Place-based Ethnography

Place-based ethnography is about immersing ourselves in physical spaces. Whether a youth group, an airport, a shopping centre or a local park, place-based ethnography invites us to evaluate and understand the role of these spaces culturally, economically and socially. We have conducted place-based ethnography to help our clients understand whether their physical environments are working as intended, as well as revealing the hidden importance of these locations to consumers. By immersing ourselves in these locations and observing how consumers move through them, we can identify actionable, concrete ways to optimise user journeys, refine value propositions or leverage the location's underlying social importance. 

Place-based ethnography is as much about the place as the people inhabiting it. We select and contact sites, rather than individuals, and gain permissions to film and spend time in each. We act as your eyes on the ground, interviewing staff, visitors and passers-by, revealing the intersections between people and places: How do people's behaviours change when they inhabit these spaces? What does the space mean to them on an emotional level? What brands are welcomed into the space, and which ones are not?