Tools | dialogue

Fundamental in research

It's always through talking that we understand each other. The art of talking, and even more important the ability to listen, is our basic skill. To verbally confront people with what they say, do, or build, without asking any specific question, may reveal unexpected directions, may find the true reasons behind behavior and provide opportunities for innovation. Overreliance on directed speech however, on answers to specific questions, is a limitation of verbal methods because they may run into certain degree of "blindness" to what cannot be shared verbally. Very often an image or an observed event is much more valuable than a thousand words; it becomes the heart of the explanation. So these dialogues usually happen in relevant contexts of activity and the data produced is often accompanied by contextual information.

Here are some examples of how dialogues were used to bring value to our clients:

Contextual interviews:
Having conversations in contexts that are relevant to the people interviewed and while they engage in their own activities, is much more helpful in terms of innovation than to do it in a meeting room outside their context of experience. These dialogues allow us to connect directly and request demonstrations or guided tours. It was through this method that we were able to have glimpse of what is now an undeniable truth; back in 2005 we enter the homes of cable television subscribers and demonstrated that teenagers were watching television without actually "seeing it" because they were constantly chatting online or playing video games.

Guerilla ethnography:
To enter a given space or event and establish quick conversations with people who are there, enables you to quickly understand, albeit shallowly and rapidly, a particular social fact. These little incursions into life and into established relationships of people that are strange to you, provide easy access to key factors that shape a given context and are a good starting point for longer and more structured observations. It was through this method that we were able to build a plan for systematic observations in Post Offices, so we could ultimately understand and revolutionize the way the service was provided.