A research method tailored to each project’s unique needs.
Our firm’s research methods adapt to each project’s unique needs, with strong relationships between the type of product and how we conduct our research process in all our projects. At RKS Design, our team of skilled researchers and designers applies proven quantitative and qualitative methods across diverse markets and industries. Through immersion in each sector’s distinct culture and context, we uncover deep insights that inspire innovative design solutions and memorable experiences. Guided by systematic analysis and our proprietary Psycho-Aesthetics® process, we work hard to ensure projects align with consumer behavior, needs, and market opportunities for our clients.
FLOW WATER
RKS helps solve flint water crises with Flowater
CHILD SAFETY NETWORK
Repositioning a brand in its 30th year to help appeal to millennial parents and facilitate fundraising to ensure the safety of kids.
VGX INNOVIO
DNA Vaccine Delivery Automation innovation to increase effectiveness and meet stringent regulatory requirements.
FRESHREALM
A zero waste solution that provides healthy meals right to your doorstep.
OUR research process
We know that a deep understanding of people lies at the heart of innovation. Selecting the most appropriate research methodology is essential for uncovering authentic consumer behaviors, motivations, and unmet needs and designing and building impactful products. By using systematic techniques grounded in our unique Psycho-Aesthetics® methodology, we transform insights into actionable strategies that drive impactful product design each time. Our structured framework ensures that each project is approached rigorously, creatively, and intentionally.
01
Defining Research Objectives
We work to define objectives clearly, ensuring they align with goals and respond to our clients’ needs.
02
Literature Review
03
Methodology Selection
04
Sampling Design
05
Data Collection
Observation and Participation: At our firm, exploration methods involve close contact with users, in-depth observation, and active participation in gathering reliable data and addressing logistical challenges carefully to create a meaningful impact.
Interviews: At RKS Design, we know that interviews, close contact, and connection with users are a cornerstone of our ethnographic research practice. This contact helps us learn and gather deeper insights into consumer behaviors, motivations, and needs to drive creative solutions. Depending on the context, interviews may be conducted immediately after observation or later in the process. We work to thoughtfully select interviewees and craft targeted questions that help us understand core behaviors and read into the market’s needs.
06
Data Analysis and Synthesis
Our team of researchers oversees qualitative and quantitative analysis to ensure robust data use, interpretation, and synthesis. Our company applies rigorous coding, categorization, and validation techniques to draw meaningful insights and align findings with the defined objectives. We collaborate with qualitative analysis experts and use systematic data policy, advanced digital tools, and software to read and interpret data and ensure adherence to the latest 2025 privacy policies.
07
Timeline and Resource Management
We plan and coordinate research activities, setting clear timelines for interviews, artifact collection, and documentation policy. This structured approach ensures the process runs efficiently and effectively.
Quantitative Methods: The quantitative approach focuses on measurable data, using statistical analysis to identify patterns and trends and learn about consumer behavior across large populations. This method helps businesses make data-driven decisions and validate market assumptions that confidently predict market outcomes.
Qualitative Methods / Ethnographic Research: Our qualitative approach provides deep, contextual insights into real-life interactions and motivations and helps us read into consumers’ needs. By engaging directly with consumers through observation and interviews, we work to learn new opportunities, human-centered design directions, and emotional drivers that shape how people experience products. This understanding is a central element that drives our work to develop the best design solution each time.
08
Risk Management
09
Results Reporting and Dissemination
Comprehensive Research Capabilities That Drive Strategic Impact
Our research capabilities encompass the oversight, coordination, and execution of qualitative and quantitative approaches, using robust and systematic analysis to deliver insights that drive business growth, help position products in the market, and understand evolving consumer behavior and needs. Each engagement is tailored to focus on clients’ goals and market demands, guided by our proprietary Psycho-Aesthetics® methodology. We define research goals, identify key questions, and develop a clear data collection process, synthesis, and analysis policy. Our team ensures that each product we design provides actionable insights that help clients understand people and their experiences, meet market needs, and create memorable new experiences that drive lasting business growth.
Design Development
We integrate research insights into design development, ensuring each solution addresses consumer needs and market opportunities. Our designs are focused on translating data-grounded insights and the principles of our Psycho-Aesthetics® methodology into functional, impactful products for our clients and an extraordinary experience for each user.
Emerging Technology Integration
We help businesses understand new technologies that meet consumer needs and market trends. We identify how consumers interact with technology and where new opportunities exist.
Business Model Design
We focus on building sustainable and adaptable business models informed by qualitative research and market analysis. We help clients understand emerging consumer demands and align their products with these evolving needs.
Experimental Prototyping
Qualitative Resonance Testing
Pilot Design and Testing
Rollout Support
User Experience
Brand Development
Product Design
Industrial Design
In-depth overview of Ethnographic
Research methodology
FAQ's
What does a market research firm do?
A market research firm provides the foundational insights for product and service strategy and new product development. Market research synthesizes the current and future needs of a market in a way that creates actionable insights for decision makers. A market research firm creates the market research plan, identifies the methods of research, and executes on the market research plan.
A market research firm is a company that provides businesses and organizations with valuable insights and information about their target markets. This information is used to help organizations make informed decisions about their marketing and business strategies.
Market research firms conduct a variety of different types of research in order to gather this information. Some common methods include surveys, focus groups, interviews, and experiments. These research methods allow the firm to collect data from a variety of sources, including customers, competitors, and industry experts.
Market research often includes primary and secondary research, interviews, ethnographies, and competitive intelligence. Because we use Psycho-Aesthetics, our human-centered methodology we also use tools such as the P/Aâ„¢Map
Once the data is collected, a market research firm will analyze it in order to identify trends and patterns. This analysis allows the firm to provide its clients with valuable insights about their target markets, such as consumer behavior, market trends, and customer preferences.
In addition to providing market research services, many firms also offer consulting services. These services can include helping businesses and organizations develop marketing plans, evaluate new products and services, and identify potential areas for growth and expansion.
Overall, the role of a market research firm is to help businesses and organizations make informed decisions about their target markets. By providing valuable insights and information, these firms help their clients to better understand their customers, competitors, and industry trends. This enables businesses to make more effective marketing and business decisions, which can ultimately lead to increased revenue and success.
What are the market research services of RKS?
RKS is a full-service market research firm. We create market research plans, conduct ethnographic research, and benchmark analogous and competitive offerings standards.
What design research methods does RKS apply?
RKS utilizes a holistic set of design research methods that are tailored to each project. Based on our human-centered design methodology, Psycho-Aesthetics® we utilize methods that help us understand and synthesize the core needs and wants of consumers that pertain to the project.
What is ethnography in qualitative research design?
Ethnography is a method of qualitative research that focuses on the study of cultures, groups, and communities. It is a way of investigating and understanding the social and cultural practices of a particular group or community.
Ethnography involves conducting in-depth, observational research in a natural setting. This means that the researcher immerses themselves in the community they are studying and observes the interactions, practices, and behavior of the people within that community. The researcher is not simply an outsider looking in, but rather becomes a part of the community and participates in the daily activities and routines of the people they are studying.
Ethnography is a holistic approach to research, meaning that it takes into account the entire context and culture of the community being studied. It looks at the various social and cultural factors that influence the behavior and practices of the people within that community. This includes factors such as language, religion, customs, traditions, and social norms.
One of the key strengths of ethnography is that it allows the researcher to gain a deep and nuanced understanding of the culture and community being studied. By living among the people and participating in their daily activities, the researcher is able to gain a rich and detailed understanding of their culture and practices. This level of immersion allows the researcher to capture the nuances and complexities of the culture that may be missed by more traditional research methods.
Ethnography is also a flexible and adaptable research method. As the researcher becomes a part of the community, they are able to adapt and modify their research approach based on the needs and interests of the community. This means that the research can evolve and change as the community changes, allowing for a more dynamic and responsive research process.
Ethnography is not without its limitations, however. One challenge is that the researcher may become too embedded in the community and lose objectivity. It is important for the researcher to maintain a critical and reflective approach to their research, and to be aware of their own biases and assumptions.
Another challenge is that ethnography can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. Because it involves in-depth, observational research, it can take longer to conduct than other research methods. Additionally, the researcher must invest a significant amount of time and effort into building trust and relationships within the community, which can be challenging.
Despite these challenges, ethnography remains an important and valuable method of qualitative research. It allows researchers to gain a deep and nuanced understanding of the cultures and communities they study, and to uncover the complex social and cultural factors that influence their behavior and practices.
What is UX design research?
UX design research is the process of gathering and analyzing data about how users interact with a product or service in order to improve the overall user experience. This can include conducting user interviews, focus groups, usability testing, and other forms of user research to gather data on user behavior, needs, and preferences.
The goal of UX design research is to gain insight into the user’s perspective, and to use this information to inform the design and development of a product or service. This process allows UX designers to identify pain points and areas for improvement, and to make informed decisions about how to best meet the needs of users.
UX design research is a crucial part of the design process, as it helps to ensure that the end product is user-friendly and meets the needs of the target audience. By conducting research, UX designers can identify user behaviors and patterns, and use this information to inform their design decisions. This can include things like understanding how users navigate through a website, or identifying common challenges that users face when using a particular app.
Additionally, UX design research can help UX designers to gain a deeper understanding of user motivations and preferences. This can include things like understanding why users might choose one product over another, or what features are most important to users when making a purchase decision. By understanding these factors, UX designers can create designs that are more effective at meeting user needs and preferences.
Overall, UX design research is a crucial part of the design process, as it helps UX designers to create products and services that are user-friendly, effective, and engaging. By conducting research and gathering data on user behavior and preferences, UX designers can create designs that are tailored to the needs and preferences of their target audience, resulting in a better overall user experience.
What is an ethnographic research firm?
An ethnographic research firm is a professional service organization that specializes in the study of human behavior and culture. Ethnographic research is a qualitative research method that involves the observation and analysis of people in their natural environment, without preconceptions or assumptions about their behavior. The goal of ethnographic research is to understand the attitudes, behaviors, beliefs, and motivations of people in a particular cultural setting.
An ethnographic research firm provides a range of services, including fieldwork, data collection, analysis, and report writing. The research process typically involves immersion in the subject culture, observation of daily activities and interactions, and in-depth interviews with people from the culture being studied. The data collected is analyzed to uncover patterns, themes, and insights that provide a deeper understanding of the culture and its members.
Ethnographic research is used by a variety of organizations, including businesses, government agencies, and non-profit organizations, to gain a deeper understanding of their customers, stakeholders, and target markets. The insights gained from ethnographic research can be used to inform product design, marketing strategies, and policy decisions, helping organizations make informed decisions that are more closely aligned with the needs and perspectives of their target audience.
Whether conducting research in a local community or studying a culture half a world away, an ethnographic research firm provides valuable insights and understanding to help organizations make informed decisions and drive success.
What is ethnographic research?
Ethnographic research is a qualitative research method used to understand the cultural and social practices of a particular group of people. It involves the study of a group’s behaviors, beliefs, and values through observation and direct interaction with its members. Ethnographic research is often used in anthropology, sociology, and other social sciences to gain insights into the ways that people live and interact with each other.
The goal of ethnographic research is to gain a deep understanding of a group’s culture and practices, rather than simply collecting data. Researchers often spend extended periods of time living among the group they are studying, immersing themselves in their way of life and observing their daily routines. This allows researchers to gain a more nuanced understanding of the group’s social and cultural practices and to identify patterns and trends that may not be immediately apparent.
Ethnographic research can be particularly useful in product design and marketing, as it provides insights into the needs and preferences of specific groups of people. By understanding the cultural context in which a product will be used, designers can create products that are more culturally sensitive and relevant to their intended users.