ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH & AFFINITY DIAGRAMMING: NEEDS & BEHAVIORS OF FAST-FOOD DINERS
Our team was asked by a client had to design a new fast food restaurant and dining experience.
To this end, we needed to better understand how people experience current restaurants.
In September 2019 our team of three conducted observational research sessions at a variety of restaurants in Southern California: In-n-Out Burger, Starbucks, and McDonald’s.
STEP 1: OBSERVATIONAL RESEARCH
Observational notes from my session at an In-n-Out in Signal Hill, California.
We each spent 1.5 to 2 hours in each of the three restaurants mentioned. We captured our observations with respect to the environment (cleanliness, temperature, comfort, noise level, etc.), customers, staff, and the products sold (food, drinks).
STEP 2: AFFINITY DIAGRAMMING
Following our observations, the team collaborated to create an affinity diagram that resulted in four key characteristics or dimensions:
Customers
Employees/Staff
Environment (sound, temperature, seating location, cleanliness)
Product (i.e., food and beverages)
We grouped our observations into four main categories, indicated by the green Post-It notes.
STEP 3: IDENTIFYING AREAS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH
These attributes helped us identify variations in the fast-food dining experience that could be assessed more deeply in future research. With additional findings, we can better understand how our client’s new fast-food dining brand could set itself apart without violating key attributes that customers have come to enjoy and expect when eating out.
Among other characteristics, this research should assess:
Potential target customer(s)
Attributes of an environment that would be welcoming and comfortable
Attributes of food and drinks that are most important
Areas for optimizing the experience of ordering, purchasing and receiving food and beverages
Specific behaviors restaurant staff might exhibit to customers that support brand goals