Curio Research Quarterly Vol. 27

Happy New Year, y’all! Most of us are holed away in our cozy abodes, escaping the winter chill, making now a great time to tackle repair and declutter tasks. I recently brought an armful of clothing to my local tailor for alterations and repairs, including a few moth eaten sweaters (yes, sweaters with holes are repairable). I also have several vintage garments I don’t wear anymore that I need to rehome. What’s been hanging out on your to-do list longer than you’re comfortable admitting?

Business

Work

I just finished working with Suzy on a holiday shopping experience project for a major online retailer. They wanted to know how people experience holiday shopping on their site at different stages of shopping and how they use the various tools they’ve made available. We were tasked with uncovering how these tools worked together for their shoppers. So, I asked research participants to rank each feature, which revealed dramatic differences pre and post-exposure but little difference in preference between the options. Different people favored different tools for different reasons, and the most frequently mentioned reason was efficiency. Sometimes, technologists get caught up in the desire to “delight” but forget that less time on task execution can also be delightful.

Now, I’m looking for a new project to contribute to. Let me know if you have a research question that needs answering.

Leadership

This month, I start my new leadership position, co-chairing the Business Development Special Interest Group at the QRCA. I joined as a co-chair on the condition that we would turn it into a monthly members-only Mastermind Group. Mastermind Groups are small peer support and accountability groups where you set and track goals and seek support and advice for anything you may be struggling with. We announced our inaugural January meeting last month and got so much interest that we had to shut down the registration link to keep the meeting manageable between the three co-chairs. If it’s successful, we can recruit more small-group leaders and continue to expand the program.

Conferences

The 2025 Qualitative Research Consultants Association Annual Conference in Philadelphia is coming up on February 11th, and I cannot wait. Not only will it be three days of copious and enjoyable professional development opportunities, such as navigating shop-alongs and maintaining data quality, but it’s also the social event of the year for us qualitative research professionals.

I’ll arrive a day early to get settled and attend the early arrival activities. After the conference, I’ll stay for the weekend to connect with local friends and play tourist. It’ll be my first time in the city, and I want to see what it has to offer.

Business and Sustainability

Following a recent study, Bain believes that commercial sustainability efforts are in the “Trough of Disillusionment.” In terms of hype cycles, this is a good thing. It’s positive because after the trough there is incremental long-term adoption and change, which is the “Slope of Enlightenment.” While businesses may be backtracking on their climate commitments, the demand for sustainable options is rising. 60% of consumers’ climate change concerns have intensified over the last two years, but only 36% of businesses are willing to make vendor changes based on how sustainable they are.

This won’t last. If our more well known brands aren’t meeting consumer needs now, other companies will seize the opportunity instead. Nothing turns company policy harder than loss of market share and profit.

How concerned are your customers about climate change? What can your company do to show them you’re right there with them? Let’s talk about how to measure and work with these trends.

Personal

Travel

Our trip down the Washington, Oregon, and California coasts went really well – the cyclone in Newport, Oregon and the snowy mountain pass to Bend notwithstanding. We enjoyed lots of stops to see waves crash against different rock formations, catch up with an old friend from LA now living in Bend, walk through redwood forests, have a spectacular dinner at a Michelin star restaurant near Mendocino, and drink fabulous wine. We ended the trip in the San Francisco Bay Area to spend time with my family for Thanksgiving. 

It was a great trip and I look forward to creating more memories in Philadelphia next month.

Media

So many best of 2024 lists to go through. There’s NPR Music’s best songs and albums (always a treat). Rolling Stone published their best TV list. What did I watch and agree with?

• Somebody Somewhere at number 1 - 1000% YES. Such a great show about small-town life and personal struggles. I’m sad it’s over, and I hope Bridget Everett does announce a new project soon.

• Shogun at number 2 - This was also a highlight of 2024. Great story, beautifully shot, and skillful acting. It’s been renewed for two more seasons. Sometimes studios get it right.

• Mr. and Mrs. Smith at number 4 - This was such a fun show. This series explores common and well trodden trials of long term relationships but in a spy thriller package. I can’t wait to watch the next season.

As for shows I watched late last year that I think are worth binging:

• Black Doves - Keira Knightly and Ben Winshaw are a spy and an assassin working for private enterprises who come under fire from competing interests and their own conscience. Great action sequences and I love seeing Sara Lancashire in anything since I swooned for her in Happy Valley.

• Dune: Prophecy - I am so glad the backstory of the Bene Geserit is being mined and the writers made it so very juicy.

So now, if you’ll pardon me as I finish the latest season of Squid Game.

Giving Back

Thanks to the clients I worked for over the last year, I contributed to Better Environmentally Sound Transportation, EcoJustice, RAVEN Trust, and StandEarth as part of my 1% for the Planet commitment. Because Spatial Research & Design, Suzy, SixZero, and Kalamuna trusted me to execute their projects, I was able to support four organizations actively working to make the world a better place.

Speaking of contributions, please consider helping people in the LA area recover from the wildfires still burning. Over 10,000 structures have burned, mostly affecting people who may never recover from the loss of their homes. The Los Angeles Times has a great list of organizations accepting donations, including those focused on mutual aid.

Thanks everyone, and may we all have a prosperous 2025.

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