QZine March ’20: Go Deep without going there

Clearly none of us know what will happen, but the general level of societal anxiety is increasing. We have developed some guidelines that may help in deciding what to do right now. Go Deep is  set up to swap projects from in person to online and webcam. We love in person work, but when that isn’t feasible, digital ethnographies and webcam IDIs can pretty seamlessly take their place. We have developed some guidelines that may help in deciding what to do right now.

1.  Do we have to do this work RIGHT NOW?
It is not just concerns about travel and show rates, but the frame of mind in which participants will engage.  We are ready and willing to do work that is mission critical, but are currently cautioning our clients about making business decisions on the results in such an uncertain environment with the velocity of change we currently face.  If the answer is ’no,’ we recommend postponing.

2.  We HAVE to do this work
We work in digital methods which can in most instances substitute for in person methods, often with considerable advantages.  We can help you figure out the methods that make sense, but at a minimum, digital ethnographies or blogging studies, webcam IDIs or even audio only phone interviews can effectively take the place of in person work.

3.  What about online focus groups?
Many agencies do these; Go Deep does not.  We strongly believe that the latency inherent in the platforms (and participants’ internet speeds) as well as the challenges in facilitating rapport and conversation make this method ineffective for all but the most simplistic challenges.

If you’re on the fence about whether to set up an in-person project in the current climate, we’d be happy to talk through the pros and cons of migrating it online or via webcam.