In this episode of Scale HER Up – The Female Entrepreneur Show, I’m joined by Emma Kirk of User Vision, a UX and accessibility consultancy that has spent more than 25 years helping organisations create better digital experiences.
Emma and her team work with businesses, public sector organisations and global brands to understand what real users actually need, then use that insight to shape websites, apps and digital services that are easier to use, more inclusive and more commercially effective. At the heart of User Vision’s work is a simple but often overlooked truth: if you do not design with real people in mind, you risk creating something that excludes users, damages trust and leaves money on the table.
This conversation is a brilliant reminder that accessibility is not a niche issue and user experience is not a “nice to have.” They are both fundamental to growth, reputation and customer satisfaction.
Emma explains that too many organisations still build digital products based on internal assumptions rather than real user behaviour. They rely on what the team thinks makes sense, what the client wants quickly or what the existing system can handle, instead of asking the more important question:
What do real people actually need from this experience?
That gap can be expensive.
Poorly designed digital experiences do not just frustrate users. They create barriers. They stop people completing purchases, accessing services or engaging with your business at all. For disabled users, neurodivergent users and anyone dealing with stress, distraction, fatigue or time pressure, those barriers can be the difference between success and complete abandonment.
Emma makes the point clearly: designing for accessibility and usability is not only the right thing to do, it is also good business.
One of the strongest themes in this episode is the importance of early user research.
Emma talks about the mistake many businesses make when they rush to launch without properly testing their assumptions. Instead of spending all your time and budget building a polished solution that may be wrong, she encourages founders and leaders to start much smaller:
This is especially valuable for small businesses, because it can save huge amounts of time, money and stress later on.
Rather than “racing to the finish” with the wrong product or service, Emma encourages a more thoughtful approach: learn first, build second.
Emma also shares her own journey with User Vision, which was founded by Chris Rorke before she joined the business early on.
What started as specialist usability support gradually became a much more established consultancy as Emma and the team spotted a growing need in the market. A major government project helped accelerate that growth, and over time they built a strong reputation through thought leadership, excellent delivery and long-term client relationships.
One of the things I found especially interesting was Emma’s honesty about the kind of business they have chosen to build. User Vision has stayed intentionally small, with fewer than 15 people, and that is not because they lack ambition. It is because they value depth, quality, expertise and strong relationships over growth for growth’s sake.
That is such an important message for business owners in Scotland and beyond: success does not have to mean building the biggest possible company. Sometimes it means building the right one.
Alongside the conversation about UX and accessibility, Emma is also very open about the personal side of leadership.
She reflects on the stress of running a business, the pressure of managing time well, the reality of people issues and the confidence it takes to keep showing up as a leader. She speaks honestly about imposter syndrome, about being in rooms where she had to hold her ground, and about learning to trust her own expertise.
We also talk about motherhood and entrepreneurship. Emma shares what changed when she became a parent, and how running a business while raising a child brought a whole new level of challenge. Her reflections on support, boundaries and the importance of trusted external voices will resonate with so many women building businesses while also carrying a huge amount personally.
This episode is valuable not only for people in tech, design or digital. It is relevant for any business owner creating services, selling online, designing customer journeys or trying to improve how people experience their brand.
Emma brings together practical insight and lived leadership experience in a way that feels both reassuring and challenging. She reminds us that better businesses are built when we stop assuming and start listening.
If you want to create a more inclusive business, a better customer experience and a stronger digital presence, this conversation is well worth your time.