Turning one-off research into a long-standing partnership

A repeatable process

We start with a kick-off call with the product team. They tell us what it is they’re trying to find out. At this point, they’ll have a prototype—usually mocked up in Figma—that they walk us through. Coming at these prototypes with ‘fresh eyes’ means we can challenge any internal bias and assumptions at this stage.

Next, we put together a screener to make sure we’ll be testing with the right people for this product. We also make a bespoke discussion guide for each project, informed by the initial kick-off call.

Using a third-party recruitment service, we create a schedule of usability tests. After doing this a few times, we found that eight people was usually the right amount of participants.

The testing was done online over Zoom. This meant that we could use a wider pool of participants than if we were in a lab. It also meant that we could accommodate everyone’s availability. And because they were using their own devices, people were comfortable with the set-up.

Once the interviews were done, it was time for analysis and synthesis. We boiled down the findings into an easily digestible format for the product team. We played back these findings, using a mix of video clips and quotes from usability sessions, as well as highlighting key insights.  Our playbacks always finish with clear recommendations for improvements to the interface. With clear supporting evidence, the product team could tackle those recommendations with confidence, and we could move on to the next project.

Why work with an external research partner?

User research is a great way of tackling the unknown. You don’t know what you don’t know, as the old adage says. But sometimes you know something all too well: the assumed knowledge baked into every organisation. That creates blind spots.

That’s why a fresh pair of eyes can be so valuable. Someone from outside your organisation doesn’t have your domain expertise. They can ask the kind of questions that no one within your organisation would even think of. For example, we frequently question the use of financial terminology and double-check whether those terms resonate with or mean the same thing to participants.

On each project we tested, there were inevitable biases built in. In-house designers and content strategists become domain experts over time. It’s easy for them to think “well, everyone knows this.” We were able to play back our findings—backed up with snippets from interviews—and demonstrate where more clarity was required.

At Clearleft, our domain expertise isn’t finance, it’s research and design. Using our repeatable process, we’ve worked with this organisation on twelve different projects over the last twelve months. We’re looking forward to continuing that work as the client has signed another contract for more studies throughout 2026/27.

I've really enjoyed getting my head into the complex world of investing. While it's been insightful to see users interacting with hi-fidelity prototypes, it's been equally interesting to learn about their attitudes towards investing. Working on long-term partnerships like this one is a great way to build understanding of products and processes, and means that the value of research really shines through.