Putting the Quality
back into qualitative.
Learn more about why we started and the change we are here to make.
The journey of Humans Unplugged has been twenty years in the making
It was born out of frustration with qualitative research losing its way. Too many agencies are chasing shortcuts through big data and AI while forgetting the power of great qualitative, and losing the exceptional individuals who make it possible.
Great qual does not come from process or platforms.
It comes from exceptional people.
Humans Unplugged is designed
for a new era of research
As the industry shifts further into tech to productize the work, we stand on the other side, offering something that is becoming more important than ever. Agile. Independent. Personal. We give clients attentive, human-centered work that larger agencies cannot.
Most importantly, Humans Unplugged is about making a difference in people’s lives, in the voices we hear in the research and the clients we work alongside. It is about seeing the humanity in every step of the work. Not selling a hollow, intangible product, but delivering insight that uses the latest tools and trends while staying grounded in graft, collaboration, passion, and deep qualitative expertise.
aaron thomas
Founder, Humans Unplugged
Aaron has spent two decades at the forefront of qualitative research, using insight to unlock clear strategic thinking.
He began his career in award-winning boutiques in London before moving to the US, where he helped launch a groundbreaking agency focused on journalistic and documentary-style research. From there, he led a youth-trends agency in New York and later established a thought-leadership team at a major global firm, presenting regularly at leading industry conferences.
Born to be a qualitative strategist, Aaron combines intuition, experience, and empathy in a way that allows him to adapt to any environment. A mixed-race British native and now an American citizen, he brings a global perspective shaped by life in rural England, Madrid, London, New York, and now the Midwest, where he lives with his wife and two children. His background helps him empathize with both minority and majority perspectives.
Over twenty years, Aaron has worked across sectors and audiences, from speaking with far-right extremists for a study on political division to spending time with moms and kids during back-to-school shopping ethnographies. More than anything, he knows how to translate what he learns into insights that inspire meaningful change in people’s lives and experiences.
Where Truth Lives.
Where Truth Lives.
Curious what truths we’ll uncover?
