Understanding people to uncover opportunities and shape what comes next.

Artefact is an independent research and strategy consultancy helping organisations understand people, uncover opportunities and turn insight into products, services and experiences that work in the real world.

 

For new ideas, new markets and questions without obvious answers.

Whether you’re exploring a new idea, entering a new market, rethinking an existing offer or simply trying to understand why something isn’t working, I bring an outside perspective grounded in research and strategic thinking.

I work alongside teams to uncover what people really need, make sense of complexity and turn what we learn into a clear direction for what to do next.

Contact

15+ years of turning human insight into strategic direction across industries and markets.

  • Build it.

  • Grow it.

  • Sell it.

  • Dream it.

  • New List Item

  • New List Item

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Research & insights

User Interviews

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Ethnographic research

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Validation testing

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User Interviews . Ethnographic research . Validation testing .

Understand people, behaviours, needs and the wider context shaping their decisions.

/ Usability testing for Volotea

/ Ethnographic research for 5 years innovation project for Corona

/ User research for 5 years innovation project for HP

/ Ethnographic research and focus groups for Fortune500 Pharma company

/ User research and persona creation for Irish Tourism Board

Product, Service & Venture Strategy

Product Strategy

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Service Design

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Market research

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Product Discovery

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Product Strategy . Service Design . Market research . Product Discovery .

Turn insight into new products, services, propositions and business opportunities.

/ Strategy and creative direction for Lauba Bistro

/ Product and brand strategy for German driving app

/ Product strategy and user research for German pet app

/ Product strategy and user insights for The Times

/ Venture building for adASTRA by Strabag

/ Experience strategy for Via Riyadh

Brand & experience strategy

Creative Direction

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Naming

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Storytelling

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Brand Experience

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Brand strategy

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Creative Direction . Naming . Storytelling . Brand Experience . Brand strategy .

Define how an idea should live in the real world — from positioning and storytelling to the customer experience.

/ Event experience for Beefeater Gin

/ Brand story for Fucina Restaurant

/ Brand strategy and naming for Hedonistrian Property

/ Creative Direction for Umomoku furniture collection with 3LHD

/ Storytelling for Kupari Hotel Resort with 3LHD Architects

Senior expertise, without the full-time hire.

Artefact is intentionally small. You work directly with me, and when a project requires additional expertise, I bring in trusted researchers, designers and specialists from my network.

There are three ways we can work together.

  • For teams that need senior research and strategic thinking on an ongoing basis, without building a full-time role.

    I become part of the team for a defined amount of time each month, supporting everything from research and product questions to new opportunities and strategic decisions.

  • Focused engagements built around a specific question, challenge or opportunity.

    This might mean understanding a new audience, exploring a market, validating an idea, rethinking an existing experience or defining what should happen next.

    Typically 4–8 weeks

  • For founders, innovation teams and organisations developing something new.

    I work alongside teams as a strategic partner — challenging assumptions, bringing the customer into the room and helping connect the dots between the idea, the people who will use it and the business behind it.

    Flexible ongoing or project-based engagement

A Year of Thoughts
is my ongoing collection of essays and observations about people, business, design and the world around us.

Contact

I’m Ema Gerovac, an independent researcher and strategist and the founder of Artefact.

I started my career in design before moving into brand strategy and, eventually, research and business strategy. Over the past 15+ years, I’ve worked across design studios, consultancies, architecture, technology and venture building - from researching global audiences for established brands to helping teams turn early ideas into products, services and businesses.

Before founding Artefact, I led strategy and research teams and worked with organisations including HP, Samsung, Disney+, STRABAG and The Times. I also work with founders and startup teams as a mentor and venture advisor.

Moving between disciplines and industries has shaped the way I work today. I don’t come in claiming to know your industry better than you do. You bring the domain expertise. I bring an outside perspective, research expertise and the ability to connect people, business and ideas - often revealing opportunities that are difficult to see from the inside.

Artefact is where all of those parts of my career come together.

 

Independent research & strategy consultancy based in Zagreb, working with teams across Europe and globally.

Zagreb, Croatia
Ribnjak
+385976128582

London, UK
London Fields
+447762515815