by What is the Future of Qualitative Research? Exploring Human-Centered Insights with Capital.com
Interview with Qual360 Europe speaker – Serenella Bardeggia, Director of Research at Capital.com
As we approach the upcoming Qual360- Qualitative Research Summit in Berlin, we had the pleasure of speaking with one of our presenters, Serenalla Bardeggia. With a career spanning 15 years in User Experience (UX), Serenella ventured across a multitude of industries and roles, always with a relentless focus on enhancing the customer experience. Before her current role at Capital.com, where she was immersed in the trading industry and financial services, She spent transformative years leading user research at Photobox, VTS and Zoopla. These experiences have instilled in her a profound passion for fostering even greater customer-centricity in businesses. Serenella’s primary mission is to drive impactful change by empowering businesses to make strategic, user-centred decisions based on invaluable user insights.
QUAL: Without giving too much away – what is the core message of your talk and what would you like delegates to remember?
Serenella: The core message of my talk is about the importance of leveraging user insights coming from Product, Marketing, and Research activites effectively to improve the user experience and drive customer satisfaction.
Companies gather invaluable feedback from multiple sources, such as sales and support conversations, user research, social media, and review platforms like Trustpilot, Google Play, and the Apple Store. The challenge lies not just in collecting this feedback but in finding a structured way to store, analyze, and integrate it into internal processes.
I want delegates to remember that managing these insights is key to making informed, customer-centric decisions. By prioritizing user feedback—balancing innovation with addressing pain points—companies can address both product improvement and customer loyalty.
The goal is to create a continuous feedback loop where insights are actively used to refine the user experience, ensuring that the customer voice drives meaningful change.
QUAL: What motivates you to join the Qual360 Europe conference and what are your expectations?
Serenella: The Qual360 Europe conference represents a great opportunity to connect with industry leaders and researchers who are at the forefront of qualitative insights.
This conference brings together diverse perspectives on how to approach user insights, and being part of this community allows me to not only learn from other’s successes and challenges but also to share my own experiences and insights.
This will be my first in-person conference since COVID-19, so I’m excited to meet and reconnect with fellow insight experts face-to-face.
I hope to gain practical ideas and explore emerging AI techniques in data analysis and feedback interpretation. I’m eager for conversations that dive into innovative methods of embedding qualitative insights into strategic decision-making.
QUAL: What is the place of qualitative market research today, and where do you see the industry heading?
Serenella: Companies increasingly recognize the value of understanding customer motivations and behaviors. It provides deep insights that quantitative data alone cannot capture, helping organizations build empathy with their users. Because of that I think it is crucial to build a framework that incorporate insights across the board and make stakeholders act upon them.
As for the future, I believe we will see a shift towards more collaborative research approaches, where researchers, stakeholders, and users work closely together to co-create solutions. This collaborative mindset will lead to richer insights and drive innovation in a rapidly changing market landscape.
Additionally, I see the industry evolving with a greater emphasis on integrating qualitative research with advanced technologies like AI and machine learning. This integration will enhance our ability to analyze vast amounts of qualitative data efficiently.
QUAL: Tell us one qualitative research stereotype you´d like to reinforce, and one stereotype that you´d like to overcome.
Serenella: One stereotype I’d like to reinforce is that qualitative research is essential for uncovering the “why” behind customer behaviors. It’s about diving deep into the emotions and motivations that drive decisions. This depth of understanding is crucial for creating products and services that truly resonate with users.
On the other hand, a stereotype I’d like to overcome is the idea that qualitative research lacks rigor or is purely anecdotal. In reality, qualitative research employs systematic methodologies that provide robust insights.
QUAL: How are you responding to the availability of big data and the proliferation of AI tools when managing your qualitative consumer research?
Serenella: In response to the availability of big data and the rise of AI tools, we are actively exploring how to leverage ChatGPT to analyze insights and identify patterns within our qualitative consumer research. This technology allows us to process large volumes of data more efficiently.
However, in this initial phase of adoption, we always prioritize verifying these insights to ensure we capture all nuances and context, which is essential in qualitative research. Additionally, we are looking into various tools that can enhance our research repository, making it easier to store, retrieve, and synthesize insights. This combination of AI assistance and rigorous verification allows us to maintain the depth and richness of qualitative insights while benefiting from the efficiency that big data offers.
QUAL: Apart from work, what should delegates talk to you about at Qual360 Europe– do you have any particular personal interests, hobbies or extracurricular activities and engagements?
Serenella: I love reading, especially historical fiction centred around Greek myths and wars, so I would like to know if there is any new fictional book I could read. I also enjoy sharing parenting advice and activities for children. Additionally, I have a keen interest in sports and nutrition, so I would be happy to talk about those topics as well!
Favourite recommendations to make to industry colleagues for inspiration, innovation, guidance and leadership from Serenella:
Book: “This is Service Design Doing” by Marc Stickdorn, Markus Hormess, and Adam Lawrence – I like that this is a practical guide on design thinking. It offers clear, hands-on examples that illustrate how to implement design thinking principles in real-world scenarios.
Song: “The Emptiness Machine,” Linkin Park – featuring Emily Armstrong – I like the energy from this song as evokes themes of personal transformation and resilience.
Join us at QUAL360, the world’s only global conference series dedicated to qualitative market research, with a 15-year legacy of fostering a vibrant community of “Quallies.” On January 29-30, 2025, in Berlin, elevate your qualitative research skills with expert-led sessions, dynamic panel discussions, and invaluable networking opportunities. This year’s agenda focuses on the future of research, offering insights from leaders at Nestlé, Philips, Booking.com, PepsiCo, Capital.com, and many more.
Don’t miss your chance—the regular pass rate ends soon, and waiting could cost you an extra $300. Secure your spot today and save before prices increase!
