DESIGN + ANTHROPOLOGY = ART + SCIENCE
Well before design thinking concepts buzzed through boardrooms, I started studying cultural anthropology while I was still in design school- and the connections were immediate, profound, and deeply grounding. I am innately exploratory and obsessively thorough, conducting great research across disciplines and sectors.
I am passionate about helping individuals, teams and organizations form meaningful connections with their customers and stakeholders through rich insights that directly impact product development, user experience, service, and brand strategy.
THIS IS WHAT I BRING
.1 Ethnographic approaches and principles– adapted for business.
I lead qualitative fieldwork to discover insights into product development, consumer behavior, user experience, and brand loyalty. As an expert in mixed-methods ethnographic research, I conduct in-depth interviews, participant observation and shadowing; moderate focus groups and large-scale digital ethnographies (journals, missions, etc.), and lead co-creation and participatory design activities and workshops.
.2 Excellent moderating skills.
I push for unique and unexpected insights, building to clear, well-supported themes, and providing recommendations for both high-level strategy and direct product and service improvements. I am recognized for this skill.
.3 Taking raw data and making it actionable.
I provide in-depth analysis, synthesis and reporting for sectors ranging from technology, mobility, consumer products, appliances, apparel, retail, government and financial services, and more. My work has informed customer segmentation, marketing and messaging, concept testing / evaluation, brand strategy and loyalty, service and experience design (digital and omnichannel), community engagement initiatives, curricular strategy, and philanthropic funding.
.4 Combining creative practice and research.
I bring product design methods and activities directly into the research process, in participant interviews and participant self-documentation, with visualization like free hand sketching to journey mapping and envisioning activities
I have worked for names like these…
Herman-Scheer, Kelton Research (Now Material+), Google, Samsung, Target, Canon, Best Buy, Pfizer, Harley-Davidson, The North Face, New York Life, Kimberly-Clark, Georgia-Pacific, Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper, Gildan, PetSmart, Del Monte, Johnsonville, Tim Hortons, Radio Flyer, Snap-On Tools, The Field Museum, Community Foundations of Southeast Michigan, Art Center College of Design, The International Red Cross, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Accenture / Fjord, Ford Motor Company / Ford Philanthropy, Consumers Energy /The Heat and Warmth Fund.
BIO SKETCH
I got my start as an automotive designer for General Motors working in many capacities including: portfolio strategy, brand archetype and strategy, in advanced pre-production and production studios. I began studying cultural anthropology to inform my design work. I then made a career change to become a lead footwear designer for the Keds Corporation where, bringing style and relevancy back to this heritage American brand.
With industrial design experience under my belt, I shifted focus to design anthropology, investigating the intersections with design and culture. That focus brought me Wayne State University. As a professor at an R1 urban university, I have created products and processes in collaboration with students, scholars, entrepreneurs, and industry partners. Today I straddle the worlds of business and academe, as a practitioner and instructor of design and design research methods.
siobhan gregory 