I came across the idea of micro ethnography in April. My first reaction was, seen this, done this, nothing new. But actually I think the idea is useful. It’s about combining the benefits of ‘here and now’ research you get with observations and intercepts, with some other analytical techniques in order to understand what someone’s experience of a store, or a service was like. Read more here
I’ve also been reading some good books. I’ve dipped back into Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath and bumped into thinking about the benefits of mental simulation. I write about how to use this as a technique in research (in preference to asking people ‘opinion questions’ – likes, dislikes, good and bad etc.) Have you used this technique yet? Read more here
By the way If you are looking for some kind of inspiration (a kick up the bum to get on with it) then I can heartily recommend ‘Do the Work’ by Steven Pressfield. I’m also about to read Learn or Die by Edward Hess. That one felt like a must-read!
Why not try out my quick read too on applying the latest thinking in social sciences to research. This month I’ve written an article which links the big ideas in social sciences to research methods. Here it is.
I spend one in five days a week learning with the goal of applying what I learn to do research better. Since I’ve started I’ve developed a whole new set of unique approaches:
Decision games in NPD
On-going in-home behaviour studies using new technologies
New ways to present stimulus by prototyping (inspired by Design Thinking)
In-store shadowing – doing live shop-alongs with respondents
A unique set of question protocols built around behavioural economics learnings.
The idea is to give your business better insight so you can do better business.
New Streetmate alert! My old colleague Barry Noble has set up a new Quant agency called Ink Research. He too is heavily influenced by behavioural economics and has developed interesting quant techniques to assess NPD in context.
