Caroline Southard

Overview

Independent qualitative and user researcher, digging up what's on the inside and creating meaningful applicable connections for agencies and end clients.

Services

I have over 20 years experience as a qualitative researcher, service designer and customer experience consultant.

Industries include:   Banking, Publishing, Events, Charitable, Science and Medical.

High profile clients:   Cambridge University, British Trust for Ornithology, Google, Phillips, MIND, JP Morgan, HSBC, Lloyds TSB, RBS, Legal & General, New Scientist, Elsevier, Variety, Farmers Weekly.

I specialise in qualitative and user research.   The rich, actionable insight and consultancy I provide has informed advertising, brand and campaign development, service design, new propositions, customer experience, online services and websites.

I undertake in-depth interviews, UX observations and set-tasks, pairs, triads, focus groups, workshops, online communities and I've recently added semiotics to my methodologies.

I have a qualitative style that enables me to understand people deeply and quickly, making it an efficient use of time spent.     I join the dots of insight at a deep level rapidly.     This is partly because I connect speedily with respondents and partly because I have a strong business background which is focused on objectives, outcomes and commercials for end clients.

Software used includes:    Collaboratively on Google and Teams, Miro, Mural, Figma, Field Notes and Powerpoint for traditional outputs (with a visual twist).

About

I think I was born a researcher.   I am always turning over stones to see what's underneath and why.     I am interested in people's very different ways of looking at the world and experiencing their lives.   I'm particularly inspired by the deep drivers of people's behaviour and have a number of ways of eliciting that.

I am happy working either solely, collaboratively and iteratively or a combination.  Happily at home with collaborative work, which is so useful for digital service design and to the other end of the spectrum, at arms length, being in charge of the project and delivering the end result.

I've worked most recently with Sky, BTO and Cambridge University, Google and Phillips.   I've had a significant number of pharmaceutical, AI, tech and medical assignments.    Not only do I find the health and wellbeing of people intriguing, I am also studying traditional Chinese medicine for pleasure.  Therefore, these two latest developments continue to fascinate me.