In Conversation with Mark Squires: Introducing Canvas

Written by Sophie

We sat down with Mark Squires, CEO of Watermelon to discuss the upcoming launch of Canvas, the CX platform built for CX experts by CX experts.

Why have you decided to build your own tech now?

When I founded Watermelon in 2012, we partnered with various CX tech providers to deliver the best solutions for our clients. But over time, we've noticed a shift — lots of these CX platforms have become more expensive, without offering the return on investment to justify a higher price tag. As a business, we knew we couldn’t sit back and continue to offer our clients solutions that didn’t stack up, so we decided it was time to take matters into our own hands.

Fortunately, we became part of VCCP which gave us the financial backing to start building our own in-house technology. We expanded our development team and got to work creating Canvas. What sets our team apart is that they're not just developers — they’re CX experts who’ve been involved in CX programmes from the ground up. This hands-on experience means that Canvas includes all the features clients actually need, inspired by the very challenges we’ve faced ourselves. At its core, Canvas is all about simplicity — it’s easy to get started, easy to integrate, and easy for clients to understand exactly what actions they need to take off the back of the data. We’re proud to have created something truly game-changing and we can’t wait for everyone to see Canvas in action.

What client problems will Canvas solve?

Our philosophy is “Powerfully simple, so you can focus on what really matters”. By this we mean that clients don’t want to spend weeks or sometimes even months setting up CX programmes. They want to start collecting data today so they can start activating change tomorrow. Canvas lets clients do exactly that. It’s built with an intuitive UI so users can get stuck in straightaway without the need to hire specialists or sit through long training sessions.

Canvas also delivers real ROI. We believe in fairness, so our price reflects the true value of what we offer — no hidden fees, no gimmicks, just straightforward, transparent and affordable pricing. Through spending less on technology, clients are able to invest their budget in what really matters – transformational change within their business.

How does Canvas stand out from its competitors?

Canvas stands out by being powerfully simple. Instead of piling on unnecessary add-ons to justify sky-high contracts, we only include the features that really help businesses to drive transformational change.

Unlike the big players in this space, we have a small, hands-on development team that can quickly adapt to changing client needs and embrace new technological advancements whenever it makes sense to do so. We have always, and will continue to, work collaboratively with our clients so their feedback directly shapes the Canvas roadmap.

Finally, another key differentiator is our pricing, which is straightforward and fair. Unlike other illogical cost models that charge per completed survey or impose extra fees for additional dashboard developments, we offer a single, affordable flat rate. With us, you know exactly what you’ll pay from day one and what you’ll have left over to invest in driving actionable change.

How do you see Canvas evolving in the future?

The world is changing at an unprecedented rate which makes it a hugely exciting time to be involved in building and developing our own tech. We'll keep embracing AI where it truly adds value, rather than using it as a gimmicky add-on. I expect the Canvas of the future will use AI to help CX professionals write surveys at speed so they can dedicate more time to what really matters – activating change. It will also make greater use of synthetic data to predict trends and summarise results so clients know exactly what they need to do without even lifting a finger. Watch this space...!

Fun question to end on - what’s your favourite App and why?

Easy! I love Strava. I’m an avid cyclist and I love showing off about how far I’ve cycled each day! The Strava interface is easy to navigate from my phone or my watch so I can quickly start recording an early-morning session before I’ve had a change of heart and decided to go back to bed!

Canvas follows the same principle – it’s quick and easy for users to get started allowing them to dive right in and experience the benefits without any complex setup or steep learning curve.

Canvas – powerfully simple, so you can focus on what matters.

To find out more, go to www.watermelonresearch.com/canvas