Ethnographic Research on Contact Lens Usage
Consumer Healthcare Company – Contact Lens
To help provide clearer vision on the opportunities that existed for a client in the contact lens industry, we offered constructive insights based on ethnographic research with real users. We compiled findings into a visually compelling comprehensive summary about the user experience research.
The Challenge
Discover New Opportunities
A client approached us with a need to evaluate and create new opportunities in the contact lens market. This user experience research project required a deep understanding of
the challenges that lens users face in selecting, purchasing, using and cleaning their lenses.
The Objective
Understand Users & Make Recommendations
- Discover who and what influences the consumer’s decision to choose a specific lens modality and brand.
- Develop empathy for the many challenges that lens users face and provide innovative short- and long-term recommendations.
- Understand users’ reasons for not adhering to lens replacement schedules and cleaning routines, and ideate around how to improve compliance and eye health.


The Approach
In-Depth Interviews
We conducted contextual interviews with a wide demographic of lens wearers in their homes. The sessions began with touchstone tours of all the places and objects in the home involved in lens use and storage, followed by a demo of their insertion and removal routines. We also reviewed journal entries and photo diaries requested as “homework” to document mishaps or frustrations. Finally, we engaged users in an in-depth discussion of their challenges.
The Insights
Created Personas and Journey Map
Our analysis of the research findings helped us to understand the struggles and unmet needs of different types of lens wearers. We developed four consumer personas and associated usage scenarios to instill empathy and provide focus for strategy and innovation. We created a journey map that illustrates and brings to life the contact lens user experience with:
- Key influencers
- Interactions with the product
- Purchase decisions and options
- Barriers to use


Opportunities
Short- and Long-Term Recommendations
Through an understanding of lens wearers’ needs, goals and behaviors, our insights team identified an array of potential opportunities for the client to connect with consumers.
Book Of Knowledge
Compelling and Comprehensive Summary
This final output is an easily digestible and visually compelling comprehensive research summary that can be used to socialize the insights to senior leadership or even to share with new team members for training and onboarding. It includes:
- Secondary research and competitive insights
- Findings and insights generated from primary contextual research
- Personas and key scenarios
- Consumer journey map with highlighted innovation opportunities
