An investigator’s journey to find the human face of research
Interested in looking at human behavior more holistically, former corporate investigator Shaun Sandu changed careers to become a Senior User Researcher. He talks about his journey and what attracted him to developing his practice at Zalando.
User research at Zalando is an exciting space to work in if you’re a people person. As Senior User Researcher, Shaun Sandu, reflects, “It is interesting that Zalando refers to it as user research, rather than UX research, because it already signals that it’s about the person we are researching.” For Zalando’s Voice of Customers team, user research is a journey of human discovery that starts with curiosity and ends with product innovation.
This mature allure was precisely the reason Shaun chose Zalando above other big European companies when he moved from Singapore to develop his practice early this year. Shaun specializes in qualitative research in the area of Inspiration & Advice, focused on how and why customers evolve their fashion choices. Prior to becoming a UX Researcher in 2019, Shaun worked as a Corporate Investigator, assessing the risks of potential business partners — or as he frankly puts it, “looking for ‘the dirt.’”
How has working as a User Researcher at Zalando allowed Shaun to look at human behavior more holistically? We chatted to him about his unique career journey.
Why the move to UX research?
My core skill set as an investigator was using spycraft — intelligence work that was adapted from government intelligence agencies and applied to the private sector. We used words like agent, handler and assets. For example, if I was trying to get information about a company in Myanmar, I would have agents on the ground asking questions. The methodology is interesting, but it’s not especially complicated or complex.
After some time, I realized that I wasn’t really learning much anymore, because there’s a limit to how experimental you can be with the methodology. Also, there was a lack of variety, because, as an investigator, I was usually looking for ‘the dirt’: risks that our client might be facing, like unethical behavior or a negative reputation. I didn’t usually get into the depth of someone’s character. I realized I wasn’t getting to the nub of what I was interested in, which was why people make the decisions that they do.
“I saw in UX research the ability to make an immediate and tangible impact on products. I wanted to understand, in depth, a variety of different topics and people.”
In that company, there wasn’t really a path to becoming a senior contributor. I was working in a consultancy, so after about six years, I was pushed onto the management track. For that reason, I decided to look for a new industry to go into. UX research stood out to me as a particularly interesting field, because it’s still relatively new. It’s growing and it’s methodologically quite diverse. People are willing to experiment and try new methods to see what works. I saw, in UX research, the ability to make an immediate and tangible impact on products. I wanted to understand, in depth, a variety of different topics and people, and I knew I would have that opportunity.
Why the move to Europe?
It was important for my professional goals to do research in another part of the world, where I’m less familiar with the culture and the language. I wanted to test my knowledge and abilities, and to see the world through other people’s eyes. Europe was my main focus — as opposed to the US, for example — due to a healthy work-life balance. My options for countries with a high level of UX research maturity were London, Berlin and Amsterdam. I was drawn to Berlin the most because it has a unique reputation as a home for alternative and underground subcultures, and also because of the concentration of leading companies which welcome English speakers.
I knew I wanted to join a company which had a very developed user research practice. Previously, in the agency I was working at, I was the only dedicated researcher in a team of 25, which mostly comprised Product Designers and Product Managers. That was quite a challenge, especially since I was new to the industry. I felt like I needed to be in a company with other senior researchers from whom I could learn.
“It’s very much about journeys, emotions, and mental models — appreciating people from a variety of different angles.”
Why Zalando?
On the levels of specialization and impact, Zalando is the most mature of the companies I got offers from. Zalando is focused on the customer experience, while other companies tend to be more about process and optimization. The area I’m focused on is fashion inspiration and advice, which is really core to the human experience as a signifier of cultural identity. It’s very much about journeys, emotions, and mental models — appreciating people from a variety of different angles.
At Zalando, there are quantitative and qualitative researchers. There is also a dedicated analytics team, which is a really good sign of a mature practice.
An additional sign is the impact. User research at Zalando is not only guiding specific features or products, but strategic decisions in the company. How I recognized this was understanding more about embedded user research — a critical practice that set Zalando above other companies. There are embedded researchers within the Circularity and Size & Fit areas, for example, which influence multiple products and services provided by Zalando across different touchpoints.
At the same time, User Researchers are part of a larger research community, and regularly sync with each other for tips, feedback, and knowledge exchange. The research we do has the potential to generate entirely new products and services, and also to refine groups of products.
That level of impact and maturity really drew me to Zalando, and that was quite unique among the companies I interviewed at. I wanted to join a company where research was proactively guiding decision-making, rather than trying to retroactively validate a decision that a Product Manager had already made. User research at Zalando looks beyond products into a very foundational level of how customers think and behave. My role as an embedded researcher gives me the opportunity to do this deep foundational research.
How do you see your career developing?
I’m deeply interested in core aspects of the human experience. You can look at these aspects from various different types of research: UX research, market research, or even brand strategy. In terms of my career growth, I currently see myself as a User Researcher, or UX Researcher, but in the future, I could see myself as a Market Researcher or a Brand Researcher, or something else entirely.
This particular role gives me the ability to pivot into various different areas, while also having the ability to learn from very dedicated and experienced User Researchers in the rest of the Voice of Customers practice. In this sense, I have the best of both worlds. I’m able to do the foundational exploratory research I’m interested in, while also learning how it’s applied to a product in a granular, detailed way. Another huge plus about Zalando is the option to grow into a Principal Researcher role, rather than having to progress onto a management track.
“I love the culture of appreciating the people you work with as humans, not just colleagues.”
What else do you enjoy about your job?
I love the culture of appreciating those you work with as people, not just colleagues. I felt that very strongly when I came to Zalando. People take the time at the start and the end of meetings to get to know each other personally, rather than just diving straight into work. I remember in my work meetings in Singapore, you would just get on the call and immediately talk about work. It felt very transactional, which is not a comfortable feeling.
At Zalando, although we have been working remotely, we make the effort to meet in person. Even if we can’t meet in person, people are very willing to take the time to do one-on-ones. If meetings end early, we often stay on to have a chat about our personal lives. As someone who has relocated from another country, it’s really great to be part of a community and to build friendships this way.
Ready to make an impact on products through evaluative and generative research? Check out our current openings for Senior User Researchers.
