Pragmatism

Pragmatism is the philosophy of designing solutions that will really work. Our focus is upon the importance of practical effects and their impact upon policy makers, businesses and individual citizens.

We are not idealistic or formulaic in our approach; we understand that projects need strict timetables and budgets. No two studies are the same and each one requires fresh thinking and a personalised approach. The result is that we often recommend innovative and hybrid solutions, not predictable techniques.

A shared journey

We like to think of ourselves as not just researchers, but explorers. We usually have a clear idea about where we’re heading, but keep an open mind about what we will find or come across along the way.

Very often our clients like to share the journey with us; put on their rucksacks and come exploring. As a small team we work best when we’re in close partnership with clients, sharing knowledge at every step of the way. We’re typically the project leaders, but always encourage inquisitive clients to come along on as much or as little of the journey as they like. This might be simply be sitting in on some focus groups, or, as on a recent project, accompanying us on a trip to Ethiopia and conducting a series of depth interviews alongside us.

360 degrees

We believe that the best way to become informed is to explore in every direction, to learn from wherever we can and not overlook the unexpected. We often recommend samples with a diverse range of respondents. These might include; customers, potential customers, service providers, employees, NGOs, industry experts, journalists, thought leaders and policy makers.