Our approach

We use a flexible process based on user research and human-centred design. Our five phases ensure we meet project goals and connect with target audiences.

Click a phase below to learn more.
01

Project alignment

We develop a shared understanding of the project between our client and internal teams. This phase involves:
  • Understanding our client’s strategic objectives and constraints to refine project goals and expected outcomes
  • Creating a project plan and roadmap serving as tools to ensure ongoing alignment on key deliverables, timelines, roles and responsibilities of our client and internal teams
  • Engaging our key digital product, media, marketing, and design experts to shed light on creative, technical and dissemination considerations early in the process
  • Formulating initial user-focused research questions to be addressed in the next phases
02

User research

We identify the best methods and questions to uncover our users’ needs, motivations, constraints and behaviours. In this phase, we:
  1. Discover: We design research methods and instruments – from surveys to interviews, workshops or A/B testing protocols – that are tailored to project goals. Data is collected through both qualitative and quantitative approaches to uncover user needs, behaviours, and motivations, alongside contextual and policy constraints and opportunities.
  2. Define: We analyze findings to reveal patterns, challenges, and potential opportunities. We translate this research into user-focused, actionable insights, using diagnostic tools like personas, user journeys, and briefs that clearly articulate the problem and guide the solution phase.
03

Ideation and user testing

We leverage our research insights and turn them into creative and technical concepts ready for user testing. In this phase, we:
  • Refine and prioritize key problems through cocreation and ideation of creative and technical solutions
  • Develop prototypes of concepts and strategies
  • Implement user testing activities, like usability testing or A/B testing to test key concepts, such as key messages, storylines, visual ideas, and features for digital tools 
  • Iterate our prototypes with key findings and turn them into product ‘ideas’ ready to be built
04

Prototyping

We use user insights to refine our creative concepts and designs to develop innovative, fit-for-purpose media, learning and technology solutions. During this phase, we:
  • Ideate: We translate our strategy into design concepts and components by producing wireframes, styleframes and prototypes visually representing the project's structure, visual identity and content. These concepts are reviewed with partners for further refinement.
  • Prototype: The refined design concepts are user-tested to validate design and content effectiveness using methods such as creative and usability testing. We refine and iterate the deliverables based on user feedback until we reach a robust final version.
05

Solutions development and dissemination

We work with our client teams to design and implement communications and marketing strategies to enhance and assess visibility and impact. In this phase, we:
  • Recommend marketing strategies, media buys, social media calendars and more
  • Advise our clients on timing and scale of implementation
  • Prepare creative assets in multiple formats to support multi-channel dissemination
  • Design evaluation strategies and advise on continuous improvement

RESEARCH AND INSIGHTS

Our research reports, developed in collaboration with project partners, document our process, research findings, analysis, and recommendations. Our research informs our strategic advice and shapes our products, ensuring that every creative and technical solution responds to the real-world challenges and complex contexts of the people and organizations we support.

Transforming bright ideas into bold realities.

CASE STUDIES

Our case studies showcase our willingness to take projects on from inception and commit to hands-on research with audiences, including live user-testing, focus groups, and wide-reaching surveys.

Our approach

Complex problems require new thinkingWe merge ideas and practices from research, design and technology to develop research-driven, user-focused, strategies and tools designed to meet real needs. Our approach is flexible and collaborative.

Complex problems require new thinking. We merge ideas and practices from research, design and technology to develop research-driven, user-focused, strategies and tools designed to meet real needs. Our approach is flexible and collaborative.

Methodology

Case studies

Our case studies showcase our willingness to take projects on from inception and commit to hands-on research with audiences, including live user-testing, focus groups, and carefully crafted, wide-reaching surveys.

Transforming bright ideas into bold realities.