Case Study
Product Management
Product succeeds when it is grounded in real customer behaviour, not assumptions. My work spans higher education, digital platforms, heritage, and multi‑stakeholder environments — focused on validating need, reducing risk, modernising workflows, and shaping product direction with evidence.
Customer‑centred discovery
I design and run discovery programmes that surface real user needs, test hypotheses early, and build confidence in product direction. This includes structured interviews, alpha and beta testing, feedback loops, and cross‑regional engagement.
Evidence‑based product direction
Product decisions carry risk. I reduce that risk by validating assumptions with real users, synthesising insights across institutions, and translating findings into actionable product direction and a defined roadmap.
Workflow modernisation & capability expansion
Many of my product engagements involve redesigning legacy workflows or integrating external systems — library discovery tools, acquisition platforms, content providers, or booking systems — to unlock the workflows customers need.
Case Studies
These examples illustrate how discovery, workflow redesign, customer engagement, and API‑driven development shaped product direction and improved customer outcomes.
Zero‑to‑One: Greenfield Assessment Platform
Digital Textbook & Assessment Provider — UK
Challenge: A new instructor assessment platform with no existing product, no defined scope, and no internal precedent.
What I did: Took the product from concept to focus‑group‑ready. Defined the roadmap, set the MVP boundary, prioritised the backlog, and led delivery across engineering, design, and marketing. Embedded analytics requirements from the outset so engagement could be measured from day one.
Outcome: A validated concept with real users and later validated again by the market when the business acquired a mature product in the same category.
Product Practice That Outlasts Me
Cross‑team Product & Business Environments
Challenge: Product practice often depends on individuals rather than systems — making it fragile when teams grow or change.
What I did: Mentored 16 product managers, business analysts, and interns; built Centres of Excellence and Communities of Practice; ran retrospectives and facilitated cross‑team alignment. Designed operating rhythms and documentation systems that made good technique repeatable.
Outcome: Teams that kept the practice after I left, because it was built into how they worked rather than held by one person.
Legacy Workflow Modernisation — Adoption Proven
Reading List Platform — UK Higher Education
Challenge: A bookmarking workflow unchanged for 15–20 years created manual rework for librarians wherever the platform failed to talk to discovery and acquisition systems.
What I did: Ran structured discovery across 17 universities, rebuilt the workflow, delivered API integrations, and progressed accessibility governance from WCAG 2.1 to 2.2 AA. Used alpha/beta experimentation frameworks to validate adoption before general release.
Outcome: 94% adoption within six months across 100+ universities, eliminating manual rework and strengthening renewal confidence.
Reading List Discovery & Purchase Acquisition
Higher Education SaaS Platform — UK
Challenge: A library software platform with 100+ university customers needed smoother workflows — customers were moving between multiple systems to complete purchase acquisitions.
What I did: Coordinated with Customer Success to identify trusted librarians, ran alpha testing, structured feedback loops, and collaborated with vendors (WorldCat, GOBI, OASIS, Ebook Central, Browns Books) to deliver API integrations.
Outcome: Validated customer need for seamless discovery and ordering within a single platform, reducing friction and enabling faster acquisition workflows.
Customer Engagement & Product Discovery
Higher Education SaaS Platform — UK
Challenge: A platform with 100+ university customers needed to re‑engage institutions and validate development focus.
What I did: Led discovery with librarians across UK, North America, and APAC; ran alpha and beta tests; facilitated webinars; and built a structured feedback loop.
Outcome: 80% increase in measurable customer engagement and clearer product direction.