What we do?
To reveal the lived experience of under-recognised consumers
At Unheard Consumer, we amplify the voices and experiences of consumers who are often overlooked in business, social, and policy decisions. Through research, lived experience engagement, and innovation, we uncover valuable insights that help organisations create more inclusive, responsive, and sustainable solutions. Our work ensures that the needs and perspectives of diverse communities shape products, services, and systems for the better.
Our Research Areas
Ageing & Wellbeing
Understanding 'well-being' within an ageing context is crucial to designing products and services that enable elderly people to thrive. This research area explores topics, such as subjective measures, evaluation of aged care services, and consumer satisfaction among ageing populations. It also examines the impact studies in transition care and respite services, aiming to better understand how these experiences influence overall quality of life and well-being for ageing individuals.
Research Area Lead: Dr. Graham Ferguson
aDvanced research methods
Conducting research that truly reflects the voices of ageing consumers requires thoughtful and robust methods. This area examines research approaches best suited to elderly populations, including those with conditions like dementia. Topics include impact and satisfaction measures such as the NPS, phenomenological studies, and quantitative techniques within an ageing context, all aimed at ensuring consumers’ experiences are accurately captured.
Research Area Lead: Dr. Aziemah Othman
Independence and Connectedness
As people age, maintaining independence and meaningful connections becomes critical. Our research, including Ageing in Place initiative, examines how evolving social choices impact wellbeing and how innovation can actively support elderly consumers to stay independent and connected that supported by organisations or providers.
Research Area Lead: Dr. Saadia Shabnam
Ageing and Technology Adoption
Technology can provide many benefits for an ageing person, but adoption of technology is relatively low. This area focuses on how ageing consumers adopt technology, the factors that influence the adoption process, and how technology can be developed to better suite the varied and changing needs of ageing consumers.
Research Area Lead: Dr. Brian’t Hart
How we use the data?
Drawing this information together allows the research team to derive the core experience and the outcomes of that experience. This is important to inform the design of the core experience and to identify opportunities for improvement.
The breadth of experience data also allows the team to derive the nuance of the experience as different people from different cultures and situations describe different experiences. This can reveal more specific opportunities within specific target markets.
The lived experience research process (Phenomonology)
To reveal the authentic experience: researchers leave behind bracketing their expectations, listen to participants and probe for examples and evidence, then derive key topics and sentiment for reporting.
The research team collaboratively review the data to decide on the essential experience, components of that experience, nuances of the experience, and overall insights to be communicated. These are communicated in-vivo to the service provider to encourage complete understanding of the consumers experience and to give insights for service improvement.
Email: unheardconsumer@curtin.edu.au
Phone: 92663875
Live Experience Lab (B402.416)
Curtin University, 208 Kent Street, Bentley, WA 6102