About

I am Tom Jackson, a freelance user researcher helping organisations make confident decisions about digital products, services, and investment.

My work focuses on three areas: digital transformation, performance optimisation, and digital strategy. In each case, the goal is the same: to help organisations understand their users, reduce uncertainty, and make evidence-based decisions about their investment in digital.

I am PhD qualified and bring 25 years of experience spanning digital project delivery, research, and higher education. I have worked as a Digital Product Owner, a strategic lead within a digital agency, and a university lecturer and researcher. That breadth of experience means I understand user research not only as an academic discipline, but as a practical tool for improving services, aligning stakeholders, and informing ambitious transformation projects.

I plan and deliver mixed-methods user research using qualitative, quantitative, and UX methods. I use research to generate actionable insight, define requirements, evaluate ideas, and develop recommendations that organisations can implement with confidence.

I work collaboratively, pragmatically, and with an absolute focus on delivering actionable recommendations. I design research activities around the decisions that need to be made, the constraints an organisation is working within, and the level of evidence required to move forward. I am comfortable leading research independently, working alongside multidisciplinary teams, and supporting senior stakeholders as a strategic partner.

I am more than happy to undertake full end-to-research projects, from design to reporting, but I can also join existing projects and team to add research capacity.

I am capable of undertaking user research within any sector but I have the following four specialisms:

Higher education

I have over 20 years of experience in higher education, both from within the sector as an academic, and through the delivery of ambitious digital projects whilst working for a specialist agency.

Universities, and other higher education organisations, need to serve multiple audiences including prospective students, current students, academics, researchers, industry partners, and the public sector. Their digital estates are often large, complex, and shaped by institutional structures that can make change challenging. The user research I conduct brings clarity to these complexities and allows higher education organisations to make confident, user-centred, and evidence-based decisions regarding their investment in digital.

I also have specialist expertise in helping universities distil their unique spirit and character through user research, and then communicate those distinctive qualities to prospective students through their websites.

Charities

I have worked with numerous leading charities and trusts, helping them increase online donations, illustrate the impact of their work, and meet their charitable objectives. Charities need to build trust, communicate value, and attract meaningful engagement with their content. The user research I conduct helps charities and trusts meet these complex and entangled priorities, ensuring every penny spent on digital products and services delivers a worthwhile return on investment.

Museums and galleries

I have undertaken user research with national museums and galleries. I understand the needs and priorities of visitors (both online and in-person), and the expectations of curators, archivists, and other sector professionals.

Taking collections online can be much more challenging than it first appears. The user research I conduct helps museums and galleries present complex material in simple and accessible formats, deliver engaging visitor experiences, and improve how their collections serve researchers.

Research organisations

I have extensive experience of working with research organisations and funders, through my academic career and digital projects with research institutes, foundations, and think tanks. I understand the importance of communicating complex ideas in ways that service specialist and non-specialist audiences, and ensuring digital platforms support both reputation and impact.