University project:
Discovering new product opportunities through ethnography

Context

This research study was conducted by myself and three other designers in response to a brief assigned as part of a university course.

Our goal was to pick a public space and identify potential product or service opportunities through observations and exploratory interviews with a target group selected by us.

UAL - Discovering new product opportunities

Project Overview

Product

Through ethnography, we observe social interactions, behaviors, and perceptions within our target group to collect and model an understanding of tourists' needs and interests. 
By exploring people on their own terms, we avoid bias and identify opportunities to develop a product that excites market visitors.

Task

To uncover the choices and influences around the street food scene on tourists in London, and how that could inspire a new product concept.
Gain insights from participants about their needs and motivations.
Use the collected data as a base to generate new product solutions.

Key results

After conducting 5 interviews we revealed sever key insights. We found out that tourists are not only picking landmarks for a unique cultural experience but also street food for a vibrant culinary encounter. We learned that London markets foster a unique sense of community, excitement, and interactivity which add to the experience of the tourists making it a desired destination and activity.

Role

In this project, I performed the roles of an interviewer, observer, photographer, video maker, interview planer, and interview scriptwriter.
And the activities of brainstorming and generating ideas, data recording, and analysis.

UAL - Discovering new product opportunities

Stage One

A creative approach to research

Our team chose a very social public space that has a long history and tradition-Borough Market. The goal for us in this space was to observe it and disturb it most playfully and engagingly possible.

This study had a 3-day time frame, so our team had to work fast and apply out-of-the-box thinking. Through brainstorming sessions and the use of our knowledge, inspirations, and past experiences, we came up with a solution- a compact dining table to conduct exploratory interviews.
We were aiming to interview around six tourists.

We had more questions than answers, and that is why we chose to approach this assignment with an open mind and empathy by applying generative research and qualitative methods.

The methods of semi-structured interviews, secondary analysis, contextual inquiry (shadowing/observation), and physical probes helped us understand better the space and the people visiting it. The physical probe- a hanging table, helped us to conduct the interviews and moderate them effectively.

We used the work of the Dutch eating designer Marije Vogelzang as our main inspiration for the table design. Her work gave us the idea of creating a “disturbance” and inviting people in by using an object that holds many positive associations.

UAL - Discovering new product opportunities

Stage Two

Conducting table interviews

Having constructed our generative research plan with an execution timeline of two days, our team’s next step was to create a semistructured interview script. We wrote short questions on Post-its and used bright colors to help participants keep track of the interview progress.

We crafted a small, rectangular hanging dining table out of light wood and textile, providing us with the opportunity to engage people to the point that they were unable to easily leave the interview. This table also created a secure space that minimized the risk of other people intruding or disrupting the formation. We used the table as an inviting gesture to the interview session.

With our visual appearance and performative attraction of our invention, we gather a lot of interest from the visitors. This probe served as an icebreaker. It started many conversations, and we used that as an opportunity to invite people for an interview.

UAL - Discovering new product opportunities

Stage Three

Adjustments to the interviews

What we found out after several interviews was that doing a more relaxed user interview, and having more of a conversation than a mechanical question-response interaction, makes the user interviews go smoother. We received deeper and more nuanced insights.

This was not a sitting-down session with a stranger, but an intimate meeting between people who happen to share food and stories.

Our interviewees’ answers were more like confessions but truthful and open enough that we could use what they said to build an understanding and gain useful data for our research goals.

UAL - Discovering new product opportunities

Stage Four

Identifying new product opportunities through thematic analysis

The street food scene is truly an attraction and a phenomenon that draws the attention of many. Fortunately, this scene and culture offered us a great amount of qualitative data which gave us valuable insights.

To make sense of all the gathered interviews we used thematic analysis. By putting down important interviewee quotes, observations, and comments, we were able to develop an understanding of the participants’ behaviours and needs.

We used Post-its to place all important data in front of us, assign codes, and cluster similar patterns. We then identified themes and created opportunities and insight into a new product proposition.

UAL - Discovering new product opportunities

Results

The new product:
Getting to experience and taste more

For tourists, food is not only a necessity but a comfort, and attraction that brings a unique experience. These insights gave us a great opportunity to come up with a concept that can help visitors easily discover what they seek.

The chance to taste a new cuisine, learn about history, and explore a unique environment, food markets in London offer all that and more to its visitors. That is why the street food industry in the UK holds two billion in annual revenue, with over 40 million visitors per year.

With these statistics and the insights from our research, we designed StopSpot, an app that helps visitors locate and choose the most interesting street food events and spots.

Lessons learned

▪ A team of multidisciplinary professionals can conduct a successful research study. The key is to have an environment where everyone feels heard and all members understand and envision the actions and goals set for the experiment.

▪ Coming up with creative concepts to collect data is a great way to challenge a team positively, challenge perceptions, and have a good time while performing complex tasks that can be overwhelming.

▪ Save recruiting time and make people come to you. The performative side of the project- the hanging table, became our screener. It attracted tourists, and people who were open to talk and engage.

▪ Short time frames can be your enemy but such limits can push you to learn how to focus well on one problem in a way that your goal/s and methodologies are boiled down to the essentials giving you a clear direction and questions.

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Using personal experience and generative research for a new product concept