How I’ve helped others
Here are some samples of past projects with an overview of the work performed.
Clover by 4-H
Won 3 Anthem Awards at the Webby Awards.
Services: Usability Testing
CLOVER is an online learning platform created by 4-H, the largest non-profit youth organisation in the U.S. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the demand for online education skyrocketed, prompting 4-H to create CLOVER as a platform that serves its young learners online. To ensure its success, I collaborated with Hi Mum! Said Dad to conduct Usability Testing with children, parents, and 4-H educators.
Objectives:
Understand user reactions and engagement.
Improve satisfaction and usability for children and young users.
Solution:
Collaborated with Hi Mum! Said Dad to conduct Usability Testing with children (8-16 years), parents, and 4-H educators.
Key Findings:
Activity Previews: Users wouldn’t sign up unless they could preview activities for suitability.
Sign-Up Process: Confusing layout and unclear buttons blocked sign-ups, causing frustration and drop-offs.
No Reward: Children expected rewards for finishing activities and became disengaged when they didn’t receive them.
Impact and Results:
Achieved 32% month-on-month growth, and 8x increase among minority groups.
Raised over $10 million for 4-H's mission.
4-H CLOVER won 3 Anthem Awards at the Webby Awards.
“Michael’s role in CLOVER by 4-H’s success was pivotal. His expert user testing and detailed analysis added immense value. The client was delighted with the insights that came from his findings and recommendations in his report and presentation. His ability to integrate into our team, combining working autonomously with great teamwork, really made the project run smoothly. His unique blend of professionalism and warmth makes him an invaluable addition to any team.”
Felicity Walsh
Senior Product Strategist
Hi Mum! Said Dad
Sphere
Saved £250,000 in development costs.
Services: Usability Testing and Product Discovery
Sphere was a community-based messaging and knowledge-exchange app with the mission of bonding people online. Sphere was led by CEO Nick D'Aloisio and venture capital funded ($30M+) by investors including Index Ventures, Horizons Ventures, Mike Moritz and Brian Chesky.
Objectives:
Validate new feature concept and identify any friction points for users.
Solution:
Conducted Usability Testing throughout design phase.
Key Findings:
Identified that users strongly disliked the proposed new feature.
Learned what users were not comfortable with sharing to their social circle.
Impact and Results:
Saved £250,000 in development costs.
Prevented a potential PR disaster.
Sphere's improved product experience contributed to its acquisition by Twitter.
“Michael’s ability to make people feel at ease created an environment where every user testing participant felt valued and comfortable, opening up a space for genuine, honest feedback.
This approach allowed us to gain a much deeper understanding of our users, transforming not just our product development process but making our product more meaningful to our users.”
James May
Product Manager
Meta (ex-Sphere)
Grapevine
Usability Testing significantly improved conversion rates and engagement.
Services: Usability Testing
Grapevine is an AI-powered communications platform for business travel. It partners with corporations and Travel Management Companies (TMCs) to send personalised, white-labelled messages to travellers at the right time and channel, driving hotel bookings, in-destination spend, and policy compliance.
Objectives:
Evaluate key issues in the email marketing and booking flows to improve conversion rates and user experience.
Identify user preferences, behaviours, and roadblocks in the booking process.
Solution:
Conducted Usability Testing with semi-frequent business travellers.
Key Findings:
Discovered the causes of the significant drop-off at the email stage.
Identified the key features users value most and areas needing improvement.
Impact and Results:
Significant improvement in both conversion rates and user engagement.
Roadmap for essential feature development based on user insights.
“Michael played a core part in a recent design sprint we undertook to help us better understand user behaviours on our platform. Through his structured usability testing, Michael helped us pinpoint areas in the user flow that needed improving.
His research gave us clear feedback and provided practical, actionable insights. Since implementing his recommendations, we’ve seen a significant improvement in both conversion rates and user engagement so I’d happily recommend Michael to others.”
Jack Dow
Founder & CEO
Grapevine
VPAR Golf
Increased app engagement and improved user experience.
Services: Product Discovery, Usability Testing, and UX Expert Audit Review
VPAR Golf is the world's #1 Golf App. Serving a range of users from amateurs and pros to Event Managers, the app's usability is crucial for success. Recognising the potential for improvement, I was brought on board to delve deep into the user experience.
Objectives:
Enhance app usability for a diverse range of users, from amateurs to pros.
Solution:
Conducted a UX Expert Audit and extensive usability testing to identify challenges and opportunities.
Key Findings:
Revealed complex usability issues and provided actionable recommendations.
Improved understanding of different user groups' needs.
Impact and Results:
Increased user engagement and app adoption.
Successfully bridged the gap in understanding user needs, enhancing overall user satisfaction.
“I hired Michael when I worked at VPAR. His thorough and insightful UX Research uncovered critical usability issues, resulting in significant product improvements, increased user engagement, and a better understanding of our golfers.
His ability to translate complex findings from User Testing and a UX Audit into actionable insights helped our team identify and fix these issues.
Not only that but, Michael is also a pleasure to work with: he’s collaborative, responsive, and easy to work with.”
Mark Wright
Head of Product
The49 (ex-VPAR)
Krayon
Discovered brand new key demographic.
Services: Product Discovery, Usability Testing, and UX Expert Audit Review
Krayon, an online marketplace for offline learning experiences, sought to better understand and cater to their target audience.
Objectives:
Gain clarity on customer needs and market opportunities.
Solution:
Conducted a comprehensive study, including a UX Expert Audit, usability testing, and product discovery interviews with customers and teachers.
Key Findings:
New demographic: Retired women emerged as a significant key audience for workshops, driven by themes of self-care and indulgence.
Key times: January and September were peak times for workshop promotions.
Impact and Results:
Provided Krayon with a refined target market strategy, focusing on the retired women demographic.
Positioned Krayon to better meet the needs of both teachers and learners, setting the stage for growth and expansion.
“I can sometimes find it hard to focus on solving one issue at a time, and Michael brought a welcome and much needed structure to working through the issues at hand. He methodically worked through a series of exercises that resulted in clear, actionable next steps. It was a very rewarding and enjoyable experience.”
Keith Farrell
Founder
Krayon
Burgogi
Improved User Flow for Better Conversions.
Services: UX Expert Audit Review
Burgogi, a premium Korean meal kit service based in London was struggling with their conversion rate.
Objectives:
Improve the purchasing process and enhance the user flow for better conversions.
Solution:
Conducted a comprehensive UX audit and heuristic analysis of the website.
Tested key user flows to identify pain points in the purchasing journey.
Key Findings:
The sign-up process created friction with unclear verification steps.
Confusion around delivery dates arose from conflicting communications.
Essential product details (e.g. servings and cooking times) were difficult to find.
Impact and Results:
Streamlined the user journey, improving the overall purchasing experience.
Increased visibility of key product information, leading to improved customer satisfaction and higher conversion rates.
“The expert audit conducted by Michael was a game-changer for Burgogi. His insightful analysis, direct approach, and practical solutions have helped us get straight to the point, see what the real issues were and what to do about it. I don’t feel lost anymore.”
Will Bai
Founder & CEO
Burgogi
And I can help you too!
Get in touch and we can discuss new project inquiries.
