Truth Tips: Doing In-Person Ethnography With Intent

As a moderator, in-person ethnography can feel like a real juggle. The expectations around planning and outputs — plus the topic at hand and the people you’re meeting — all shape the experience. To get the most from the time together, it pays to walk in with a sharp sense of purpose and a mental checklist of what you need to land.  

1. Be clear on who’s in the room

   Is it just you and the participant? Are clients tagging along? If clients are present, think ahead about moments that will especially resonate with them while ensuring the participant’s comfort, e.g. get them to show us their favourite appliance and how they use it, sit down in their favourite part of the home and do an activity together. These small touches make the session richer and more engaging for everyone.

   
   

2. Shape the flow, set the pace

   Energy and pace matter. If it’s a long session, plan for breaks or activities that add variety and breathing room. If you’re moving between locations—say, joining them on their commute and ending at a venue—map out those transitions. Ask yourself: What should happen in each part of the session? How do you keep things feeling natural while staying on track?

   
   

3. Check your lens, stay grounded

   You are walking into someone else’s life. This is about lived experience, not just your research agenda. Be respectful, take stock of your biases and privilege. For all your planning and objectives, your participant is a person. So, within your session’s flow, make room for rapport-building, check-ins, opportunities for conversation rather than interview. Sometimes, it's those in-between moments that reveal the most important details.  

   
   

4. Pick up the good stuff

   When designing the session, it can be super helpful to include a “bingo card” of things to watch for — words, phrases, behaviours, or observations that matter for this research. Ideally this is something you make a mental note of, rather than waft around. If clients are with you, share a version with them so they feel involved. As a team, a shared lens on what matters most keeps you focused on the brief, ensuring analysis and strategic storytelling is impactful.

   
   

5. Get your roles straight

   Avoid doing fieldwork solo where possible. Have one person focused on leading the session, while another manages kit, transitions, logistics and keeps things running smoothly. Align on who’s doing what before you set off.

   
   

6. Build in safety for everyone Create a simple call sheet with key contacts, where you’re going, how long you’ll be there and what to do if timings or circumstances shift. Log when you enter a participant’s home and when you expect to leave — and agree what happens if someone doesn’t check in. Trust your gut. Safeguarding shouldn’t be a hard sell; it’s part of good practice in our industry.

So what?

In-person ethnography has every potential to help us capture a level of nuance that remote methods might miss. It can help us close the gap between what people say and what they actually do. However, being ‘up close’ doesn’t mean we have the answers – our time spent with participants is only as meaningful as our ability to zoom back out upon analysis and strategic storytelling as a team.

Remember: immerse with care, guide the session with intention, and bridge lived experience with the broader strategic picture.