Learn more about experience research on https://blog.morethanmetrics.com/research-basics/ This is an introduction to mobile ethnography, a method to research experiences, e.g. customer experience or employee experience. Mobile ethnography makes use of mobile devices to let participants share feedback on their perception of a product or service.

1. MOBILEETHNOGRAPHY
Ethnography is a discipline of anthropology that focuses on understanding peoples
behavior and their relationships by observing them and using various techniques.
It uses modern technology and transforms the participant into an active researcher.
WHEN TO USE IT?
• When you have participants in
several locations
• If the participants have a
smartphone
• If you want to use a method that
really lets the participant decide
what they share without too much
influence or bias from the researcher
BENEFITS OF THE METHOD
• Gather real data on customer
experience when and where
it happens
• Customers define their own
touchpoints (no rigid predefined
categories) which can decrease
research bias
• It’s time- and cost-efficient
• Research teams can be dispersed
CHALLENGES OF MOBILE
ETHNOGRAPHY
• It can miss non-verbal feedback
• Recruiting participants
• Briefing participants clearly
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
• Computer with internet access
• Smartphone
• Mobile ethnography tool
Basics
NUMBER OF RESEARCHERS
• Minimum 1 (it’s better to have
teams of 2-3 researchers to have
researcher triangulation)
* Note: in mobile ethnography
the researchers are those who
are analyzing the results that
the participants share.
NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS
Typically, you’ll face a drop-out rate of
approx. 50 %. Consider this when you
decide your sample size.
See our ExperienceFellow guide to see
the pros and cons of sample sizes un-
der 20 and over 20.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO GET
OUT OF EXPERIENCEFELLOW
• Journey maps with text, photos,
videos, audio recordings, date and
time, geolocation
• Deeper insights that are based on
what the user or customer thinks
are the most important
• Statistics (keep in mind that
the sample size is crucial for the
interpretation)
STEPS
BEFORE
1. DEFINE
Choose a research question that you want to consider with this method. Decide
how long you will collect information.
2. DESIGN
Set up the project in a mobile ethnography application like ExperienceFellow ;)
3. TEST
Test the project yourself, with a few colleagues or a test group of real participants.
Is your task clear? Do you get the data you expect?
4. OUTREACH
Recruit a variety of participants for the project. Offer relevant incentives for
participating. Explain the task very clearly. Depending on how hands on you want
to be, you can tell participants what you want them to focus on and how detailed
you want them to report what they experience.
DURING
5. ANALYZE
As participants share their experience, researchers can start to analyze data.
6. REMIND
Send participants notifications to prompt them along the way.
AFTER
7. FOLLOW UP
Thank participants and share some of the insights or actions that came from the
research.
WWW.EXPERIENCEFELLOW.COM
Mobile ethnography, however, uses modern technology and transforms the participant into an
active researcher. By using a mobile device, participants can document and share anything that
they perceive as important. Depending on the research question or topic, participants can share
their experiences, daily routines, whatever might be of interest to them, and/or follow a specific
research task.