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Visual Methods

Using Photographs to Capture Customers' Experience with Design

School of Business Administration at Portland State University, mpullman{at}pdx.edu

Stephani K. A. Robson

School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University, skr4{at}cornell.edu

Traditional guest feedback methods such as surveys or mystery shopping are not ideal for collecting information about customers' reactions to a hotel's physical design. Because design is a visual medium, survey questions may not capture the whole of a guest's reaction to the design. By the same token, the reaction of mystery shoppers to design is not necessarily representative of all guests. Instead, a photography-based approach allows guests to show managers and researchers what they consider to be the hotel's design highlights and failures. A pilot study indicated that guests took notice of design elements that signified that the hotel was being considerate of their needs, as well as providing a functional, high-quality environment.

Key Words: hotel design • market research • customer feedback • survey techniques • design research • photoelicitation

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