United Kingdom
The bulk of the work: national healthcare, banking, government identity and retail.
See the case studiesWhere I work
Based in Manchester. Working wherever the problem is.
I am an independent consultant based in Manchester, covering UX, user research, service design, information architecture, conversion optimisation, accessibility and product strategy. Most work is delivered remotely, for clients across the UK, Europe and further afield.
The short answer
I am based in Manchester and work with organisations wherever they are. If you are in Greater Manchester or the North West, meeting in person is easy and I am happy to do it.
If you are not, it changes very little. The research, the analysis and the decisions all work remotely, and I travel when being in the room genuinely earns the trip rather than as a default.
Manchester and North West organisations I have worked with
Local work has been a real part of the practice rather than a line on a map. Manchester Airport, Greater Manchester Council, The Manchester College, Manchester City FC, Sale Sharks and AFC Fylde have all been clients.
That matters less for proximity than for context. Knowing how public sector procurement runs in Greater Manchester, or how a stadium handles matchday demand, shortens the run-up on a project considerably.
Most of the work happens remotely
Remote is the default, and it is not a compromise. Research sessions run better remotely in most cases, because participants join from where they actually use the product rather than from an unfamiliar meeting room.
Practically, that means scheduled working sessions rather than a standing presence, findings shared as they emerge rather than saved for a reveal, and a written trail your team can act on without me in the room.
Anywhere in the UK
London, the North, Scotland, Wales. Remote delivery with travel where a session justifies it.
Europe and beyond
I have delivered for organisations across Europe and internationally, working to their hours where it matters.
Greater Manchester
In-person workshops, stakeholder sessions and research are straightforward to arrange.
On your site
Where a service involves physical spaces or staff-facing systems, being there is part of the research.
When being in the room is worth the travel
Some things are genuinely better face to face, and I will say so. Kick-off workshops where a team needs to reach agreement, stakeholder sessions where the disagreement is the point, and research into services that involve physical premises or frontline staff.
The rest, which is most of it, runs perfectly well remotely. I would rather spend your budget on the work than on train fares that do not change the outcome.
Where the work has taken me
Manchester is the base. The work has run well beyond it, across markets with different users, regulators and expectations.
Philippines
Launching a digital bank into a new market for ING, with ambitions to scale further across Asia.
ING case studySpain
Vodafone TV, where what worked in one market could not simply be copied into another.
Vodafone case studyUnited States
A wide spread: the World Bank, a military training application for IED awareness, and a booking platform for the equestrian sector.
Germany
Research delivered through a German research consultancy, working into their client base.
United Arab Emirates
Asset integrity in oil and gas, where a misread interface has consequences out on the plant.
Singapore
A travel companion application, designed for people finding their way around somewhere unfamiliar.
Côte d'Ivoire
Gold processing plants, where the users are operators on a plant floor rather than people at a desk.
Mali
Gold processing again, for a second operation in the region.
Whatever you need, wherever you are
Every engagement below runs the same way whether you are in Manchester or on another continent.
Ready to talk about your project?
Every engagement is scoped and priced up front, with the same deliverables and timescales regardless of where you are based.
Still deciding?
Frequently asked questions
Where exactly are you based?
Manchester, in the North West of England. I work with organisations across Greater Manchester and the North West, throughout the UK, and internationally. There is no office to visit: engagements run remotely by default, with in-person sessions arranged where they add something.
Will you travel to us?
Yes, where it earns its place. Kick-off workshops, stakeholder alignment sessions and research involving physical spaces or frontline staff are usually worth doing in person. Travel within the UK is straightforward and is agreed as part of scoping rather than added later as a surprise.
Does user research actually work remotely?
In most cases it works better. Participants join from their own device, in their own setting, using the product the way they normally would, which is far closer to real conditions than a lab. The exceptions are services tied to a physical place or to staff systems, and those are exactly the projects where I will suggest being there.
LET'S WORK TOGETHER
Ready to improve your product?
UX, research and product leadership for teams tackling complex digital services.
Previous feedback
I had a fantastic experience working with Andy. One of his most impressive achievements during our time at NHS HEE was masterminding a deeply complex information architecture for a new platform that brought together a large number of legacy websites.
Will Parkhouse
Senior Content Designer