Participant Observation
Don't settle for only knowing what users say, dig into what they actually do. Immerse in your customer's world to find innovative ideas with consumer immersion.
We believe in a human-centered approach to all things design and innovation. A company’s best ideas often come from its customers, and there’s no better way to foster empathy and understanding than by completely immersing in someone else’s experience with participant observation. We flip the script on traditional market research by turning design researchers – and even clients – into end-users to explore, test and provide feedback on new products and services. Known as participant observation or consumer immersion, this hands-on approach provides an intimate perspective, building genuine empathy through first-person experiences that enable our designers to create tangible, successful solutions.
Participant Observation Case Studies
Learn more about how our work has energized strategy for global brands, disruptive startups and everything in between.
Beauty Industry Research and Customer Journey Map for Revlon
We did in-depth beauty industry research to help Revlon understand how to reach their key consumers with the right messaging and products, via the right channels, in the right moments.
3 Types of Participant Observation to Get You Out of the Backroom and Onto the Frontlines
Participant observation research reveals reliable behavioral insights for your business, shedding light on a lot of information in relatively little time. Done right, it can act as the ultimate empathy generator for the customers you serve. In this post, we'll explore three approaches to shatter the glass between you and your subjects.
Design Research: Beyond Buzzwords
Your ultimate guide to Design Research: What it is, how it works, and when to use it.
Beer & Empathy: The New Currency of Innovation
While we are all wired for empathy, we as marketers and researchers often suffer the "game dynamic" which prevents us from being empathetic when we need to be. For brands that practice an empathetic design and research structure, transformation in how the internal marketing and product teams think about their consumers occurs. This has ultimately allowed them to develop new insight-driven ideas and fill their pipeline with innovative products that are not just focused on optimizing, but also keen on connecting with the human who will eventually be enjoying them.
Out-Ovation: Reinventing Research to Fuel Our Innovation Efforts
Using consumer research during the innovation process enables teams to identify a richer set of opportunities. Learn about six of Kelton's research techniques that have fed into some of our clients' breakthrough innovation strategies: Innovation Foresight; In-Situ Exploration; Digital Immersion; Extreme Users and Threshold Research; Consumer Co-Creation; Storytelling and Narrative Creation.
Experience Design in Action: Super Bowl LII
Having worked on experience design projects across industries, we recognize the scale of effort and planning that goes into a high profile event like the Super Bowl. Here's some of the most interesting aspects of Super Bowl LII that contributed to a spectacular fan experience.
Our Participant Observation Approach
Our approach to consumer immersion is equal parts methodic and creative. While we remain diligent about the core principles of participant observation, we're always game to design custom studies to help foster more empathy for your customers and better address your team's needs.
Empathic By Design
We listen, observe, sympathize and strategize to produce tangible outputs that inspire action.
Get to the “Why Behind the Why”
Our Design Researchers don’t just look for triggers and root problems. We push beyond the “why?” to understand how experiences and environments impact consumers, both consciously and subconsciously.
Rooted in Reality
We’ll never leave you with pie-in-the-sky ideas you can’t actually act on. Our concepts are customer-driven, realistic to execute, and provide a clear path forward.
Global Perspective
Across 45 countries and 6 continents, we collect insights and ideas that inspire us and our clients—here, there and everywhere.
Empathic By Design
We listen, observe, sympathize and strategize to produce tangible outputs that inspire action.
Get to the “Why Behind the Why”
Our Design Researchers don’t just look for triggers and root problems. We push beyond the “why?” to understand how experiences and environments impact consumers, both consciously and subconsciously.
Rooted in Reality
We’ll never leave you with pie-in-the-sky ideas you can’t actually act on. Our concepts are customer-driven, realistic to execute, and provide a clear path forward.
Global Perspective
Across 45 countries and 6 continents, we collect insights and ideas that inspire us and our clients—here, there and everywhere.