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Research & Design

We diagnose problems with research and data, then design the options and compare them with real people, online or in the field, before you commit the budget.

Typical questions

“What is really driving the problem, and which option will people actually respond to?”

For: A policy, service, programme, product, message or campaign you are about to design, change or launch.

What we do

  • Frame the challenge in precise, testable terms, and review the data, reports and policies you already have.
  • Hear from the people who matter through surveys, interviews, focus groups and participatory labs.
  • Map the processes, rules and incentives that shape choices, and model the trade-offs people face.
  • Design the options worth comparing: messages, services, defaults, incentives, timing and channels.
  • Compare them side by side with real people in a fair experiment, with the analysis planned in advance.

Methods we draw on

  • Surveys and focus groups
  • Evidence reviews
  • Stakeholder workshops
  • Survey and conjoint experiments
  • A/B tests and field trials
  • Service design
  • Pre-analysis plans

What you receive

  • A diagnosis of root causes and the levers for change
  • Which option works best, and how confident we are
  • What to change before launch, with designs and copy ready to use

What you can test

  • Messages and letters
  • Policy options
  • Service changes
  • Campaigns
  • Products and prices

How a test works

  1. 01

    Agree the question and options

  2. 02

    Design the test

  3. 03

    Run it with real people

  4. 04

    Deliver the answer

Formats

  • Online survey experiment
  • Field trial
  • A/B test on your own channels
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Timeline and price

Timeline
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Price
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Example

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Also from Ethos Lab

  • Evaluation & Impact

    Know what changed, for whom, and whether it was worth it.

    Explore Evaluation & Impact

  • Scale up

    Take what works further, and make it last.

    Explore Scale up

What do you need to know?

Tell us about the decision in front of you, the idea you want to test or the programme you need to evaluate. We will reply within two working days with an honest view of what we could find out.

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