Paula Zuccotti

Paula Zuccotti is a leading expert in global consumption and a respected authority in consumer behaviour and product interaction – past, present and future. Founder of research and creative consultancy agency TheOverworld Paula has over 15 years of experience travelling the world researching people’s everyday lives and uncovering insights envisioning products, brands and services for the likes of Google Creative Lab, Starbucks, McKinsey, R/GA and LG.

As photographer and filmmaker, Paula has also pioneered the ‘real people, real stories’ content approach. Camera in hand, Paula has evolved her ethnographic-documentary work into commercial campaigns such as the Nokia Connecting Series and directing the SKODA Octavia ‘Loved, not owned’ digital and print campaign.

Former Director of Futures and Head of Research of Seymourpowell Paula have created and developed their renowned ethnographic research offer that pioneered the field of design research when she joined in 2001 working at the company for twelve years.

In 2015 Paula launched her first book "Every Thing We Touch: A 24hours Inventory of our lives" Published by Penguin Random House (English and Mandarin). The book is an artistic portrayal of the daily physical footprint of over 60 unique individuals from around the world. Everything We Touch entered the public consciousness, leading to national media interviews and appearances, photography and visual storytelling awards and art gallery exhibitions worldwide.

Following on from this success, Paula launched her ‘Every Thing We’ve Heard’ series: a visual synthesis of current affairs using everyday objects as storytellers, her unique reflection of the 2017 US Presidential Campaign was widely shared during election week. For Jerusalem Design Week she created ‘A day in the life’ photographic series focusing on those who inhabit this city unfolding the complexity of habits, identity, globalisation and religion.

Paula gained a BA Hons in Industrial Design from the University of Buenos Aires and an MA in Strategy & Innovation from Brunel University.

She regularly delivers inspiring and thought-provoking keynote speeches at both corporate and academic events around the world and is invited to teach and jury at universities and international festivals, having also developed educational programmes for the V&A’ She is Argentine-Italian, a mother of two and has lived in London for the past 17 years.