About

About our founder, Janice Hannaway

Janice is an empathic leader, a human-centred design research professional, therapist and coach.  She has over 25 years’ experience working with people with complex needs and trauma. She is an expert in understanding people’s complexity, motivations, behaviours and challenges they face. Janice was part of the NHS Digital Covid-19 Testing Programme and led user research throughout the pandemic. She also worked closely with senior civil servants on the development of the UK Government’s Grant Information System. Janice has successfully led teams through multiple GDS service assessments. 

Public speaking

Janice speaks about complex subject matter in relation to developing good services. This includes the barriers disadvantaged groups face when accessing digital services. In 2019 she spoke at the Service Design in Government Conference. Her talk highlighted the impact a lack of joined-up services has on victims of domestic abuse. She has also presented at Rosenfield Advancing Research and contributed as a panelist at GDS Design Day 2023, discussing design through a trauma-informed lens

Co-founding ResearchU Training Academy, Janice along with Jane Reid champions psychological safety and delivers CPD – Accredited ‘Introduction to trauma-informed user research’  training for design teams, employing a blend of therapeutic and user-centered design practices.

Links to podcasts and publications

Design Feeling Podcast

Unleashing the Power of Self-Reflection and Clinical Supervision in User Research

Risk, Reflection, and Recovery from Covid 19

Trauma-Responsive User Research : Human vs AI