Author exploring the intersection of human-centred design, operations and organisational transformation
I write about the principles, practices and systems that enable organisations to design better products, deliver more effective services and build sustainable human-centred design capabilities.
Drawing on over 20 years of international experience in UX, service design, user research and digital transformation, my work explores how organisations can move beyond isolated design activities to establish integrated, scalable and measurable research and design operations.
My writing combines strategic thinking, practical frameworks and real-world experience, providing professionals and organisations with actionable methods for improving how they research, design, innovate and deliver services.
Featured Publication
Operations Thinking – Research Operations
A practical framework for building, managing and scaling user research capabilities
Published 2023 | Peter Fossick
Research is fundamental to creating successful digital products and services. Yet many organisations struggle to operationalise user research effectively, resulting in fragmented practices, duplicated effort, inconsistent standards and limited organisational impact.
Operations Thinking – Research Operations addresses these challenges by introducing a systematic, human-centred approach to establishing, managing and scaling ResearchOps.
The book provides a practical framework for evaluating organisational maturity, identifying opportunities for improvement and developing the operational capabilities needed to deliver high-quality research consistently and efficiently.
At its heart is my Operations Thinking 8Ps Framework, a structured model designed to help organisations understand the interconnected components of effective research operations.
The Operations Thinking 8Ps Framework
The framework examines eight essential dimensions of organisational capability:
- Principles – Establishing values, standards and governance that guide research activities.
- Processes – Creating efficient, repeatable workflows that support research delivery.
- Practices – Embedding effective methods, approaches and professional standards.
- People – Developing the skills, roles, communities and leadership required for success.
- Places – Creating environments and facilities that enable collaborative research.
- Products – Selecting and managing the tools, technologies and platforms that support operations.
- Priorities – Aligning research investment, resources and activities with organisational objectives.
- Performance – Measuring operational effectiveness, research outcomes and business value.
Together, these dimensions provide a holistic view of research operations, enabling teams to identify gaps, prioritise improvements and build scalable capabilities.
From theory to practical application
Operations Thinking is designed to be more than a theoretical publication.
The book introduces a series of practical Operations Thinking Canvases, helping individuals and teams collaboratively assess their current capabilities, visualise opportunities and develop actionable improvement strategies.
These tools can support research and design leaders, practitioners, operations specialists and organisations seeking to establish or mature their ResearchOps and DesignOps functions.
Explore the book and the Operations Thinking framework.
Read about Operations Thinking
Beyond the Book
From ResearchOps to DesignOps and AI-enabled operations
The principles of Operations Thinking extend beyond user research.
As digital products and services become increasingly complex, organisations need integrated approaches to managing the people, processes, practices and technologies that underpin effective design delivery.
My ongoing work explores how ResearchOps, DesignOps, service design and emerging AI technologies can be combined to create more intelligent, responsive and scalable operating models.
Areas of particular interest include:
- ResearchOps and DesignOps: Developing mature, sustainable research and design capabilities.
- Service Design at Scale: Applying systems thinking and human-centred design to complex organisations and services.
- AI and Agentic AI: Exploring how intelligent agents, generative AI and automated workflows can augment research, design and delivery.
- Design Leadership: Building organisational cultures that support collaboration, experimentation and continuous improvement.
- Operational Excellence: Connecting research and design activities to strategic priorities, measurable performance and business outcomes.
My objective is to bridge the gap between strategic ambition and operational reality, making sophisticated research and design practices accessible, actionable and sustainable.
Learn, Apply and Develop Your Skills
Operations Thinking at IXSD Academy
To complement the publication, I have developed professional learning resources through IXSD Academy, helping practitioners and organisations apply Operations Thinking in their everyday work.
The Operations Thinking – Research Operations course introduces the 8Ps framework, practical tools and approaches to assessing and developing research operations capabilities.
Designed for user researchers, UX and service designers, ResearchOps specialists and design leaders, the course provides a structured approach to improving how research is planned, managed, governed and measured.
Turn operational thinking into practical organisational capability.
Explore the course at IXSD Academy
Ideas Worth Sharing
Writing, Speaking and Thought Leadership
Alongside my published work, I contribute to professional discussions about the future of human-centred design, service design, research operations and emerging technologies.
Through articles, conference presentations, teaching and professional workshops, I explore the challenges facing modern design organisations and share practical perspectives informed by international consulting experience.
I believe the future of design lies not simply in creating better experiences, but in building the organisational intelligence, operational systems and technological capabilities that make better experiences possible.
Let’s Connect
Research. Design. Operations. Innovation.
I’m interested in collaborating with organisations, publishers, educators and professional communities exploring the future of research, service design and AI-enabled product development.
Whether you’re interested in Operations Thinking, professional education, speaking engagements or developing research and design capabilities within your organisation, I’d welcome the conversation.
Let’s explore how we can make research and design more effective, scalable and impactful.
