Q: Stacey asks Melinda, “Are there any particular techniques that you suggest for ethnographies to assist with store redesign?”

A: Hi Stacey,

Thanks for your question.

I would suggest doing a combination of unobtrusive observation/mapping AND participant observation and interviewing with shoppers as they shop and navigate the store. If you have the time and the budget, I would also suggest following a number of customers from home to the store and back home again. You will learn things during the trip to and from the store and at their home that will enrich your understanding of their needs/preferences/ideas and beliefs.

I think it would also be important to spend time talking with and observing employees and vendors to understand things from their point of view and the challenges/obstacles that they face—from their perspective.

The most important thing is to keep an open mind and begin your research without thinking you already know the answers! Be prepared to see the store from the eyes of those who spend the most time there and recognize that their priorities and understandings may be different from those who are charged with planning the redesign. Be open to the possibility that you will learn things that radically alter your understanding of the “ideal” design.

Good luck to you,

Melinda