Catia QuintasGet in touch

Vol. 01

A research & craft portfolio · 2020 — present

Design researcher.Deep listener.Creative.

I turn qualitative data into human-centered insight — a slower, kinder kind of data science. The one that listens.

Field guide · 01
Portrait of Catia Quintas
I am

Design researcher, deep listener, creative.

I live

Cape Town
Remote-friendly

I think

People before products. Evidence before assumptions.

I like

Photography · Crafting · Making

I work with

Diary studies · Interviews · Journey mapping · Affinity synthesis · Ethnography

I believe

“Research is data science that listens.”

A field-guide to who I am, what I think, and how I work.

Now reading

03 selected case studies — Oakley Meta · Apparel Elevation · Holiday 2024

Scroll

Selected work — 02

Three studies.
Many methods.

Craft — 03

Outside of work

The other
half of the practice.

Curiosity doesn’t clock out at 6pm. A few of the things I make when I’m not running a study — and that quietly make the studies better.

  • Frame 01

    Photography

    Seeing light and composition everywhere — the same attention to detail I bring to every research session.

    Hand-made

Selected frames

35mm · ongoing

  • Arched colonnade receding into light
  • London skyline across the Thames
  • Palm House interior after the rain
  • Glasshouse with cacti and hammock
  • Ornate spiral staircase in a Victorian glasshouse
  • Alpine chalet beneath snow-capped peaks
  • Cacti reaching toward a glass roof
  • Sombrero vueltiao resting on a cactus
  • Ochre and terracotta facades in Venice

About — 04

Profile

I’m a Design Researcher, deep listener, and crafter. My work centers on qualitative research and analysis — helping teams uncover the insights hidden within people’s experiences, behaviors, and stories.

Philosophy

Inspired by Indi Young’s idea of research as “data science that listens,” I combine rigorous analysis with empathy to understand not just what people do, but why. The job is to help product teams make a better next decision, with evidence they can defend on Monday morning.

Beyond research

When I’m not researching, you’ll find me crafting, making, and exploring creative projects that keep my curiosity alive. That same spirit of hands-on discovery feeds back into how I approach every study.

Based in

Cape Town, ZA
Open to remote engagements

Toolkit — 05

8 methods, used in combination

Methods are tools, not identities. The right study is the smallest one that answers the question.

  • 01

    Diary Studies

    Longitudinal behavior in context

  • 02

    In-depth Interviews

    Quote-driven understanding

  • 03

    Journey Mapping

    Emotional arc across touchpoints

  • 04

    Affinity Mapping

    Patterns from messy qualitative data

  • 05

    Survey Research

    Scaled, structured signal

  • 06

    Competitive Analysis

    Reference frames and benchmarks

  • 07

    Social Listening

    Language people actually use

  • 08

    Ethnography

    Lived experience, observed

P / 01Evidence before assumptions.◆P / 02People before products.◆P / 03Insights that drive action.◆
P / 01Evidence before assumptions.◆P / 02People before products.◆P / 03Insights that drive action.◆

Principles — 06

  1. P / 01

    Evidence before assumptions.

    Hypotheses are useful. Hypotheses dressed as conclusions are dangerous. Every recommendation traces back to a quote, a number, or a behavior.

  2. P / 02

    People before products.

    The product is a means. The person is the point. Research starts and ends with the human on the other side of the screen.

  3. P / 03

    Insights that drive action.

    An insight that doesn't change a decision isn't an insight — it's a slide. Findings ship as concrete moves, owners, and dates.

Resume — 07

CV · References on request

Want the long version? Eight years of qualitative research, distilled into a single page.

View CV