When teams are building quickly, understanding real user behaviour becomes critical. Sherlock helps organisations reach clear recommendations in 2–4 weeks through tightly scoped qualitative insight sprints.

01 // Who We Are
Who we are

Senior research and strategy expertise. Based in London, working globally.

What we do

Senior-led insight sprints for focused decisions. We keep scope tight, work directly with you, and end with a recommendation you can act on.

02 // Why we built this

Traditional agencies are built for bigger, broader research programmes. Sherlock is built for focused decisions that need clarity fast.

When the brief is specific — a proposition to sharpen, a route to choose, a narrative to stress-test, a market signal to decode — you don't always need a full agency build. You need the right people, a sharp method, senior interpretation, and a recommendation you can act on.

Sherlock is designed for that. A tightly scoped, senior-led sprint that gets you to direction in 2–4 weeks. We use AI where it speeds up the work and improves rigour — never where it replaces judgement.

From brand audits on luxury fashion houses to agile creative route testing, we take on work we believe we can truly deliver on — and we design methods that work in context, move at pace and deliver with purpose.

03 // How it works

Our approach

Week 1
Week 2–3
Week 3–4

01

Frame

Clarify the opportunity. Define the use case. Align on goals.

02

Design

Screener, discussion guide design, source the right participants.

03

Investigate

Senior-led interviews that surface what surveys can't reach. In-depth conversations with the people who matter. Clients are welcome to observe.

04

Decode

AI-assisted synthesis shaped by senior judgement. A clear recommendation, not just findings, delivered as The Digest and a live 60-minute debrief.

04 // What you get

The deliverables

Two outputs. A written recommendation and a live walkthrough to make sure it lands.

01 Written Report

The Digest

Your recommendation in plain English. The core finding, the commercial direction, the trade-offs, and what the evidence is telling you. Written to be read, shared, and acted on.

Delivered within sprint
02 60 Mins Live

The Debrief

A live walkthrough of the findings with your team. We take questions, test the recommendation under pressure, and make sure you leave with conviction and clarity on the path forward.

Live with your team
05 // Product

The Sprint

Focused scope  ·  Senior judgement  ·  Fast turnaround

Starting from

£12,000

+VAT · scope agreed at kickoff

A structured qualitative sprint for moments when you need a clear recommendation, not a sprawling research programme. A direction you can act on, with the evidence to back it up.

A typical sprint includes

  • Discussion guide and screener design
  • Recruited conversations, scaled to your brief
  • Senior-led interviews
  • AI-assisted synthesis shaped by senior judgement
  • The Digest — written recommendation report
  • 60-min live debrief with your team

Scope, sample size and markets agreed at kickoff.

Best for

  • Proposition sharpening
  • Early-stage concept or route testing
  • Message and narrative refinement
  • Expert or consumer signal on a focused strategic question
  • Unblocking a stuck internal decision

Not built for

  • Large-scale quantitative validation
  • Broad exploratory programmes with multiple workstreams
  • Projects needing extensive stakeholder management across many markets
  • Teams who want to fully delegate the thinking

Confidentiality

NDAs signed before kickoff. All participant data processed under NDA.

Sensitivity

We can anonymise your brand during fieldwork if the move is sensitive.

Observation

Clients are welcome to observe interviews.

Recruitment

Recruitment costs billed at cost and passed through transparently.

Estimated timeframe 2–4 weeks. Final timeline agreed at kickoff based on scope and recruitment complexity.

06 // Our work

Our team have uncovered strategic insights for the world's leading brands.

Meta Amazon Ralph Lauren Barclays Coinbase Google
07 // Questions

Who is this not for?

This isn't for brands needing statistically significant quantitative validation (n=1000+). It's for qualitative strategic direction. We also need your input at kickoff, so it's not a good fit for teams who want to fully delegate the thinking.

How do you choose participants?

We don't use generic panels. We recruit specifically for your sector using LinkedIn, industry networks, and specialist agencies. Consumers, creators, influencers and experts — whoever your brief demands.

What about confidentiality?

Standard NDAs signed before kickoff. We can anonymise your brand during interviews if the move is sensitive. All participant data is securely stored and processed under NDA.

Can we sit in on interviews?

Yes. Clients are welcome to sit in on interviews as observers.

What does success look like?

You know what to do next, and you can explain why. That might mean unblocking a stuck internal conversation. It might mean a crisper brief to your agency. Usually both.

How is this different from a traditional research agency?

Traditional agencies are designed for broader, longer programmes. Sherlock is designed for focused decisions where speed and senior judgement matter more than scale. We keep scope tight, work directly with you, and end with a recommendation built for the decision in front of you.

What's your cancellation policy?

50% refund if cancelled before recruitment begins. No refund once interviews are scheduled.

Get in touch

We're happy to hear from you at any stage.

Whether it's still a glimmer of an idea, or something that needed to happen six weeks ago. No polished brief required. Just tell us what you're trying to work out.