Qualitative Research
A study exploring how people experience metamorphosis and meaning throughout their lives.
Qualitative Research
A study exploring how people experience metamorphosis and meaning throughout their lives.
TITLE
The Experience of Metamorphosis
“You can be the same and different too and it helps you carry the paradox of being human.” P2
KEY QUOTE
Background
To me, a mid-career shift is daunting so I was looking for to explore positivity in change. Inspiration for this research project came from The Netflix show Queer Eye. The show follows a group of gay makeover experts, AKA the “Fab Five” that bring humanity to client interactions by asking questions without judgment. This creates trust and vulnerability, enabling clients to uncover their limitations and embrace changes for the better.
Graduate SCHOOL Project
Team Project in Human Centered Design and Engineering (HCDE) program to practice qualitative research methods.
Yangyu Chen
Kevin Philbin
My ROLEs
Qualitative researcher
Ethnographer
Interviewer
Documentarian
Storyteller
Initial Research Questions
How do people experience significant changes or metamorphosis throughout their lives?
What conditions allow metamorphosis to occur?
Where do people experience meaning in their lives?
How do people manage change?
We targeted the general population.
We recruited seven participants through neighbors or friends of friends.
Research SAMPLE Size
Qualitative Methods
A qualitative study of peoples’ experience of major life transformations.
Qualitative Methods
A qualitative study of peoples’ experience of major life transformations.
Data Collection and REcording Methods
Dyadic Interviews
Ethnographic inquiry
Drawing the Experience
Narration
Interview Flow
TIMELINE
AUDIO Highlight REel
VIDEO PRESentation of Findings
Insights
Examining their own inherited values through the lens of another culture poses life challenges for our participants.
Participants often associated metamorphosis with self-identity seeking, discovery, and reflection.
Challenges enable identity changes for participants.
Exploration and discovery of self-identity is a process.
Participants shift their perceptions of change after experiencing metamorphosis.
View change as inevitable but whether or not to absorb changes as a choice.
Participants reported becoming more open and acceptable towards changes in their lives.
ARTIFACTS
Drawing the experience
Mapping Interview Quotes
RESEARCH REPORT
Final Research Paper
REPORT DECK
Report
CONSENT FORM
Consent Form
IMpact
Our study elaborates on some of the arguments & statements found in this research paper: Cross-cultural Encounters as an Opportunity for Personal Growth (Montuori & Fahim, 2004), and adds value to future research designs in the cross-cultural space.
FUTURE RESEARCH
How might we create products, services or experiences that enable higher levels of cross-cultural encounters, therefore inviting opportunities and agency for growth and self-satisfaction?
How might we use this research approach inside cross-functional teams to surface areas of growth or misalignments of values or difference of incentives?
Rich insights arose from getting out of the way and having the participants freely talk to each other. This is a powerful way to gain actionable insights. I seek to deploy this research within cross-functional teams to catalyze stronger alignment of projects.