Human-Centered Design Research

Real insight from real people—before you rebrand, launch, or campaign.

For mission-driven teams who want to understand their audience, before making big moves.

This service is for:

  • Nonprofits looking to rebrand or relaunch with community buy-in

  • Service-based businesses who want to grow without guessing

  • Marketing teams planning major campaigns

  • Founders pivoting or evolving their offers—and needing clarity

Human-Centered Design Research

Research methods may include:

  • 1:1 stakeholder or audience interviews

  • Focus group design, recruitment, and facilitation

  • Custom surveys with synthesis and insights

  • Brand perception testing

  • Competitive analysis and benchmarking

  • Key messaging and positioning recommendations

Deliverables may include:

  • Interview or focus group transcripts

  • Survey results with key themes

  • Insight deck or findings report

  • Brand or campaign strategy brief

  • Recommendations for design, messaging, and audience engagement

Why Human-Centered Design?

People before pixels. Strategy before style.

Human-Centered Design (HCD) is a collaborative, empathy-based approach to building brands and campaigns that actually work—because they’re built around what real people think, feel, and need.

I combine qualitative research, storytelling, and strategic synthesis to help you:

  • Find your ideal audience (and learn how they talk)

  • Avoid costly missteps before you build

  • Create messaging that resonates

  • Make inclusive, informed, people-first decisions

This isn’t surface-level feedback. It’s strategic clarity, grounded in real voices.

Testimonials

  • “Working with Mackenzie was a turning point in how we approached storytelling and strategy. She led the brand audit and helped us rethink how we communicate with students across California. From strategy to scripting to final visuals, her leadership made the entire process seamless—and deeply impactful. The result was a campaign that felt authentic, inclusive, and exactly what we needed to connect with real students and families.”

    California Student Aid Commission

    (Project completed while serving as Creative Director at Uptown Studios)

  • "Mackenzie's review of our statewide public health survey was thoughtful, thorough, and packed with actionable insights. She pulled out clear themes and messaging strategies we could actually use. We had plenty of robust information to inform our decisions through this human-centered design survey research. Thank you Mackenzie! We really appreciate it.”

    California Department of Public Health

  • “Mackenzie played a key leadership role in helping us reach Sacramento County’s hardest-to-count communities for the 2020 Census. She led human-centered design workshops that brought community voices into the strategy from the start, and guided the creative direction for a campaign that felt personal, accessible, and empowering. From messaging to social media to print and video, every element was rooted in equity and empathy. Her work helped us mobilize trusted messengers, equip local leaders, and build a grassroots movement to ensure everyone was counted.”

    Sacramento County Census 2020 Outreach Team

    (Project completed while serving as Creative Director at Uptown Studios)

Case Studies

  • Helping AMI Staging refine their brand with insights from top San Francisco real estate agents

    Strategic Rebrand Rooted in Human-Centered Design

  • Human-centered research drives messaging that shifts perceptions and strengthens California Student Aid Commission's impact

    CSAC Brand Audit & Storytelling Strategy

  • Community-driven insights shape an inclusive campaign that boosts Census participation across Sacramento County

    Data-informed, people-first campaign

View All Work