British Red Cross logo

On-site user-led researchers tour the UK for insight.

Unifying the workforce to create lasting change

The British Red Cross mobilise humanity so that people in crisis can recover. Their reach is global and their staff are spread across 100 offices. Inside the organisation, change was afoot and longstanding issues were rising to the surface.


We stepped in to help them make sense of it and found:


  • Fragmented service

  • Inconsistent funding models

  • Unreliable data


Our approach


  • Improve business efficiencies

  • Develop and enhance regional services

  • Validate user appetite and new requirements

  • Inform an organisational transformation programme

Enhancements that stick


We’ve got form innovating with charities and we know that budgets are not only tight, but they are also highly accountable. Arming British Red Cross with the skills and knowledge to make these enhancements long-term was crucial.

British Red Cross wanted to track all enquiries and their outcomes with a new case-handling system (Beneficiary Relationship Management or BRM) and needed to show that the new processes suggested work for the staff and users.

Our answer was to show it in motion; to do some research and get a real picture of the issues across the organisation.

Elderly woman in wheel chair facing away from the camera

Not only did you completely get it, but you managed to see the value beyond BRM. I believe we made a significant contribution today to improve our customer journey. Great stuff, well done - so exciting.

Juliet Mountford
*Director of Innovation and Insight, British Red Cross

Users hold the key


Research runs through Nomensa’s veins and we know how potent a piece of user-led research can be. We went to 31 offices up and down the country to interview 294 of British Red Cross’s people including Operations Directors and Receptionists, volunteers and service users.

From these interviews, we created user journey maps and personas for nine key services and their users. These personas contain descriptions of behaviours, attitudes and backgrounds and gave us nine lenses to view the organisation through.

Using these, we were able to see exactly how and why British Red Cross services were being used, the technology used to access them, the time it took to process service information and the type of experiences staff and users were having. From here, we identified gaps in service across the country, flagging issues with funding models, management, staffing and resources.

We presented our findings through interactive workshops at British Red Cross HQ, to a range of staff from board members to service leads. They took away practical strategies to improve their services and were invigorated by a new vision: their regional services woven into a strong, cohesive cord that wouldn’t fray.

Our relationship with British Red Cross is built to last too. We continue to work together, enhancing their services through user experience research and design.

Let's work together

We believe that creating groundbreaking experiences that make measurable differences in the way people live takes a special type of collaboration. Our team designs impactful experiences by leaning on the variety of capabilities and expertise within Nomensa to ensure our solution is bespoke to your needs. We believe collaboration is key, let’s work together.

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User Research

User research provides a window into your customers’ world: from what they need to what makes them tick.

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