When ethnography is applied to package design research, the researcher observes surreptitiously rather than being embedded. Another modification regards duration; speed-to-market pressures place a premium on obtaining insights fast. Given these distinctions, for purposes of this article, ethnography will be replaced by observation research, or observation.
The promotors of observation as a package design research methodology argue that behavior is more reliable than words; what consumers do is more reliable than what they say they do. Reliable behavior depends on the consumer not being aware of being observed and therefore behaving “naturally.” Reliable behavior also depends on the researcher being able to interpret what’s being observed. Not only should the researcher be able to interpret behavior relevant to the project objectives, but since there is no limit to the variety of human behavior, the researcher should also be able to recognize serendipitous insights. If observation research were to have a motto, a likely one would be: Look, see, and understand.
