Paddy O’Shaughnessy

Paddy O’Shaughnessy is a Senior User Researcher at dentsu with a background in innovation, user research, and user-centered design. His work focuses on understanding people, their behaviors, needs, and experiences, and using those insights to help organizations create better digital products, services, and processes.

Paddy’s professional approach is grounded in the belief that users should remain at the center of product and service development. He advocates for organizations to incorporate user perspectives throughout the design and development process rather than treating research as a separate or isolated activity. His work reflects a broader interest in making research actionable and ensuring that insights can influence real product and business decisions.

At dentsu, Paddy works within a global organization that combines media, marketing, creative, and customer experience capabilities. His research experience allows him to contribute a user-centered perspective to projects involving digital experiences, customer journeys, and technology. His LinkedIn profile identifies him with dentsu in the Manchester area and lists the University of Bristol among his educational experiences.

Paddy has a particular interest in the impact of emerging technology on UX research. He has explored how new tools are changing the way researchers plan, conduct, analyze, and communicate research. His interest extends beyond simply adopting new technology, focusing instead on how researchers can use emerging capabilities to improve the quality, speed, and scale of their work.

In 2025, Paddy participated in Userlytics’ “Born Digital: How AI-Native Research Is Rewriting UX” webinar alongside Vivian Li of dentsu and Userlytics researchers. The discussion examined the difference between AI-assisted and AI-native research and explored how AI is changing research workflows, insight generation, and the broader practice of UX research.

Dentsu also promoted Paddy’s participation in the webinar, describing the conversation as an exploration of the difference between AI-native and AI-assisted research. This reflects Paddy’s growing interest in how AI can fundamentally change research methodologies rather than simply automate individual tasks within traditional research workflows.

Paddy holds a Master’s Degree in Innovation, where he developed his skills and knowledge in user research. His academic and professional background gives him a perspective that combines innovation, research, and user-centered design. This foundation supports his interest in exploring new approaches to understanding users and creating better experiences.

His work is particularly relevant to organizations navigating the rapidly changing relationship between UX research and technology. As AI-powered tools become increasingly common in research, Paddy is interested in how researchers can adapt their methods while maintaining a strong focus on users, research quality, and meaningful insights.

Through his work at dentsu and his contributions to conversations about AI-native research, Paddy brings a perspective that connects traditional user-centered research with emerging technologies. His focus on innovation, user advocacy, and evolving research methodologies makes him a valuable contributor to discussions about the future of UX research.