Fractional UX Research Lead by Holli Downs

Fractional UX Research Lead

Holli Downs

Contact for pricing

About this service

Summary

For when your team needs senior research leadership, not just another study. I offer strategic support and hands-on research for teams in motion—whether you need foundational insight or someone to help connect the dots.

Process

Step 1: Orientation & Planning We start by mapping your team’s current priorities, timelines, and known user gaps. I’ll propose a working cadence and the most impactful starting points.

Step 2: Research in Motion Together we’ll run the studies you need—from foundational discovery to usability tests—while keeping synthesis fast and findings connected to your roadmap.

Step 3: Insight Application & Enablement I’ll help bring insights into the room where decisions are made. That might mean stakeholder readouts, design critiques, or helping shape what comes next.

Step 4 (Optional): Building Research Systems Need repeatability? I can help your team adopt rituals and tools that make user insight stick—so it keeps working even when I roll off.

FAQs

How many hours per week is this?
Flexible. Most teams start with 10–15 hours/week and adjust as needed. We’ll scope together based on your needs and timeline.
Can this include doing actual research?
Yes. I’ll plan, execute, and synthesize user research—interviews, usability, even surveys—as part of this engagement. You’ll get hands-on support plus strategic framing.
What if we’ve never had a researcher before?
That’s fine. I’ll meet your team where they are and help build confidence around insight—from the first question to the next iteration.
What tools do you use?
I’m tool-agnostic and happy to work in your existing stack—whether that’s Notion and Zoom, or Dovetail and Figma.

What's included

Research Planning & Prioritization
A structured process to define research needs, scope questions, and align timelines with product cycles.
Insight Generation
Execution of user interviews, surveys, or usability studies—plus clear, synthesized findings.
Team & Stakeholder Enablement
Ongoing support for applying insights to roadmap planning, design critiques, or cross-functional decisions.
Scalable Research Systems
Templates, rituals, or documentation to build sustainable insight workflows within your team.

Skills and tools

Consultant

Product Strategist

UX Researcher