an introduction to ethnography
DESCRIPTION
Shopping Ethnography: 5 Reasons to get out of the lab and into the field (and how to do it)TRANSCRIPT
SHOPPING ETHNOGRAPHY 5 Reasons to get out of the lab and into the field (and how to do it)
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1. Users are in their natural environment
‣ Observe users in context
‣ IN LAB... users are remove from their environment and place into an area that does not reproduce the same mindset as a natural setting
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Photo: www.bangui-hotels.com
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2. External factors can influence behavior
‣ External factors include: co-shoppers, contextual dynamics, situational, mood
‣ IN LAB... these factors do not exists, cannot see the full customer experience
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Photo: coolspotters.com
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3. Identify the “real” user
‣ “What people say, what people do, and what they say they do are entirely different things...” - Margaret Mead (Anthropologist)
‣ IN LAB... users are asked to recall or predict their actions, and does not accurately judge what they did or will do
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What people say they do
What people do
Photo: http://emotionaladroit.wordpress.com/
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4. Follow the story lines
‣ Researchers can see the whole customer journey (entering store to point of sale)
‣ IN LAB... one hour sessions lead to incomplete fragments of the users’ experience
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Photo: http://blogs.falmouth.k12.ma.us/
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5. Project team immerses in the user setting
‣ Walk a mile in the users’s shoe to better understand how customers shop your brand
‣ IN LAB... project team sits behind a mirror (no direct interaction with participant)
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Photo: https://asunews.asu.edu/
... Now, how do you conduct ethnographic research?
1. DEFINE what you want to observe (objectives/goals)
2. CHOOSE who you will observe
3. IDENTIFY which approach works best
4. OBSERVE
5. ANALYZE findings
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... Now, how do you conduct ethnographic research?
1. DEFINE what you want to observe
‣ What are your objectives and goals?
‣ Keep it broad, but focused so it can allow you to make new insightful discoveries
‣ Example: If you sell coffee; observe spaces where people consume coffee (cafes, on the streets, in the office) and look at the role coffee consumption plays in the users’ lives
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... Now, how do you conduct ethnographic research?
2. CHOOSE who you will observe
‣ Who’s perspective do you want to understand?
‣ Example:
‣ Gen Y and their mobile addiction
‣ First time parents and baby shopping
‣ Patients waiting in hospitals
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... Now, how do you conduct ethnographic research?
3. IDENTIFY which approach works best
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IN-STORE OBSERVATIONS INTERCEPTS SHOP-ALONGS
Unobtrusively observe customers as they browse, and purchase – see the entire shopping experience
Researcher:
‣ Do not talk to shoppers
‣ “Invisible”
Shoppers:
‣ Unaware being observed
Interview customers after the point of purchase - understand motivations behind purchase decisions
Researcher:
‣ Observes and interview after shopper makes a purchase
‣ “Interviews”
Shoppers:
‣ Aware of observation (after purchase decision have been made)
Researcher shops alongside actual customer (shopper can be recruited in advance or on site)
Researcher:
‣ Observes and interviews throughout shopping experience
‣ “Moderates and probes”
Shoppers:
‣ Aware of observation
ETHNOGRAPHY | 2013 | PAGE:
... Now, how do you conduct ethnographic research?
4. OBSERVE
‣ Create an observation checklist
‣ USE EYES and EARS
‣ Example:
‣ If you’re the MTA looking to improve the mass transit experience, look at commuters, how they interact with the environment (subway trains), other commuters, with ads - where do pain points occur, etc.?
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ETHNOGRAPHY | 2013 | PAGE:
... Now, how do you conduct ethnographic research?
5. ANALYZE findings
‣ Look for common themes and patterns in observations and story lines to find what drives behavior
‣ As you analyze the findings, think about what you can do to improve the overall experience?
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When conducting ethnographic research remember...
DOs‣ Be unobtrusive (observe discreetly)
‣ Use your eyes – non-verbal cues (observe the environment and how the customers interact in that space)
‣ Use your ears – verbal cues (listen to what is said)
‣ Preserve objectivity- create a persona for yourself (away from your demographics/brand) to remove any preconceived notions
‣ Find themes among behaviors/patterns (even in unexpected patterns)
‣ Work with other researchers on the floor
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DON’Ts‣ Be obvious (when taking pictures/recording
videos)
‣ Be too concerned with note-taking (instead focus on data naturally occurring)
‣ Follow only one customer (instead observe different customers/situations)
‣ Be biased (focusing on past knowledge can alter results instead keep an open mind)
‣ Make observations with answers in mind, do not make validation a goal (use ethnography to gain deeper understanding of the bigger picture)
‣ Generalize actions of individuals to reflect a larger majority
