User Research 2024

09.35 Opening comments from the Chair

Elvin Tuygan, Director, UX, Savanta

09.45 Bet on success: award winning UX Innovation

As 2023 began, Sky Bet set its sights on revolutionising the Accumulator experience for its customers. Fast forward, 18 moments and Sky Bet’s mission had paid off spectacularly, clinching the coveted titles of Innovation of the Year and Innovation in Sports Betting at the EGR Awards for Acca Freeze. But how did Sky Bet get there? And why was UX research pivotal to the success of Acca Freeze? Hear the story of how a user centred approach not only enhanced customer satisfaction but also set Sky Bet apart in a competitive market.

Katie Utley, Lead UX Researcher, Sky Bet & Gaming
Niall Cafferkey, UX Researcher, Sky Bet & Gaming

10.15 Panel: Building and managing a high impact user research function

• How to find the right approaches, methodologies and research tools
• Best practice for collaborating with existing insights teams, and managing potential friction
• Building a strong network of engaged stakeholders, and overcoming resistance
• How to succeed in both low and high maturity UX environments

Chair

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

Panellists

Hayley Ward, Director of User Research & Insights, Deliveroo
Cyril Rebetez, Lead User Researcher, Tencent Games
Christina Sanders, Senior UX Researcher, Reach
Nicola Sharp, user researcher in public and private sectors

11.00 Morning networking break

11.30 Inclusive design: connecting with vulnerable customers

Up to 53% of banking customers could be classed as vulnerable. New consumer regulations have increased the importance of making sure users and their situations are properly understood in financial services product development.

This talk will examine the inclusive research practices Santander adopts to engage and recruit vulnerable groups in user research and the key considerations when running user testing with vulnerable groups. Hear how this approach is improving new product development.

Tom Paget, Head of UX & Design - Retail & Business Banking, Santander
Natasha den Dekker, Lead UX Researcher, Santander

12.00 Maximising the value of user insight across the DWP

Examine the DWP's transformative journey towards maximising the impact and value of user insights, and the lessons it’s learned along the way.

This talk will highlight the maturity roadmap the Universal Credit user research team is taking to deliver more strategic, joined up approaches alongside tactical research. Hear how insights are being embedded and shared across silos with an emphasis on re-use and triangulation. Learn about the successes, challenges, and unforeseen pivots during this ambitious cultural shift.

Kathryn Vickers, Lead Service Designer, Universal Credit (DWP)
Elli Panagopoulas, Lead User Researcher, Universal Credit (DWP)

12.30 When to confidently use AI in your user research 

When can researchers confidently collaborate with their AI buddy during the research process and when is it best to focus on human buddies? This session will demonstrate how the discovery phase of a new project presents strong opportunities to make use of AI’s capabilities.

Question-storming is a creative and dynamic process that empowers researchers to ask better questions and conduct more insightful studies. Find out how, through diverse perspectives and AI support, researchers can gain a deeper understanding of their topic. 

Stephanie Marsh, UX Research Operation Lead, Springer Nature London
Susana Vilaça, UX Research Lead, Springer Nature Lisbon

13.00 Lunch

14.00 Integrating user research into systemic design for solving holistic, strategic and complex problems

HMRC’s Systemic Design team addresses some of the organisation’s most complex challenges. This case study explores how user researchers and service designers work together to integrate user research methods into a systems thinking approach, delivering effective and efficient strategic change and helping to solve significant organisational challenges. It will examine the numerous challenges HMRC has faced in adopting a new methodology and aligning research with systems thinking.

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

14.30 Creating user-friendly, inclusive packaging solutions

Child resistant packaging is a vital part of many of Bayer’s products on the market globally. However, they can be challenging and frustrating for many adults, especially for those with dexterity challenges or visual impairments to use and so Bayer is making a more conscious effort to provide child resistant packs which are designed with inclusivity in mind.

In this presentation, Watch Me Think and Bayer will share how they witnessed first-hand the challenges people faced whilst interacting with a variety of child resistant packs, the frustrations it caused and how people overcame the challenges. 

Hear how these findings were used to build a detailed user analysis of each child resistant mechanism and clear considerations for future inclusive, user-friendly pack designs.

Karina Taylor, Principal Strategy Brain, Watch Me Think
Elliot Hollamby-Jones, Product Experience Insights Manager, Bayer

15.00 Afternoon networking break

15.30 Rebooting user research at Cardiff University

In 2022, Cardiff University decided to optimise outputs and impact from its user research. The fluctuations of the academic year combined with covid recovery led to projects stopping, stalling or being reprioritised. So, an insight-led approach was adopted.

Existing research was categorised by topic, tagged by audience type and aligned to the analytics data dashboards. The academic yearly cycle was mapped to account for when audiences were reachable. The team also collaborated within the university to build on existing research and ensure representation of diverse communities.

Now user research is audience-led, with a single repository of knowledge, enabling users’ holistic experience to be understood. Hear how this new approach has enabled richer and more transferrable user research that is responsive to the needs of users and stakeholders.

Kathryn Davies, UX Researcher - Digital Communications, Cardiff University

16.00 A new page in government design innovation

Design innovation in government is often mistaken for digital innovation. This HMCTS case study examines how user research provided the foundations for the development of the first end-to-end reformed paper-based service for people held in UK Immigration Removal Centres which aimed to deliver parity between digital and non-digital users.

This session will share lessons on integrating digital and non-digital environments and propose strategies for engaging cross culturally with vulnerable groups and aligning diverse stakeholders in sensitive policy areas.

Yemina Safra, User Researcher, Transform

16.30 Designing for positive and responsible uptake of AI products 

Examine the fascinating behavioural insights regarding users’ attitudes, behaviours and willingness to use AI products, unearthed during the design, testing and implementation of an “intelligent assistant”, or “information agent” for thousands of users across public sector engagements.

What are the new mental models regarding AI products and how can robust research and good user design overcome barriers and encourage positive uptake?

Hannah Beresford, Design Research Lead, Deloitte Digital

17.00 Close of conference and networking drinks reception