Unveiling the future of market research: Conversation Design
Introduction
Epiphany is one of the leading strategic consultancies in the world. Market research is their foundation, the source of insight that reduces risk for global brands making high-impact decisions. My role was to explore what the future of market research could look like and to translate that into a real, testable and scalable direction.
I led the project end to end. I created the research and exploration approach, onboarded a multidisciplinary team of experts and guided the design and prototyping work. Our key discovery was that the future of market research sits in intelligent moderation. Not just collecting answers, but holding a conversation. A host that can understand, learn, adapt and gently challenge. Someone who helps uncover the reason behind decisions, not just the result.
Challenge
The industry standard was showing its limits. Surveys were long, transactional and often disconnected from how people think and speak. The experience was not enjoyable for consumers and it rarely uncovered the true motivations behind choices. Most research could tell you what happened, but not why.
We needed to rethink the entire experience. The question was simple but fundamental. How do we create a space where people actually want to participate and feel safe to share honest thoughts and feelings. And how do we design a system clever enough to ask the right follow up questions at the right moment.
Process
We started by examining the current model from both sides. We spoke with research consultants, product leaders and strategic directors to understand where insight quality breaks down. Then we interviewed consumers to understand how they experience research today and what would make it feel meaningful and comfortable.
From there, we explored the opportunity space through rapid idea generation. We sketched simple, rough storyboard concepts in volume to avoid early attachment. We mapped these ideas visually to identify patterns. One pattern became clear. Almost every strong direction involved a moderator. A presence that guides the conversation, asks thoughtful questions and creates trust.
This led us to shape the concept of an intelligent moderator. A presence that is not tied to age, gender or culture. Something warm, curious and steady. That is how Lisa was born.
Solution
Lisa is a conversational host that guides users through research in a way that feels natural and human. She listens, asks, learns and nudges when appropriate. She is not a survey. She is a conversation. Consumers feel understood and supported. Consultants gain deeper insight into the reasoning behind decisions.
The system sits on a structure of three actors. The moderator. The user. The research topic. Each can evolve independently, making the concept resilient and future oriented. The team and I also created a design system to support further development, ensuring consistency and scalability across studies and future platforms.
The result is not only a new tool. It is a shift in how research happens. From answering questions to sharing perspective. From data collection to understanding.
Reflection
Working on this project reminded me how deeply design can influence human connection. When we design systems that listen, encourage and respect people’s voices, the insight becomes richer and the experience becomes more meaningful. The future of research is not more data. It is better understanding.
The work behind the work
For the curious minds: how the sausage is made (but prettier). Process, decisions, prototypes, the whole thing.
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