The Space InBetween

Based in Auckland, this agency operates a usability testing lab described as the first and only one of its kind in New Zealand, serving enterprise design leaders and product teams rather than small businesses. Its work is aimed at organisations that need an impartial, human-centred perspective to align stakeholders across a business, and clients referenced in the material include companies such as ServiceNow and Westpac New Zealand, indicating a focus on larger, complex organisations working on digital products and services. Engagements can be conducted remotely, with the team stating they can work with teams located anywhere, or on-site at the physical lab in Auckland. The core offering is evaluative UX research, delivered through lab-based usability testing and remote UX research, alongside a strategy and innovation lab function used to shape product strategy and reduce design risk before build. Sessions bring client teams and users together directly, so staff across a business can observe behaviour firsthand rather than relying solely on analytics or market research, with the stated aim of breaking down internal silos and building shared understanding. The agency positions this work around a small number of outcomes: aligning teams around user needs, reducing the cost and risk of poor UX, identifying and removing sources of friction in products, surfacing behavioural insights that analytics and market research do not reveal, and measuring UX performance in an evidence-based way. The lab itself is described as fully equipped for research sessions, removing setup overhead for client teams. The agency also produces a podcast, hosted by its managing founder, discussing UX and design topics.