About Fieldwork (田野工作/調查)

Note of 2008.11.12
page.19-20

"You had to be there, you had to observe firsthand."; "The way to do fieldwork is never to come up for air until it is all over"
By Margaret Mead, anthropologist.


For observe the behavior of consumers, IDEO develop dozens of tools for Anthropologist and organized into the four categories of "Ask", "Watch", "Learn", and "Try."

When they go out in the field for inspiration, they try to observe with fresh eyes. Adopting a Zen-like "beginner's mind" is easier said than done, of course. But doing so makes a world difference in gathering fresh observation.


"Discovery consists of seeing what everyone else has seen and thinking what no one has thought" By Albert von Szent-Gyorgyi

"But seeing with fresh eyes may be one of the hardest parts of the innovation process. You have to put aside your experience and preconceived notions. You have to drop your skepticism and tap into a childlike curiosity and open-mindedness. Without that sense of wonder and discovery, you're likely to be blind to the opportunities right before your eyes."