Senior User Researcher · Defence & Government

James
NichollsUCD × AI

Available from

15 Sep 2026

Outside IR35 · Remote / hybrid · London–Kent

Evidence for complex services, from frontline operations to AI adoption. I work in government’s more complex corners — defence, justice, trade, weather — where services are high-stakes, regulated, and often behind a security fence.

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Where the evidence has travelled

Select an organisation to follow the evidence ↓
01 / EXPERIENCE
15+ years

Public-sector and international experience.

02 / RANGE
10 organisations

Defence, government, international and technology.

03 / DELIVERY
Discovery → live

Every GDS phase and service assessment.

04 / STANDARD
18 / 18

Perfect DfE GDS assessment as lead researcher.

05 / RECOGNITION
UN 21 Award

Presented by Kofi Annan.

06 / PRODUCT
Pre-launch

Research for a Google product before global launch.

Selected work

06 engagements · open for depth

Data Services — research across security tiers

2025–2026

Senior User Researcher · via Kainos

DiscoveryLive

Ten months leading research for the defence data services portfolio, including the department’s data and analytics platform.

More +Less −

The work

Led a multi-method programme across OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE and SECRET environments, including depth interviews, a diary study and moderated sessions with analysts, data scientists and RAF users. Set the portfolio research strategy and consolidated hundreds of refined insights into a governed user-needs repository.

What it changed

Identified and visualised cross-classification tooling and workflow gaps. Interactive evidence packs informed platform and investment decisions, while user evidence supported the department’s work on AI adoption and a new defence AI task force.

  • Depth interviews
  • Diary study
  • Moderated sessions
  • Research strategy
  • Evidence packs
  • User-needs repository
  • AI adoption research

Defence Support Hub — Check Stock Availability

MOD · Defence Digital · 2021–2024

Lead / Senior User Researcher

DiscoveryAlphaBeta

Frontline research reframed the problem around the information engineers actually needed to plan repairs.

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The work

Researched with frontline mechanical engineers and filmed sessions in barracks. Turned the findings into journey maps and a service blueprint, then helped shape a prototype microservice using the GOV.UK Design System — part of a wider Defence Digital run delivering discoveries, alphas and betas across Defence Support and Fleet Maintenance services.

What it changed

The research showed that engineers needed visibility of stock availability so they could make practical decisions about repairs and sequence work. The beta was approved across UK barracks, with potential for global expansion.

A soldier's hand moving paper prototype screens spread across a briefing-room table A moderated session seen from behind: a frontline user working through the prototype on screen Printed prototype screens laid out across a table between sessions

From the fieldwork: paper prototypes and moderated sessions, run on site with the people the service is for. Faces and identifying markings are kept out of frame or blurred.

  • Frontline research
  • Ethnography
  • Filmed sessions
  • Journey mapping
  • Service blueprint
  • Prototype testing
  • GOV.UK Design System

Supplier Cyber Protection Service

MOD · Defence Digital era

Senior User Researcher

DiscoveryAlphaBeta

Research across discovery, alpha and beta for the service protecting the defence supply chain’s cyber standards.

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The work

Delivered user research through discovery, alpha and beta phases for the Supplier Cyber Protection Service as part of the wider Defence Digital portfolio.

What it changed

Full case study in progress — happy to walk through this one on a call.

  • Discovery → beta
  • GDS service standard
  • Defence supply chain

Legal Aid Agency — “Means & Match” alpha

2025

Senior User Researcher

Alpha

Provider-facing evidence behind an escalation model and a client front door for self-initiated legal aid.

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The work

Led provider-facing research for controlled legal-aid work in private family law, housing and debt. Designed and facilitated interviews, usability tests and thematic analysis with legal providers, Citizens Advice and contract managers.

What it changed

Delivered the evidence behind a provider-escalation model and a client front door for self-initiated legal aid. Produced Miro journey maps, persona sets and prototype-evaluation summaries to align policy, design and delivery.

  • Provider research
  • Interviews
  • Usability testing
  • Thematic analysis
  • Journey maps
  • Personas

Met Office — national website discovery

2025

Principal researcher · strategic discovery

Discovery

Research that drove the information-architecture strategy for a national service used by millions.

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The work

Led stakeholder and professional-user interviews, card sorting and prototype testing for the national Met Office website. The work explored navigation needs across citizens and professional users.

What it changed

Synthesised the findings into journey maps, personas and thematic insights that drove the new information-architecture strategy.

  • Strategic discovery
  • Stakeholder interviews
  • Professional users
  • Card sorting
  • Prototype testing
  • Information architecture

Find postgraduate teacher training — a live public service

DfE · 2017–2018 · live today

Lead User Researcher

DiscoveryAlphaBetaLive

Research that became a national service — still live today, after a perfect 18/18 GDS assessment.

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The work

Built on a comprehensive school-focused discovery, then led the research through design and delivery: depth interviews, surveys and workshops mapping the end-to-end journey of finding teacher training — deliberately recruiting users with accessibility needs and varying digital literacy.

What it changed

The service passed its GDS assessment with a perfect 18/18 score and went live — it is still serving the public today. A wall-sized map of the entire journey and an empathy video of teachers’ real challenges kept every decision anchored to the user. Visit the live service →

  • Depth interviews
  • Surveys
  • Workshops
  • Journey mapping
  • Empathy video
  • Accessibility-inclusive recruitment
  • 18/18 GDS assessment

Visual research practice

Insight becomes useful when a team can see it.

I turn research into artefacts that designers, product people and decision-makers can use and get their heads around quickly — maps, models, repositories and evidence packs that keep the user present after the session ends.

01 / INPUTS

Research methods

  • Depth interviews
  • Diary studies
  • Ethnography
  • Usability testing
  • Card sorting
  • Prototype testing
  • Multi-cohort programmes
  • Stakeholder interviews
02 / OUTPUTS

Synthesis & artefacts

Journey mapsPersonasService blueprintsEmpathy videosUser-needs repositories
03 / TOOLS

Working surfaces

Sticky notes and the wall · Figma for personas and artefacts · Miro · ConceptBoard. The tool follows the thinking, never the other way around.

04 / SYSTEM

Ways of working

  • GDS Service Standard
  • Service assessments
  • Agile teams
  • Research mentoring
  • Secure environments
  • Regulated services
  • Cross-functional collaboration
05 / LENS

UCD × AI

AI in the workflow where it earns its place. User research into organisational adoption. Advice for safe adoption in regulated firms through Upkurve Ltd.

UCD × AI

Make AI adoption an evidence question, not a leap of faith.

01 / RESEARCH SUBJECT

AI adoption in defence

User evidence for AI adoption across MOD’s defence data services, including early research support for a new task force standing up AI development capability.

02 / RESEARCH PRACTICE

AI where it earns its place

Practical, daily use of AI and agentic tools in the research workflow. Interview depth stays human; tools support the work where they add genuine value.

03 / ADVISORY

Safe adoption in regulated firms

Through Upkurve Ltd, I advise regulated organisations on safe adoption — applying user-centred thinking to the people, process and evidence around AI.

The reading behind it — four questions, answered from the public record

UR × AI: state of play · 26 findings, each with its source →

What people say

05 voices from the work

01 / ACCENTURE

“I would thoroughly recommend working with James and adding his skills and experience to your team.”

Jim WheatleyService Designer, Head of Design & Research, Accenture UK & Ireland
02 / MOD

“His passionate commitment to user-centred design has been invaluable to our team.”

Andy GrahamProduct Owner, Business Modernisation for Support, Ministry of Defence
03 / BMfS

“I highly recommend James to any organisation looking to elevate their product through deep understanding of user needs.”

Laré AkinmutandeLead User Researcher, BMfS Programme
04 / GOOGLE

“James was great to work with — he made my life easy during a high-intensity workload by being very proactive.”

ClientGoogle
05 / SERVICE OWNER

“The research uncovered a far more critical business problem; Engineers could not see items available for issue, and so were unable to make practical decisions about equipment repairs.”

Patrick DeeBMfS Service Owner

Earlier record

Selected evidence · 2005–2020

DfEDepartment for Education — Lead user researcher, Find Postgraduate Teacher Training. Perfect 18/18 GDS service assessment.2017–2018
BEISDepartment for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy — Digital Business Identity alpha.2019–2020
GGoogle — User research and usability testing for a product before global launch.Pre-launch research
AcasDFID / INSITUM / Acas — Lead and supporting research roles across discoveries and alphas.Selected roles
UNUnited Nations and EULEX Mission — Communications and research in peacebuilding and justice reform.2005–2013
★UN 21 Award — Presented by Kofi Annan for humanitarian research and outreach work in the Balkans.Recognition

Education · BSc (Hons) Neuroscience, University College London · MA Journalism, Gimlekollen School of Journalism and Communication.

Available from 15 September 2026

Let’s talk about
your service.

Contracts via Upkurve Ltd · outside IR35 · remote or hybrid across London and Kent.

james@upkurve.comDownload CVLinkedIn