Zeeshan Abbasi
@zeeshanabbasi1
Senior user researcher shaping product decisions through discovery, ethnography, and continuous insight.
United KingdomWhat I'm looking for
I’m a senior user researcher with 10+ years of experience across marketplaces, logistics, government, and global organisations. I plan and run research that directly shapes product decisions—from in-depth discovery and ethnographic fieldwork to evaluative testing and continuous insight programmes.
In my current role as a Principal User Researcher, I lead strategic discovery across regulated and complex domains. I followed the evidence rather than a fixed plan, adjusting methods as early findings opened up unexpected directions—grounding decisions in what was actually true.
I’ve built detailed user workflows, mental models, and personas that create shared understanding and enable product redesigns. I also facilitate stakeholder workshops to build consensus around findings and drive adoption of new product directions.
Earlier, I grew research impact at scale—introducing remote unmoderated testing to cut turnaround from weeks to days, creating a research playbook to standardise planning and communication, and redesigning how insights were packaged to drive an 80% increase in research adoption.
Experience
Work history, roles, and key accomplishments
Principal User Researcher
Upstream Insights
Jun 2024 - Present (1 year 11 months)
Led a 10-month strategic discovery for a PE-backed logistics client, adapting the research approach as evidence emerged across the UK, Denmark, Belgium, and Germany to enable a full product redesign. Facilitated stakeholder workshops and shaped discovery for regulated-industry users navigating complex legal and compliance processes.
Ran usability testing, in-depth interviews, and surveys across recruiter and worker journeys, triangulating behavioural and attitudinal data to sharpen product priorities. Partnered with PMs and designers to translate insights into roadmap decisions and introduced lightweight research methods to expand coverage without losing rigour.
Conducted usability testing, interviews, diary studies, and surveys across buyer and seller journeys, triangulating qualitative insights with analytics to help product and design teams act confidently on evidence. Cut research turnaround from weeks to days with remote unmoderated testing and created a research playbook to standardise how research was planned, run, and communicated.
User Researcher
Citizens Advice
Jun 2019 - Dec 2019 (6 months)
Led mixed-method research across digital advice and scam reporting services, including usability testing, interviews, ethnographic research, and eye tracking. Embedded research within agile multidisciplinary teams to improve the quality and reliability of evidence used in product decisions.
UX & Insight Manager
British Council
Nov 2016 - Mar 2019 (2 years 4 months)
Owned insight strategy for higher-education digital products, leading mixed-methods research that informed product decisions across the portfolio. Designed a structured in-product feedback system for the Going Global platform to create a repeatable way of capturing user insight.
Research Manager
Universal Music Group
Jul 2014 - Aug 2016 (2 years 1 month)
Built and led a global continuous research programme across Universal Music Group’s labels. Drove an 80% increase in research adoption by redesigning how insights were packaged and distributed.
Education
Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework
Zeeshan hasn't added their education
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