From ethnography to rapid ethnography to insights sprints, it seems like there is a constant request for faster results. How can we tackle this without compromising the essence of user-centered design? Quick Qual Manifesto aims to explain how.
We all dream of a 'tomorrow' when we will wake up early and go for a run', drink enough water', stop eating junk'. Consumers too. But can a brand inspire behavioural change? As researchers, we looked at the principles of ethnography and the Habit Loop framework by Charles Duhigg, and fused this with evolving camera technology to pilot a study on habit formation. We want to show that by fusing research principles, methods and frameworks, a brand can understand and influence the silent subconscious, shape behaviour, and orchestrate habits.
Qualitative research is actually innovating ahead of quantitative - and leading that innovation into the quantitative arena itself. Think of what is being done in biometrics, neuroscience and ethnography. It all starts in the qualitative arena and then people start trying to work out how to bring it into the world of quantification. Today, there are companies trying to figure out how to bring to market mass ethnography and even mass semiotics. I would further argue that the 'new' qualitative is bringing fun (read engagement) back into research for both the respondent and the researcher - and that this too is making quantitative researchers think about how they do the same. In addition, some of the new technological platforms in qualitative research, which make it possible to combine ethnography, one-on-ones, billboards and focus groups, both offline and online, are showing the way to quantitative researchers in terms of what 'integrated' or holistic research can mean. This is not just to give qualitative researchers a pat on the back.
Advancing technology, global competition, fragmented and demanding markets, the internet, and the growing power of consumers are major forces, placing intense pressures upon local and global management to understand and better meet the needs of consumers. This paper evaluates the benefits of ethnography observational research in contributing to management consumer understanding. We illustrate the everyday lives of Asian and western consumers with case studies, video clips and analyses, and demonstrate the power of the ethnographic approach to new product development (NPD), branding and communications. Consumers are often unwilling or unable to expose their personal lives in interviewing, and observational research permits direct contact with real Asian everyday life behaviour.
This paper is devoted to issues related to the planning and implementing of market research studies with the use of ethnographic and observational approaches. This paper addresses these issues according to a consistent set of principles developed through practice. It also describes how decisions should be made about research implementation according to the QualiData Worldwide Ethnography model.