Case Study

Designing research tools that reduce academic friction

Cambridge University · 2024

Product strategyPlatform designResearch workflows

Context

The brief started with a familiar problem: too many valuable workflows were spread across brittle spreadsheets, one-off admin tools, and knowledge locked in individual teams.

My role was to help shape a calmer path forward by understanding where the real friction lived and by translating that into a product direction that researchers and operators could actually trust.

Approach

The work began with interviews and observation rather than assumptions. That let us separate ceremonial complexity from the tasks that genuinely required academic rigour and auditability.

From there, I helped define a smaller, clearer product surface: fewer screens, stronger defaults, and workflows that supported people doing serious work under time pressure.

Figure

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Research platform overview

Figure 1: Example figure frame for project imagery. The title, image, alternative text, and caption can all be replaced from the article file.

Chart

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Workflow clarity and team confidence

Figure 2: Data-driven scatter chart using illustrative values. Replace the data array and labels with verified project evidence before publication.

Table

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Workflow area	Before	Direction
Research intake	Several entry points	One clear route
Operational knowledge	Held by individual teams	Shared and searchable
Repeated administration	Manual hand-offs	Stronger defaults
New user experience	Dependent on local guidance	A legible path through the work

Table 1: Example before-and-after comparisonThis content is drawn from the current case-study narrative and can be replaced with verified project data.

Outcome

The result was not a flashy rebuild. It was a sharper internal platform with clearer responsibilities, reduced duplication, and a more understandable path for new users joining the process.

That kind of outcome matters because institutional software succeeds when it is stable, legible, and respectful of how people really work.

Citation

@misc{mccamley2026cambridge,
  author = {McCamley, Stuart},
  title  = {Designing research tools that reduce academic friction},
  year   = {2026},
  url    = {https://www.stuartmccamley.com/work/cambridge-platform-research-tools}
}