Basic field methods

1. meth•od•ol•o•gy
2010

2. meth∙od∙ol∙o∙gy [meth-uh-dol-uh-jee]
–noun, plural -gies.
1. A set or system of methods, principles, and rules for regulating a given discipline, as in the arts
or sciences.
2. Philosophy.
a. the underlying principles and rules of organization of a philosophical system or inquiry
produce.
b. the study of the principles underlying the organization of the various sciences and the
conduct of scientific inquiry.

3. Everything Begins with Culture
Our proprietary research, design and analysis links individual household cultures and macro-level drivers of culture.
The result is a convincing, trustworthy, well-grounded and contextually rich picture of the daily lives of women.
Our data highlights challenges and opportunities for potential new product positioning and messaging.
For our team, ethnography means analyzing events through an anthropological lens; searching for hidden meanings,
cultural symbolism and the contexts in which people experience the world. Following are some of our trustiest
methodological tools we use in understanding the shopper.
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4. PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION
INDUCTIVE METHODS
THE WHAT
Spend time (sometimes days or weeks) interacting with people to
better understand the interactions, routines, cultural beliefs, and
contexts of their daily lives.
THE WHY
This is a powerful tool for getting at the complexities of beliefs
and worldview, finding connections and shared meaning to tailor
subtle but extremely powerful brand messages.
WHAT PEOPLE SAY vs. WHAT PEOPLE DO
It isn’t enough to ask people questions. What they say and what
they do aren’t always the same.
Look for what is going on in the physical space, look for body
language and look for interactions between people.
• People may call themselves “green,” but what do they drive?
• Do people have a “tell” when asked a question?
Look for contradictions and make sure to ask people to
demonstrate what they say.
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5. RESOURCE FLOW ANALYSIS
THE WHAT
The study of the complex issues around how resources are
attained, used, repurposed and disposed of within a household
or community is called resource flow. In essence, it is a process
by which people or companies catalog the purchase journey.
THE WHY
Statistically, humans are alone only a small percentage of their
lives. We exist in family units, social webs, neighborhoods, work
structures and other organizations. All resource input (salary,
crops, material goods, other captial) will inevitably be filtered
directly or indirectly by multiple individuals, including pets. This is
true even for those who live alone, except in extreme cases.
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6. SOCIAL NETWORK MAPPING SOCIAL NETWORKS
THE WHAT
The old adage "no man is an island" and "nobody lives in a
vacuum" are true. We live in a complex network of relationships
and communities that shape our worldview, behavior and
influence our daily behavior.
A social network is the socio-cultural group made up of
individuals or institutions called "nodes." These are connected
by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as
profession, title, kinship, common interest, dislike, etc. They can
also be constructed around relationships of beliefs, knowledge
or power. Social webs help illustrate the multivariate roles
people play across a range of socio-cultural strata.
THE WHY
Simply put, knowing a target's social network is the gateway
to ethnographic insight. Remember, in a social network:
• Subjects and their actions are viewed as interdependent
rather than independent or autonomous units
• Relational ties (linkages) between subjects are channels for
resource flow (either material or nonmaterial)
• Network models focusing on individuals view the network
structural environment as providing opportunities for or
constraints on individual action
• Network models conceptualize structure (social, economic,
political and so forth)
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7. BRAND CATALOGING
THE WHAT
Document the things people say are important to them, having
them explain what those things mean – this can be anything from
an old picture to a favorite pair of socks.
THE WHY
This approach helps uncover perceptions, emotional ties, values
and shared meaning, as well as activities and processes of use.
People assign emotional and cultural significances to the things
in their lives.
Getting participants to catalog those things they believe
are most important allows the researcher to tap powerful
subconscious associations between things and brand.
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8. MIND MAPPING
THE WHAT IDEA WORD
Diagramming thoughts around a central keyword or idea to
represent concepts, words, ideas or tasks. The elements of
a given mind map are arranged intuitively according to the
importance of the concepts.
IDEA
The goals is to classify these findings into groupings and branches
to represent semantic and symbolic connections between
portions of information.
THE WHY
TASK
Mind maps are used:
• to generate, visualize and structure ideas
• as an aid in developing connections between ideas
• mining for product and marketing opportunities
By presenting ideas in a radial, non-linear manner, mind maps WORD IDEA
encourage participants to uncover patterns of behavior and
meaning they might otherwise overlook.
CONCEPT
TASK
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9. VISUAL ARCHAEOLOGY
THE WHAT
Using artifacts to document patterns of meaning as it is
demonstrated in music, photographs, buildings, magazines, etc.
THE WHY
The things people have and the ways they use, display, care for
and talk about them and tell us volumes about a population’s
world-view. It provides information about iconic imagery for a
group, establishes what things are most important to them and
how they reflect meaning in daily life.
Visual Archaeology provides a deeper sensory explanation for
societal and cultural norms that can be incorporated into a
branding effort.
HOW PEOPLE ORGANIZE
How people organize things can tell you a lot about how they
understand and manage their world. Ask people to explain how
they conceptualize things and how they relate to each other.
• How do people organize their refrigerator?
• Where do people store their "important" papers?
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10. UN-FOCUSED GROUPS
THE WHAT
When something becomes a running joke on The Simpsons,
you know it's been overdone. The traditional focus groups is
overdone. Instead, we preach (and use) the "un-focused"
group; a gathering of individuals in a workshop or open
discussion forum where they have access to a wide range
of creative things to stimulate interaction and creation.
THE WHY
This helps uncover perceptions, emotional ties, values and
shared meaning, as well as activities and processes of use.
Placing individuals in a more organic situation or setting that
isn't sterile forces interaction and minimizes the biggest flaw
of the traditional focus group: the Hawthorne Effect.
THE HAWTHORNE EFFECT
The tendency to perform or percieve differently when one
knows they are being observed.
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11. PROXEMICS
THE WHAT
Documenting how space and environments are used and
understood in the cultural and psychological context. At the
most fundamental level, Proxemics is the study of how people
physically interact with each other and the spaces they occupy.
THE WHY
This technique is good for understanding what different groups
associate with places – what does a dark room signify, what
does the card section in a drugstore mean, what does the
arrangement of furniture in a home signify?
These questions are extremely important, especially in retail
(X’ X”) settings. Proxemics allows us to understand how to turn a space
(X’ X”)
into a place.
(X”)
(X”)
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12. MATERIAL CULTURE MAPPING
THE WHAT
Look for and documents things in people’s lives, how those things
derive meaning, and how they reflect the culture to which the
owner belongs.
THE WHY
It provides information about iconic imagery for a group,
establishes what things are most important to them, and how
they reflect meaning in daily life.
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13. Have fun out there!
CONTACT:
GAVIN JOHNSTON
CHIEF ANTHROPOLOGIST, TWO WEST DISCOVERY + DESIGN
DIRECT 816.581.8202 | 816.471.3255
gavinj@twowest.com
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