Human. Research. Heart.
Explore human experiences through market and social research.
...see what becomes...
My Services
20 years of experience in human research
Ok, let's cut to the chase - for your and the SEO!
My experience spans all phases of both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. I have extensive exposure to various approaches in research, including customer experience (CX), employee experience (EX), user experience (UX), and website content development. My expertise also covers human-centred design, design thinking, service design, communications, branding and ad hoc research.
This diverse background in research enables me to craft a bespoke, thoughtful solution for your human research challenges. My specific services include:
- Survey design, fieldwork and analysis
- In-depth interviewing
- Focus group moderation
- Workshop facilitation
- Customer journey mapping and service blueprinting
- Thoughtful and creative insight generation
- A storytelling and conversational approach to presenting findings
If you need a partner to help you understand your community, customers and users - people - let’s chat!
…and see what becomes...
Let me introduce myself
Hello, I’m Daim.
Time to get real - human!
I am an agender, neurodivergent queer person in the middle of my life (hopefully). I have been an active (and activist) member of the queer community for 32 years. I am a curious observer of humanity and have been described as a ‘flâneur’ by some – which am not at all mad about!
Professionally, I have a degree in social science and have been a practicing social scientist since 2004. I challenge binaries – thus have solid skills in both qualitative and quantitative research. I have used these skills in the both the public and private sectors, in design thinking roles and, more recently, have been exploring how to incorporate systems thinking into my practice.
I am Kahu to a beautiful senior rescue dog named Sharon. Though she has been my kahu as much as I have been hers - helping me to overcome some of the challenges I have had with substance use in the past. She loves humans and tolerates other dogs - unless said dog is chasing a ball, then she’s in the game - cheerleading or project managing (or perhaps a bit of both)!
I’m passionate about social justice and will advocate for marginalised communities where and whenever I can. I want to leave this world in a better condition than when I arrived. I don’t take myself too seriously (when I don’t have to) – I like laughing. Ohh, and I’ve dabbled in a bit of poetry where I explore love – in all its forms.
Nice to e-meet you!
It's all in the name
"Devient" is the third-person singular present tense of the French verb "devenir," meaning "becomes"
‘Devient’ is an evolution - a morphing of one thing into another - a constant.
The evolution
Many years ago, I tried starting a business but was not in the clearest frame of mind when I did it. I managed to score the name ‘deepdive’. I chose it because it reflected how I saw myself as a researcher – someone who liked to explore topics deeply. It also has my 3 initials DPV. Unfortunately, I couldn’t keep the business alive and someone else quickly snaveled up the name.
This time, I again wanted to incorporate my initials somehow while also sprinkling in something to do with research. Deviation was the starting point – from standard deviation in statistics. I also like the connection to the word ‘deviant’ as it links to my queerness and cheeky nature. With these ideas in mind, I started playing around with the spelling – Damian has 2 a’s but often people think there should be an ‘e’ in it – so what if I put 2 e’s in deviant?
I popped that spelling into Google – and voila! I found that ’devient’ means ‘is becoming’ in French.
And that was that.
One word that combines my initials, my experience with social science, my queerness...
...and the idea that I - and all things - are never fully finished but always ‘becoming’…
So, let’s see what becomes!
Words that shape my work
Cooperation
Cooperation
Cooperation
As a child, I loved Sesame Street and there was a real banger of a track they would play: "Cooperation makes it happen”. Life is better when we come together. When we foster customer experience through collaboration and facilitation, we learn more and can achieve greater outcomes. By taking a human-centred to research, we can inspire each
As a child, I loved Sesame Street and there was a real banger of a track they would play: "Cooperation makes it happen”. Life is better when we come together. When we foster customer experience through collaboration and facilitation, we learn more and can achieve greater outcomes. By taking a human-centred to research, we can inspire each other to reach higher ground and explore new frontiers. Competition is dead! Collaboration is the new competition!
Wonder
Cooperation
Cooperation
I walk through this world with a sense of awe, appreciating the beauty that surrounds me and remaining curious about what lies in the undiscovered realm of human experience. My approach to both work and life is driven by wonder and exploration. Through my craft - research - I can explore the nature of the human experience with a constant sense of playful curiosity - wonder.
Difference
Cooperation
Difference
Many poets, artists, and scholars have reflected on the idea that while we all share differences, these distinctions ultimately unite us. I celebrate this in my work. Human-centred design must embrace this. My work aims to enhance human experiences by asking critical questions: how can I include difference in my research? How can I ensure
Many poets, artists, and scholars have reflected on the idea that while we all share differences, these distinctions ultimately unite us. I celebrate this in my work. Human-centred design must embrace this. My work aims to enhance human experiences by asking critical questions: how can I include difference in my research? How can I ensure we design inclusively? I ask these questions at the start of any research work.
Care
Care
Difference
The people that have made the biggest difference in my life are the people that have showed they care for me – as a fellow human. I want to pay it forward and demonstrate that care in the work that I do – show care at every moment possible. This can also be interpreted as attention to detail, and while that is part if it, human care is
The people that have made the biggest difference in my life are the people that have showed they care for me – as a fellow human. I want to pay it forward and demonstrate that care in the work that I do – show care at every moment possible. This can also be interpreted as attention to detail, and while that is part if it, human care is the focus. This also means that I am willing to forgive mistakes on the path to bigger, more important things.
Play
Care
Play
I am playful by nature. I like having fun! Work doesn’t have to be starched and crisp and pinched. It can and should be fun!
Laughter puts people at ease and opens the door to new conversations. ‘Play’ also links to the ideas of doing something, action, iteration – core ideas in design thinking.
In my work as a human researcher, I remain open to ‘play’.
Human. Research. Heart.
Using human-centred quantitative and qualitative research techniques, let's connect with your people - with care - to find ways to improve their lives.
...see what becomes...