Summary
During this talk, the audience will be guided to reflect upon the common innovation approaches we have used in recent years, and be inspired to step into the future of the innovation landscape. A cultural approach will be introduced that focuses on the importance of combining local and global cultural perspectives to give broader and deeper understandings of the breadth and depth of human experience. Adopting such an approach supports the design of products and services that are accessible to real people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
Key Insights
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Globalization requires research to balance global trends with hyper-local cultural nuances for meaningful insights.
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Traditional methods like personas often miss critical localized cultural contexts and need enrichment.
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Digital divides consist of economic, usability, and empowerment barriers that impact equitable tech access.
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Cultural translation goes beyond language to include insider and outsider researcher perspectives to avoid bias.
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Hybrid research methods combining remote and on-site techniques help respect complex local contexts.
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Recruiting culturally diverse, local researchers who understand global contexts enhances research quality.
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Local social practices, such as shared vehicle use in Egypt, can drastically affect digital platform usability.
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Cultural shifts within regions, like women's growing fitness participation in Saudi Arabia, require nuanced participant recruitment.
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Inclusive research is often limited by time and budget, but researchers should advocate strongly for it.
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Remote research expands reach but cannot fully replace on-the-ground ethnography, especially for behavioral insights.
Notable Quotes
"We as researchers have this collective superpower to navigate and explore the breadth and depth of human experience across cultures."
"Globalization is not an omnipotent linear force that levels everything in its path; there are infinite variances across cultures."
"Culture is like sticky glue that holds us together — flexible enough to allow movement in new directions."
"Digital technology offers great opportunities but half the global population still lacks internet access, causing a digital divide."
"The most lucrative product users often don’t represent low socioeconomic and low literacy groups, complicating inclusivity."
"A cultural approach requires appreciating the bi-directional influence of global and local considerations."
"Without up-close research in Egypt, Uber wouldn’t have discovered vehicle-sharing practices or language clarity issues."
"Recruiting women for fitness tech research in Saudi Arabia needed to respect cultural restrictions like no photography and anonymous participation."
"Remote methods are efficient and inclusive but some briefs need on-the-ground presence to capture behavioral insights."
"Researchers should always advocate for diversity in participant samples and push clients to do the right thing, budget permitting."
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