User
Research
Freelancer
I’m Steve Mellor, a freelance user experience and design researcher, NNg-certified, with over two decades of experience turning ideas into standout digital products and services.
This has been across many regions, most notably the UK, EU, and US.
I use mixed-methods research to fuel discovery, spark innovation and design, guide usability, and shape measurement.
I’ve built and led research teams from the ground up, transforming low-maturity environments into organisations where research drives UX strategy and decision-making.
Featured techniques
Jobs To Be Done
Discovery research is very effective when the user’s specific tasks are explored.
This method will identify a wide range of unmet needs in situations where people are highly dissatisfied, indicating promising innovation opportunities.
User Testing
User testing can apply to a product at any point in its lifecycle and can be tackled in a number of ways.
When I am asked to run user testing, I always stop to interrogate the objectives, as they will provide the evidence needed to determine the research method.
Research thinking
Calculating and communicating the ROI of UX research
(September 2026) UX research is often seen as a “nice-to-have” when budgets tighten, yet its real value lies in preventing expensive mistakes,...
Freelance UX researcher vs agency: Which makes sense for your team?
(August 2026) Product teams frequently ask whether they should hire an agency or bring in a freelance researcher. Having worked inside large...
UX research analysis assistant Claud skill
(April 2026) I created a skill within Claud that anyone can use. When compared with the Chat GPT I built a year ago, it's faster and completes...