Website Pride Global
Pride Global
Company : Pride Global
Ethnographer / Design Researcher – Industrial Design (Hardware)
Location: San Francisco, CA (Onsite – SFO Area)
Duration: 12 Months (Full-Time, 40 hrs/week)
Client: Fortune 50 Company
Submittal: Resume + Portfolio (2–3 case studies required)
Pay Range: $70 to $80/hr W2
Job Summary
A Fortune 5 company is seeking a talented Ethnographer / Design Researcher to support its Industrial Design team. This role focuses on deep in-home customer research, translating real-world behavior into hardware design insights, and shaping future zero-to-one device concepts.
You will be part of a team that creates new product categories — working on technologies and ideas that do not currently exist in the market.
This is NOT a UX Designer role.
Ideal candidates come from companies like IDEO, Frog, NewDealDesign, Ammunition, Huge, or similar innovation/design consultancies.
Key Responsibilities
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Plan, execute, and analyze ethnographic and contextual research, primarily in-home field studies.
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Conduct interviews, observations, diary studies, and behavioral analysis to capture deep user insights.
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Transform raw research into clear product recommendations, insights, and actionable design requirements.
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Translate behaviors and unmet needs into concepts, hardware specs, and design direction.
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Collaborate with Industrial Designers, Product Managers, Hardware Engineers, and Research teams.
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Facilitate concept workshops and contribute to early-stage explorations (V0 product development).
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Present findings through strong storytelling, written narratives, and executive-ready reports.
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Participate in global/remote research planning, when needed.
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Support rapid prototyping by validating early design hypotheses with real user behaviors.
Required Skills & Experience
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Proven experience as an Ethnographer, Design Researcher, Design Strategist, or Insights Researcher.
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Deep expertise in in-home customer research, contextual inquiry, and observational methods.
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Experience supporting hardware, industrial design, or physical product development.
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Strong writing, storytelling, and synthesis skills; ability to create persuasive research reports.
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Experience translating qualitative data into tangible product/design requirements.
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Proficiency with Keynote, PowerPoint, and concept-based tools (Figma / Adobe Creative Cloud).
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Ability to work onsite and collaborate closely with multidisciplinary teams.
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Portfolio with 2–3 detailed ethnographic case studies demonstrating research rigor.
Preferred Qualifications
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Background in innovation/design firms such as:
IDEO, Frog, NewDealDesign, Ammunition, Huge, Smart Design, Lunar, Continuum, Artefact. -
Experience working on V0/zero-to-one product explorations.
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Human Factors, Anthropology, Psychology, or Design Research academic background.
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Hardware usability, ergonomics, or physical prototyping exposure.
Disqualifiers:
- Primarily UX/UI Designers
- Only usability testing experience
- No ethnographic fieldwork or customer-in-home research
- No portfolio or weak storytelling in case studies
Benefits:
Russell Tobin offers eligible employee’s comprehensive healthcare coverage (medical, dental, and vision plans), supplemental coverage (accident insurance, critical illness insurance and hospital indemnity), 401(k)-retirement savings, life & disability insurance, an employee assistance program, legal support, auto, home insurance, pet insurance and employee discounts with preferred vendors.
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