About us

At Stratos, we believe strongly in the power of co-creation — bringing customers, designers, and business stakeholders into the creative process — to get to better answers, faster. For us, co-creation is more than our method — it is our mindset.

Simply put: we believe all people are creative.

They are experts of their own experiences, and when given the chance, can provide compelling insight into a new strategy and collectively generate breakthrough ideas on how to improve them.

Most research today doesn’t tap into this creativity and expertise. It tends to treat people like passive test subjects — whose role is relegated to checking a box, rating an idea, or having people follow them around.

We aim to transcend “subject-centered” research and instead invite people to contribute as active participants — unlocking their passion and ingenuity by giving them the tools for expression and inspiration, and opportunities to share their unique points of view.

PARTICIPATORY DESIGN

Co-design is the act of creating with stakeholders (business or customer) specifically within the design development process to ensure the results meet their needs and are usable. Co-design may also be called participatory design – a term which is used more often within the design community. Dr. Liz Sanders, our key collaborator, is a world-renowned expert in participatory design. Her pioneering spirit is a big part of the growth of Stratos and our partnership with her is unique.

JOBS TO BE DONE

A methodology pioneered in the early '90s by Tony Ulwick and many others, Jobs To Be Done is based on the premise that people buy products and services to get ‘jobs’ done; and while products come and go, the underlying job-to-be-done remains constant.

SERVICE DESIGN

Service design, first codified in the early '80s by Lynn Shostack, is the activity of planning and organizing people, infrastructure, communication, and material components of a service to improve its quality. It focuses on interactions between the service provider and its customers to find opportunities to innovate.

CUSTOMER ARCHETYPES & PERSONA DEVELOPMENT

Carl Jung, the founder of analytical psychology, advanced the ancient concept of archetypes and the collective unconscious — the emotional drivers, personality traits, motivators, beliefs, and values that define the types of people you serve.

CUSTOMER SEGMENTATION

Customer segmentation uses quantitative methods to divide a customer base into groups of individuals to identify messaging and positioning strategies. The more you know about your customer, the better you’ll be able to focus on catering to their needs.