How in-field observational research is changing

Across digital transformation and service delivery, the tide is turning as we see a renewed momentum towards in-person, contextual field research. How might we support researchers and multidisciplinary delivery teams to identify and seize these vital opportunities?

The evolution from field to remote-by-default research methodologies

As a researcher, before COVID-19, designing and conducting research where I visited, observed, and interviewed participants within their own environment and context was standard. I had my research go-bag, and the depth of lived, nuanced understanding and empathy I was able to share was both rewarding and unmatched. Back then, my challenge was how I scaled my findings into valuable insights that gave others the confidence to act.

Then came two big shifts in central government that I experienced first-hand. At the time, I was working on GOV.UK, leading a research team during the EU Referendum and the UK's exit from the European Union, where we needed to run research faster and more frequently. Then COVID-19 hit; we were in complete lockdown but still needed to provide trusted information to support public service delivery and the pandemic response .

As a result, we went fully remote, digital tools quickly improved, and the appetite for remote-first research became the norm. We’d proven research could be done faster and cheaper, and there were clear cases where this new model was a much better approach. There was no going back. But among my research colleagues and friends, we were very conscious of the cases where remote research by default wasn’t appropriate. While overall we saw research frequency increases, in-person, non-remote field observational research has dropped to a low baseline (often cited as under 10–15% of all research activities).

As a consequence of this shift, we now have a cohort of researchers experienced primarily in remote-first environments, emphasising core agile research, remote testing tools, and ethical data handling. Too often these researchers have never designed, planned, or conducted field ethnography. This leaves out what it means to truly design research that proactively considers the most appropriate methods for the problem space and the level of understanding required. Research in the field has become an exceptional event.

This year, as I’ve been on a big recruitment drive, I’ve seen this industrial practice gap first hand – as reported in the 2022 UXMatters Industry Analysis: Four Ways the Pandemic Has Permanently Changed UX Research by Robert M. Schumacher, as well as the annual State of User Research Report by User Interviews (latest 2025 report).

Early indicators of shifting practice and their potential significance

At TPXimpact, we are often working in very complex user topics and conditions, understanding sensitive subject matters, with vulnerable, marginalised and overlooked user groups. Proactively designing inclusive research is our default, where we challenge and encourage our researchers to fully understand the problem space they are working in, exploring the options and benefits beyond remote-default approaches. More and more, our clients are providing the space and seeing the benefits of this.

In an era where AI is further evolving how we conduct research, we’re now seeing how understanding the deep complexities of a problem space and the behavioural nuances of human experience is becoming more relevant than ever. Alongside this shift, AI automation could ultimately allow researchers to get into the field more. I’ll be sharing more of my thoughts on this in my next post.

Our action plan

We are launching a Research in the Field series, a programme of continued blogs, talks, and practical sessions covering a range of field methods.

If you are a researcher, we hope this series will inspire you and help build the confidence and skills needed to conduct field research when it’s most needed.

If you are a team or product/service owner commissioning research, we hope this series will build your awareness and confidence around when field research is necessary, its distinct benefits, and how it can be achieved.

We already have some upcoming items lined up for your calendar: