Market & Design Research

NORC empowers clients and partners with smart design, nuanced market insights, and user-driven research.

Understanding user behaviors and preferences is key to ensuring that programs, systems, and technologies are tailored to real needs and grounded in evidence. NORC combines research expertise with real-world implementation experience to create and deliver practical solutions that people, communities, and organizations can incorporate into their lives and work.

Our interdisciplinary team of experts specializes in design research, user experience (UX), and market research, integrating rigorous social science methods with practical service design solutions. We bring a nimble, applied approach to understanding how people engage with systems, spaces, and technologies, and how these processes, places, and products can better meet people’s needs.

By applying rigorous methods and practical insights and grounding our research in respect, belonging, and community engagement, we help organizations make informed, effective decisions that reflect the needs and lived experiences of users and drive measurable results.

Get in Touch

Have a project in mind? Fill out our quick start form to get a quote.

Start a Project

Our Approach

Whether testing a new concept, mapping a customer journey, or segmenting audiences, we leverage NORC’s methodological expertise and interdisciplinary knowledge.

Understand People in Context

Using mixed-methods research, we explore how people experience services across diverse settings—from digital platforms to public spaces to health care settings—capturing insights from both end-users and employees.

Evaluate Design & Usability

Through moderated usability testing, “think-alouds,” task-based UX interviews, and journey mapping, we assess interactions with digital tools, signage, and service touchpoints, delivering actionable recommendations for improved functionality, clarity, and trust.

Segment Audiences & Markets

We employ qualitative research methods as well as advanced statistical analysis to identify audience segments based on behaviors, motivations, and values—going beyond demographics to enable precise, strategic outreach.

Turn Insights into Strategy

By facilitating collaborative interpretation sessions, we help clients translate research findings into clear strategic frameworks that inform product development, communications, and organizational learning.