Approach

We’re research-driven. Relentlessly collaborative. Flexible by nature.

And we’re committed to providing practical, implementable solutions for your toughest business challenges—solutions informed by the people who will be most affected by them.

How we Work

Fathom doesn’t impose a prescriptive process to our work. We partner with you to create an approach to answer your specific questions or solve your distinct problem. Every project really is different.

But, there are common threads across all of our work, whether we’re partnering with business clients or community organizations.

You can expect

People-centered problem solving

Nearly every project is informed by research with your stakeholders and customers. It’s how we best anticipate and design for human needs and behaviors.

Flexibility and creativity

Humans are unpredictable and things are bound to change. So, we bring flexibility to your project and apply new, creative approaches to proven methods.

Co-created solutions

The best solutions are created by those who will eventually use them—from a digital or physical product to a new workflow or process. We bring the right voices to the table—you, your stakeholders, and customers—to design together.

In turn, you’ll get

Confidence in your decisions

Your reputation and revenue are on the line. It’s hard to make bad choices when you have clear, actionable direction based on research data.

Implementable solutions

Even for your seemingly insurmountable challenges, we’ll collaborate with you to identify practical, pragmatic things that you can actually do. Our deliverables and recommendations are co-designed with you and don’t gather dust on a shelf.

Alignment

Since people are at the center of all that we do, your team will have a shared understanding of the work and why it matters. It will be easier to move forward when everyone’s singing from the same songbook.

Collaborative partnerships

There’s a reason you call in outside help—resources are in short supply, you lack the right expertise, or time is of the essence.

We understand! We also prioritize working with you over for you to create understanding, alignment, and action. Our clients are active collaborators on every project. You can choose your level of involvement at any step—from approach development to research, synthesis, or design.

Consultant arranging colorful sticky notes on a white board.

Teaching to Fish

Our consultants are teachers as much as they are learners, and can support you in introducing a human-centric approach to not only your project but all areas of your organization. Engagements can include learning components for your staff, allowing them to practice human-centered design techniques while Fathom consultants coach and mentor.

Tools and Methods

Our project approaches lean on tools and methods we’ve honed throughout our 20+ years in business.

Understanding customers and end-users

Co-creation workshops

Concept design and testing

Customer journey mapping

Formative and summative evaluations

Qualitative research

Quantitative research

User and usability testing and validation

Designing products and services

Data visualization

Design sprints

Human factors engineering

Information architecture

Instructional design

Prototyping

Service blueprinting

User experience (UX) design

User interface design

Aligning stakeholders and strategies

Business process design

Change management

Charter and business case development

Opportunity assessments

Organizational development

Program and product management

Roadmapping

Strategic facilitation

Systems analysis and requirements