The objective of this workshop is to demonstrate how multiple lines of evidence, both qualitative and quantitative, can be integrated to develop actionable, evidence-driven results.
In this moment of straightened economic times, business is tough, especially for research teams, who are often the first to get cut when project budgets shrink. Used to articulating and proving our value, researchers must continue to think of ways to be quicker, faster, and more nimble with our approaches and more transparent with our value to teams, projects, clients, companies, and of course, to the bottom line. This kind of thinking helps to keep research (and research teams) relevant and protected in even the toughest environments.
We often have to do more with less – it is not uncommon for us to get a request for some “quick and dirty research in a day.” Not only does this devalue research as a practice, but without the flexibility to shift our methods to meet changing needs, we risk becoming obsolete, marginalized, or pushed into other groups where we can no longer best apply our skills. How do we remedy this?
Razorfish has developed a four-step approach – Personified Segmentation – a model and a method that aims to provide substantial longevity and value and emphasizes the synergy between research-driven design personas and marketing segmentation. The methodology is designed to be flexible and scalable, balancing rigor and validity and the often-opposing needs of sales and execution teams.
The Personified Segmentation methodology allows us to take a psychological approach, exploring and understanding the relationships between people, objects, and variables, and then validate those relationships through statistical modeling. The four steps – Gather, Qualitative Segmentation, Quantitative Segmentation, and Personified Segmentation – enable us to take an incremental and systematic approach to building a robust and actionable understanding of users. The output of Personified Segmentation can be validated segments, clusters, critical variables, personas fortified by segments, penetration models, and opportunity spaces. Diverse outputs allow the research to resonate with a wide range of audiences from marketers to designers.
During the workshop, we will describe the Personified Segmentation methodology, work through several examples as a group, and discuss issues related to the application, utility, and long- and short-term benefits of the model in our own work and in the work of those attending the workshop.
Participants should be those with a desire to learn more about the application of integrated qualitative and quantitative user data and will come away from the workshop with a deeper understanding of a robust and systematic approach to segmentation methodology.
Participants should come prepared with any examples / experiences of past, current, or future projects where they have been challenged to combine qualitative and quantitative data and be willing to share with the group.
Organizers
Chad Maxwell and Bari Wieselman Schulman are part of the Consumer Insights Group at Razorfish. They are responsible for working with clients and diverse teams to deliver meaningful offerings and strategic solutions based on the fusion of qualitative and quantitative methods and results.
