Behavioural research

Ethnographic research to provide insight on behaviours: empathise and identify opportunities, uncover levers and barriers and inspire ideas.

Project Overview

Objectives

Understand the behaviours in depth in their real context. Uncover new insights and opportunities to inform solution design.

Constraints

Research design for the unique, sensitive research context in the user's bathrooms and gardens

Success Metrics

New knowledge and challenged assumptions: insights on behaviours and target opportunities, inspiration for solution design.

Process

Research design

Brief and scope. Research design and discussion guide for the Recollective Research Platform.

Data collection and results

The approach included: initial and follow-up depth interviews, digital diaries (reflect and probe), activities log.

Prioritise and scope opportunities

2 week sprint to synthesise findings, scope opportunities and define steps from insight to action.

Key insight

  • There was a lot that we didn’t know about the actual behaviours of our customers relating to the challenge. We needed to know more before we could even think of designing solutions.

  • We need ethnography because we can’t reliably get people to tell us what they do.

  • The nuances of the who, what, how and why are vital to designing solutions that work.

DME Staircase

Deliverables

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Ethnography to explore: empathise and identify opportunities

Very little evidence-based knowledge about the topic. Wanted to understand how people are using water in their gardens and awareness of their usage.

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Ethnography with purpose: uncover ‘levers’ & ‘barriers’ and inspire ideas

Behavioural science-led inspiration document aimed at highlighting barriers so that we can find nudges to overcome them. Focus on shower usage and toilet leakages.

Impact to date

  • 10 opportunities for reducing garden water use: motivators, enablers and barriers.

  • New target behaviours: activities we didn’t realise were as common and frequent.

  • Increased understanding of customer needs: greater awareness of use will enable behaviour change. Whilst cost feels important, ease and lifestyle are priorities.

  • Initiated a partnership with a leading centre for land-based education in the UK, involving water audits and access to research attitudes and test solutions.

  • Product trial: hose flow monitor for household users.

  • 6 high impact and feasibility nudges for toilet leaks and shorter showers.

  • Bathroom enablers: For many water saving is not a priority or there is a strong emotional lever so we need ways to normalise shorter showers. 

  • Bathroom Barriers: Distractions or technical barriers can play a big part. 

  • Delivery enablers: Digital maturity is a key enabler to implementing more user-centric solutions.