive words like focussed – with a picture of a magnifying glass; constrictive - with a drawing of a bridge; competent - with a drawing of some flower; useful with a drawing of a for and knife; professional - with a drawing of an ID badge; confident is written under the mouth which is painted red. On the left side there is a drawing of a black cloud with some words which are obscured.

Who are ResearchU

Janice Hannaway sits smiling at the camera. She is wearing a white suit jacket and black top. There is a lamp in the background.

Janice Hannaway

Janice is a NN/g certified user researcher who has worked with various government departments where she has applied her understanding of human behaviour to develop user focused products and services. As well as this Janice has over 25 years experience working with people with complex needs and trauma in public, private and third sector organisations. She currently practices as an accredited psychodynamic therapist, coach and clinical supervisor. Janice is also a certified Emotional Intelligence Assessor (EQ-i 2.0 & EQ360).

Janice has a great passion for understanding the complexity of people, their motivations, behaviours and challenges they face. And thus, Janice is highly skilled at getting to the root of people’s problems and empowering them with the skills to overcome them.

A cropped headshot of Jane Reid smiling at the camera. She is wearing a black top with a gold design.

Jane Reid

A highly experienced user researcher, she specialises in conducting research across a range of complex areas, including; homelessness, drugs, alcohol, domestic abuse and intergenerational unemployment. Clients include: Disclosure Scotland, NHS Digital (UK), Ministry of Justice, UK Gov Cabinet Office, Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service and Essex County Council.

A great believer in working with others to solve problems, she set up and led a cross government and third sector working group to look at: when and what to ask about sex and gender on forms. This research has led many organisations to rethink whether or not they need the question and some have removed it.

https://blogs.gov.scot/digital/2018/07/05/sex-and-or-gender-working-together-to-get-the-question-right/

Get in touch

For more information on how we an help you, please email us today.

Email ResearchU