Opencast

Do The Right Thing!

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Opencast's values are:

• We make a difference
• We build trust
• We enable people
• We work together
• We do the right thing

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Opencast truly embodies these principles, and I strive to uphold these values in all the research I do.

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Since 2023, I have been a User Research Consultant at Opencast, contributing to multiple projects across HMRC and DWP. Working in the public sector has allowed me to refine and master my user research skills. I excel at planning and conducting research in any project phase to uncover the right data, ensuring we deeply understand users and their needs.

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Collaboration is at the heart of my approach. I actively involve my team at every stage of the research process, from planning to analysis, ensuring shared understanding and ownership of insights. By working together closely, we ensure the research is actionable and directly supports the team’s goals.

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I also specialize in agile planning, developing adaptable research strategies that align seamlessly with the project roadmap. Regular collaboration with delivery managers and product owners ensures research outputs are prioritized effectively and integrated into sprint cycles. My ability to embed research into agile workflows keeps the team informed and aligned while delivering incremental value.

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At Opencast, I was first introduced to the Government Digital Service (GDS) guidelines, which I used to align research practices with organizational and user-centered goals. Key highlights of my contributions include:

• Consulting and collaboration: Partnered with clients to align business objectives with user needs, ensuring research directly informed strategic decisions.
• Inclusive research: Facilitated workshops and regular team updates to involve cross-functional teams in planning, conducting, and analyzing research. This ensured shared ownership and actionable insights.
• Diverse research methods: Conducted a mix of remote and in-person user testing to gain comprehensive insights.
• Agile planning: Developed research plans that mirrored the project roadmap and sprint cycles, enabling iterative delivery of insights to support continuous improvement.
• Community leadership: Served as a Community Lead for my department, where I surveyed colleagues to understand their needs and collaborated with practice leads to prioritize meaningful changes. These initiatives improved departmental satisfaction and engagement.

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This role enabled me to grow both essential technical skills and leadership abilities critical to a successful User Research Consultant. In 2024, I advanced to Senior User Research Consultant, driven by my expanded expertise in leadership, collaboration, and organizational skills, coupled with my commitment to delivering impactful research aligned with Opencast’s values.

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Learnings from HMRC

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The client I have worked on for the majority of my time at Opencast has been HMRC. While there, I have worked on several projects across Boarders and Trade and Chief Digital and Information Officer (CDIO) group.

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One of my favourite projects at HMRC was the Low Earners Anomaly (LEA). This project focused on creating a digital service to enable one-off annual payments for individuals on a specific pension plan who earned below the minimum tax bracket.

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We began in Discovery, where I developed an agile user research plan. Over eight weeks, we conducted three rounds of remote interviews and two rounds of remote unmoderated testing using UserZoom. By combining qualitative and quantitative insights, we gained a deep understanding of who our users were and what they needed. Early on, it became clear that the service was highly complex, and user comprehension would be critical to its success.

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I involved my team throughout the process, from creating the research plan to analyzing findings. This collaborative approach fostered a strong advocacy for user needs across the team.

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After successfully passing the Discovery phase, we moved into Alpha, where I designed a research plan to further explore how to ensure the service was easily understandable for users. This phase included a mix of in-person and remote research sessions to track users’ comprehension of the service over time. I worked closely with Interaction and Content Designers to make the service content digestible while minimizing cognitive load. By the end of Alpha, the majority of users were able to understand the service and make informed decisions about accepting the payment.

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Additionally, I ran in-person accessibility sessions in Leeds, which was both a rewarding and eye-opening experience. Observing how users with access needs interacted with the service deepened my understanding of their unique challenges and provided valuable insights into designing inclusive experiences. While these users initially found the information overwhelming, they were still able to understand the service and determine the necessary actions. Facilitating these sessions significantly enhanced my user research skills by teaching me how to adapt my approach to ensure participants felt comfortable and empowered, as well as how to effectively incorporate accessibility considerations into research and design processes.

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Unfortunately, our team was stood down from the LEA project at the end of Alpha because we were so far ahead of the business teams working on the non-digital aspects of the project that they needed time to catch up.

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My time on the LEA project was incredibly fulfilling. It strengthened my skills in running agile research, championing accessibility, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to create a service that truly met user needs.

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Championing UserZoom

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Additionally. at HMRC and Opencast, I actively mentored user researchers, with a particular focus on enhancing their skills in UserZoom and other quantitative methodologies. I provided tailored coaching to help researchers effectively utilize tools like UserZoom, empowering them to deliver high-quality insights. Beyond mentoring researchers, I collaborated with research operations (ResOps) at HMRC, helping them better understand the value and functionality of UserZoom. This collaboration played a key role in renewing the organization’s UserZoom contract, reinforcing its importance as a foundational research tool and ensuring its continued use.

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In addition to mentorship, I delivered community talks that highlighted best practices, innovative techniques, and lessons learned from UserZoom-driven projects. My expertise earned me the title of "UserZoom Queen," a recognition of my leadership in championing the tool. Through these talks, I not only expanded the research community’s knowledge but also inspired researchers and ResOps teams to embrace new approaches, strengthening user research practices across HMRC and Opencast.

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