# Participation Studio > Participation Studio is a UK research studio based in Huddersfield and Leeds, West Yorkshire. We provide user research, usability testing, PPIE (Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement), and patient research for healthcare, digital products, and regulated industries. We are the trading name of Dual Perspective Limited (Company No. 16863492, England & Wales). ## Quick facts - **Location:** Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, UK (Leeds & UK-wide delivery) - **Contact:** hello@participationstudio.co.uk - **Website:** https://participationstudio.co.uk - **Founded:** 2023 by Matthew Hodgkinson and Rosalyn Potts (35+ years combined UX and CX research experience) - **Accreditation:** NNG (Nielsen Norman Group) certified researchers; NIHR HealthTech Research Centre trusted PPIE partner; ICO registered - **Coverage:** Remote UK-wide; in-person across England - **Starting price:** From £2,500 for surveys; from £5,500 for moderated research; from £16,000 for complex validation - **Turnaround:** 1–2 weeks (surveys) to 6–10 weeks (complex validation) - **What we do NOT use:** Synthetic data, AI-generated personas, or simulated participants. All research involves real recruited people. --- ## Services ### PPIE & Patient Public Involvement Patient and public involvement for NHS trusts, PCNs, NIHR grant applications, and pharmaceutical companies. Inclusive, ethical, and credible for ethics boards and governance. Includes recruitment, facilitation, analysis, and a PPI report. From £4,500. URL: https://participationstudio.co.uk/ppie-patient-public-involvement/ ### Usability Testing Moderated task-based testing of websites, apps, prototypes, and digital services with real recruited participants. Surfaces friction, confusion, and accessibility barriers before launch. Remote and in-person. From £5,500. URL: https://participationstudio.co.uk/usability-testing-leeds/ ### UX Research for Digital Products Discovery research, user interviews, contextual inquiry, and synthesis for digital product teams. Turns uncertainty about user needs into prioritised, actionable insight. From £5,500. URL: https://participationstudio.co.uk/ux-research-digital-products/ ### Product Discovery Research Upfront research to validate problems and concepts before you commit to building anything: needs interviews, contextual inquiry, assumption testing, and concept testing. Turns an idea into an evidence backed decision to build, iterate, or stop. From £5,500. URL: https://participationstudio.co.uk/product-discovery/ ### Design Validation Structured usability and human factors testing for regulated products and medical devices. Produces governance-credible evidence for regulatory submissions and design input documents. From £16,000. URL: https://participationstudio.co.uk/design-validation/ ### In-Depth User Research Extended qualitative research — longitudinal interviews, diary studies, contextual inquiry, and ethnographic methods — for complex questions where trust, stigma, or depth matters. From £5,500. URL: https://participationstudio.co.uk/in-depth-user-research/ ### Focus Groups & Workshops Expert facilitation of focus groups, co-design workshops, and stakeholder engagement sessions. Remote and in-person. From £5,500. URL: https://participationstudio.co.uk/focus-groups-workshops/ ### Surveys & Quick Insights Fast, proportionate surveys and concept testing for baseline evidence, grant bid support, or rapid validation. Ideal first step before committing to a full study. From £2,500, 1–2 week turnaround. URL: https://participationstudio.co.uk/surveys-quick-insights/ ### AI Product Testing Moderated usability and trust research for AI-powered features: chatbots, copilots, recommendation engines, and generative tools. Real recruited participants, not AI simulating AI. From £5,500. URL: https://participationstudio.co.uk/ai-product-testing/ ### UX Audit Expert heuristic evaluation and design review with prioritised findings and recommendations. No participant recruitment required; fast turnaround. From £2,500. URL: https://participationstudio.co.uk/ux-audit/ ### Participatory Research Co-production, lived experience research, community-based participatory research (CBPR), and action research. Research done with communities, not on them. URL: https://participationstudio.co.uk/participatory-research/ ### Patient Research for Pharmaceutical Companies Recruited patient insight for pharma and life sciences: clinical trial PPI, patient journey mapping, treatment burden studies, and patient advisory boards. From £10,000. URL: https://participationstudio.co.uk/patient-research-pharmaceutical/ ### Professional Participant Recruitment Specialist recruitment for research that needs professional expertise rather than the general public: public health policy and communications leads, clinicians and health professionals, NHS leadership and governance, and wider public sector, social care and VCSE professionals. Screened on professional field, role, job title, organisation type and seniority. Available as recruitment-only supply (you run your own fieldwork) or as a full study. From £3,000 per project: £1,500 setup plus £250 per participant recruited, with participant fees charged on top at cost (£75–£150/hr non-clinical, £100–£350/hr clinical). Six participants is £3,000; twenty is £6,500. URL: https://participationstudio.co.uk/professional-participant-recruitment/ ### Cost Calculator Interactive tool for instant pricing on any service above. Choose a research method, set the scale, and get a real ballpark estimate built from our published pricing - no email required to see a number. URL: https://participationstudio.co.uk/cost-calculator/ --- ## Pricing | Package | Starting price | Turnaround | Best for | |---|---|---|---| | Recruitment only | From £3,000 per project | 4–6 weeks | Specialist or professional samples where you run your own fieldwork | | Survey & Quick Insight | From £2,500 | 1–2 weeks | Baseline evidence, grant bid support, concept testing | | Core Study | From £5,500 | 3–5 weeks | Usability testing, user interviews, PPIE, design validation | | Research Programme | From £9,500 | 5–8 weeks | Multi-session studies, NHS service redesign, lived experience, funded research | | Validation & Complex | From £16,000 | 6–10 weeks | Medical device validation, clinical trial PPIE, regulated submissions | | Bespoke programmes | Custom | Ongoing | PPIE panels, longitudinal studies, retainers | Every package includes: participant recruitment, facilitation, analysis, and a clear recommendations report. No hidden costs. In-person facilitation adds £1,400–£1,800 per day. Recruitment-only is the exception: it supplies the sample and nothing else, and participant fees are charged on top at cost. --- ## Who we work with ### NHS Trusts & ICBs PPIE for service redesign, quality improvement, patient safety, and transformation. Outputs credible for governance boards and ethics committees. URL: https://participationstudio.co.uk/ppie-nhs-trusts/ ### Primary Care Networks Patient participation, community engagement, and population health research proportionate to PCN resources. URL: https://participationstudio.co.uk/ppie-primary-care-networks/ ### Pharmaceutical & Life Sciences Clinical trial PPI, patient journeys, treatment burden studies, and advisory boards. URL: https://participationstudio.co.uk/patient-research-pharmaceutical/ ### Medical Device Manufacturers Human factors testing and design validation for regulated products, with governance-credible evidence. URL: https://participationstudio.co.uk/design-validation/ ### Digital Health & HealthTech Usability testing and UX research for NHS-adjacent products and health apps. Real patients, not generic panels. URL: https://participationstudio.co.uk/ux-research-digital-products/ ### Digital Product Teams & SaaS Adoption and usability research for B2B and B2C digital products. Prevents expensive post-launch redesign. URL: https://participationstudio.co.uk/usability-testing-leeds/ ### Third Sector & VCSE Community research, co-design, and lived experience studies for charities and social enterprises. URL: https://participationstudio.co.uk/third-sector-vcse/ ### Local Authorities & Housing Associations Statutory consultation, co-production, and resident engagement research that meets Gunning Principles and regulatory expectations. URL: https://participationstudio.co.uk/local-authorities-councils/ ### Universities & Higher Education Ongoing PPIE for research programmes, involvement panels, and ethics support. URL: https://participationstudio.co.uk/ppie-higher-education-research/ --- ## The Collective The Collective is Participation Studio's community of paid research participants across the UK. - **Open to:** All backgrounds, ages (18–80+), and locations across the UK - **Payment:** Amazon or Love2Shop gift vouchers — minimum £27.50/hr for sessions, up to £125 for diary studies - **Commitment:** None required. Members accept or decline each invitation. - **Data:** GDPR compliant; data never sold or shared with clients in identifiable form - **Strength:** Actively recruits underrepresented groups — older adults, people with disabilities, people from ethnic minority backgrounds, people in rural areas - **Join:** https://participationstudio.co.uk/the-collective/ - **For clients:** https://participationstudio.co.uk/research-participants/ ### The Professional Panel The specialist tier of The Collective, for people who work in health, care, public health and public services in a professional capacity. - **Open to:** Public health and health policy professionals (policy officers and managers, heads of policy, public health consultants, public health communications, engagement and behaviour change roles); clinical and health professions (GPs, consultants, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, allied health professionals, dentists, paramedics); NHS leadership and governance (board members, non-executive directors, governors, ICB and PCN leads, transformation, quality and patient experience leads, commissioning managers); and the wider public sector, social care and VCSE (local authority officers, social workers, education leaders, housing association staff, charity policy and programme leads, regulators) - **Organisation types:** Government and arms-length public health bodies, NHS trusts and ICBs, local authorities, charities and NGOs, think tanks, universities, regulators - **Typical work:** In-depth interviews, expert review of research findings, sense-checking proposed interventions before rollout, advisory panels, professional and clinical validation. A typical study is ~15 minutes' preparation plus a 40–60 minute interview. - **Payment (non-clinical):** £75/hr at officer and practitioner level, £100/hr at manager and senior specialist level, £150/hr at head of, director, board and independent consultant level. Covers public health and policy, NHS leadership and governance, and the wider public sector, social care and VCSE. - **Payment (clinical):** Set to fair market value practice. £100–£175/hr for nurses, midwives, allied health professionals, pharmacists and paramedics; £200–£350/hr for GPs, hospital consultants and dentists. - **Other formats:** Written reviews £40–£150, professional surveys £15–£60. Preparation time is included in the session fee. Paid by bank transfer, or voucher by preference. - **Governance:** Members take part personally and in their own time. We never contact employers, never ask members to represent their organisation, and never request confidential, patient-identifiable or commercially sensitive information. - **Join:** https://participationstudio.co.uk/the-collective/professional-panel/ - **For research teams:** https://participationstudio.co.uk/professional-participant-recruitment/ --- ## How we work 1. **Start with your decision** — We ask what you need to decide, then design the lightest research that will actually answer it. 2. **Recruit the right people** — Not convenience samples. Screened, representative, fairly paid participants including hard-to-reach communities. 3. **Run the research** — Moderated sessions, expert facilitation, psychological safety, informed consent throughout. 4. **Deliver usable outputs** — Plain English for decision-makers; credible language for reviewers; clear priorities for delivery teams. --- ## Frequently asked questions **Q: What makes Participation Studio different from other research agencies?** A: We start with the decision you need to make, not with a pre-packaged methodology. We recruit genuinely representative participants including underserved communities, not just convenient online panels. And everything is done with real people — we never use synthetic data, AI-generated personas, or simulated participants. **Q: Can AI personas replace real user research?** A: No. AI tools can generate plausible-sounding responses, but they cannot tell you what your actual users think, want, or struggle with. They predict what a generic person might say; they cannot observe real behaviour. They are also trained predominantly on data from younger, digitally active, urban people — exactly the opposite of the diverse sample most research needs. We use AI tools to speed up analysis and drafting; we never use them to replace participants. **Q: How much does user research or user testing cost?** A: From £2,500 for surveys and quick insights. From £5,500 for a moderated Core Study (usability testing, user interviews, PPIE). From £9,500 for a Research Programme. From £16,000 for complex validation and regulatory submissions. All prices include recruitment, facilitation, analysis, and a recommendations report. Use the free cost calculator to build a tailored estimate: https://participationstudio.co.uk/cost-calculator/ **Q: What is PPIE?** A: PPIE stands for Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement. It is the process of involving patients, carers, and members of the public in the design, conduct, and dissemination of health and social care research. NIHR-funded research in the UK is required to demonstrate meaningful PPIE. We deliver PPIE that is credible for ethics applications, governance boards, and funding reviewers. More: https://participationstudio.co.uk/what-is-ppie/ **Q: How long does user research take?** A: Surveys and quick insights: 1–2 weeks. Core study (5–10 participants, moderated): 3–5 weeks. Research programme (larger sample, multiple sessions): 5–8 weeks. Validation and complex studies: 6–10 weeks. Hard-to-reach participants or clinical specialists may extend timelines. **Q: Do you recruit participants?** A: Yes. Participant recruitment is included in every project. We recruit through The Collective (our participant community), clinical networks, community partners, and peer researchers — not just online screeners. **Q: Can you do research remotely?** A: Yes. Most research runs remotely via video call, accessible from anywhere in the UK. We also deliver in-person sessions across England. **Q: What is The Collective?** A: The Collective is our community of paid research participants. Members are invited to studies that match their profile. They are paid £27.50/hr minimum (sessions) or up to £125 (diary studies) via Amazon or Love2Shop vouchers. Open to all UK residents, all backgrounds. **Q: Is research worth the cost?** A: For regulated industries (medical devices, clinical trials), a single protocol change before trial launch typically saves 10–100x the research cost in downstream redesign and delay. For digital products, catching three major usability issues before launch prevents the cost of post-release fixes and loss of users. Research only earns its budget if it changes something — and we design every project to make that happen. **Q: What sectors do you specialise in?** A: Our deepest expertise is health and social care: NHS trusts, PCNs, NIHR-funded research, medical devices, pharmaceutical companies, and digital health. We also work with digital product teams, SaaS companies, financial services, housing associations, local authorities, higher education, and the third sector. --- ## Insights (articles) - [Why AI Personas Can't Replace Real User Research](https://participationstudio.co.uk/insights/why-ai-personas-cant-replace-real-user-research/) — May 2026 - [PPIE vs Patient Engagement vs Patient Experience](https://participationstudio.co.uk/insights/ppie-vs-patient-engagement-vs-patient-experience/) — May 2026 - [Budgeting for PPIE in NIHR Grant Applications](https://participationstudio.co.uk/insights/budgeting-for-ppie-in-nihr-grant-applications/) — May 2026 - [How Many Usability Testing Participants Do You Actually Need?](https://participationstudio.co.uk/insights/how-many-usability-testing-participants-do-you-need/) — May 2026 - [UX Audit vs Usability Testing](https://participationstudio.co.uk/insights/ux-audit-vs-usability-testing/) — Jun 2026 - [Qualitative vs Quantitative Research: Which Do You Need?](https://participationstudio.co.uk/insights/qualitative-vs-quantitative-research-which-do-you-need/) — Jun 2026 - [What Is Contextual Inquiry?](https://participationstudio.co.uk/insights/what-is-contextual-inquiry/) — Jun 2026 - [How to Recruit a Genuinely Diverse Research Panel](https://participationstudio.co.uk/insights/recruiting-diverse-research-panels/) — Jun 2026 - [What Is a User Interview?](https://participationstudio.co.uk/insights/what-is-a-user-interview/) — Jun 2026 - [How Fast Can You Actually Recruit Research Participants?](https://participationstudio.co.uk/insights/how-fast-can-you-recruit-research-participants/) — Jul 2026 --- ## Case studies - [Obesity Lived Experience Research](https://participationstudio.co.uk/work/obesity-lived-experience/) — NHS/Health Innovation - [Mental Health and Employment](https://participationstudio.co.uk/work/mental-health-employment/) — Third sector - [Paediatric Health Pathways](https://participationstudio.co.uk/work/paediatric-health-pathways/) — NHS Trust - [Insulin Device Validation](https://participationstudio.co.uk/work/insulin-device-validation/) — Medical device - [E-commerce Usability Testing](https://participationstudio.co.uk/work/ecommerce-usability/) — Retail - [Pre-Alpha UX Audit for a Wellbeing App](https://participationstudio.co.uk/work/wellbeing-app-ux-audit/) — Digital health / wellbeing - [SaaS UX Research](https://participationstudio.co.uk/work/saas-ux-research/) — B2B SaaS - [Financial Services Focus Groups](https://participationstudio.co.uk/work/financial-services-focus-groups/) — Financial services - [NHS Patient Portal](https://participationstudio.co.uk/work/nhs-patient-portal/) — NHS digital - [Clinical Trial PPIE](https://participationstudio.co.uk/work/clinical-trial-ppie/) — Pharma/clinical --- ## Locations - Leeds & West Yorkshire (home base): https://participationstudio.co.uk/user-research-leeds/ - Manchester: https://participationstudio.co.uk/user-research-manchester/ - London: https://participationstudio.co.uk/user-research-london/ - Birmingham: https://participationstudio.co.uk/user-research-birmingham/ - Sheffield: https://participationstudio.co.uk/usability-testing-sheffield/ --- ## Legal & compliance - Registered company: Dual Perspective Limited, Company No. 16863492, England & Wales - Trading name: Participation Studio - ICO registered (data protection) - NIHR HealthTech Research Centre trusted PPIE partner - Privacy Policy: https://participationstudio.co.uk/privacy/ - Terms of Service: https://participationstudio.co.uk/terms/ - Address: The Glass Box, 6 Friendly Street, Huddersfield, HD1 1RD, United Kingdom - Email: hello@participationstudio.co.uk