Great decisions start with the right questions.
I'm Stephen Walker, a product strategist and researcher based in Melbourne. Lucid Thoughts is my consulting practice.
For 15 years I've worked with government, NFP and financial services teams where there's pressure to act, the assumptions haven't been tested, and the cost of getting it wrong is high.
Point of view
How I work
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The question matters more than the method.
Too often, research answers questions nobody needed to ask. I start by making sure we're asking the one that matters right now.
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Real people beat assumptions.
Talking to and observing the people affected is still the fastest way to find out what's true, especially when AI makes it easy to build on guesses.
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Research should end in a decision.
I stop when the insight is usable, and I present it so my clients can act on it.
Background
Background
I started my career in design and art direction, moved into user research and service design, then into product management. That mix means I can run the research, see the commercial implications, and help shape what happens next.
I've worked with and for organisations including ANZ, Australia Post, Jetstar, Telstra, TAC, Melbourne Water, Suncorp, Sensis, Latitude Financial Services and Ask Izzy, both directly and through partners including EY and U1 Group.
I hold a Graduate Certificate in Product Management from RMIT, and I've taught UX and service design at General Assembly and Academy XI.
Evidence
What changed for teams I've worked with.
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16,494
lists in the first three months
Commercial strategy and product framework that took a stalled platform to steady SaaS growth, with 3,957 referrals.
Ask Izzy · Strategy
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Years
still in active use
A human-centred reinvention of a dated rewards strategy, still the team's foundation long after delivery.
ANZ · Strategy, research
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2 weeks
to a confident decision
Remote testing at scale gave senior stakeholders the numbers to proceed with a compliance redesign.
Responsible lending · UX
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3 months
from brief to build-ready
A responsive rebuild that surfaced new product and service opportunities beyond the original brief.
SmartyGrants · Product
Working with me
Working with me
You work with me directly, from the first call to the presentation. When a project needs more hands, I bring in trusted specialists for recruitment, video editing or quantitative analysis, and I stay accountable for the result.
Have an important decision coming up?
Tell me what you're weighing up. In 30 minutes we'll work out whether a Clarity Sprint is the right fit.