qualitative research

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How Khayan Uses In-Depth Interviews to Unlock Honest Insight
How Khayan Uses In-Depth Interviews to Unlock Honest Insight 150 150 Khayan Research

At Khayan, we don’t approach in-depth interviews (IDIs) as routine Q&A sessions. We treat them as conversations designed to surface what other methods often miss—emotional tension, contradictions, quiet hesitation, and the deeper reasoning behind a decision. In our experience, that’s where the most meaningful insight lives.

Surveys can tell you what people say. But when we want to understand what they say when no one else is around and how they justify a decision, we turn to one-on-one interviews. In a study on school choice, we expected to hear about curriculum, reputation, and tuition—and we did. But what stood out wasn’t just what parents said. It was what they couldn’t stop saying. Parking, traffic, and drop-off chaos didn’t come up quietly—they came up loudly, repeatedly, and with more frustration than almost any academic factor. The emotional weight behind these responses was unmistakable. In the end, what shaped the insight wasn’t a single surprising comment—it was the sheer volume of noise around something supposedly “logical.” That pattern is what made it impossible to ignore.

We design IDIs as guided but flexible conversations. When they shift topics or bring up something unexpected, we follow—because that’s often where the real insight lives. Our experienced moderators know how to gently bring the conversation back to key areas without cutting it short or forcing the subject. It’s not about sticking to the guide—it’s about staying with the participant’s logic and letting the meaning emerge on its own terms.

What sets Khayan apart isn’t just our method—it’s how we listen. We notice when someone pauses. We hear when a word choice shifts. And we know when to gently push, when to sit in silence, and when to let the conversation veer off-script—because that’s often where the truth is hiding. For clients looking to understand how people really think, choose, and feel—especially when the decisions are emotional or don’t follow logic—IDIs are not just helpful. They’re essential. And they’re where we begin.

 

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How We Do Research
How We Do Research 150 150 Khayan Research

At Khayan, we approach research with one simple principle: if you want to understand how people make decisions, you have to meet them where those decisions happen. That means talking to them in person, watching how they respond to real choices, and paying attention to what’s said—and what’s not.

In one of our recent projects, we set out to understand how people choose between competing products. We didn’t just sit behind a screen and wait for anonymous online survey results to come in—we went out into four provinces across Thailand, met with hundreds of respondents, and spoke directly with those who actually use the product in question. We didn’t just ask what they preferred—we asked why, and then kept listening.

 

We’ve learned not to assume what matters to people. It’s easy to think that certain product features will stand out—maybe health benefits, or origin, or some technical details. But in this project, the recurring reasons were much simpler: daily habits, ease of purchase, price, and whether it felt trustworthy. Health was rarely mentioned, even though it was expected. That shift only became obvious once we heard it repeated in different settings—from structured interviews to group conversations.

A lot of what we do comes down to watching and listening. We don’t rush through interviews. We sit with people. We watch how they react when they see a brand again. We notice when they hesitate, or when a memory needs a prompt. And because we’re there in person, we can follow up—not with a scripted question, but with a natural one. “Why do you say that?” “Have you always bought it?” “What made you switch?” Those small questions often lead to the biggest answers.

Research isn’t just about data for us—it’s about understanding people’s routines, assumptions, and small habits. That’s what makes a difference in marketing. It’s not always dramatic, but it’s real. We don’t present our findings with marketing spin—we tell you what we saw, what we heard, and what it means for your brand. If you’re looking for that kind of research—straightforward, grounded, and focused on the people who actually matter to your business—we’d be happy to talk.

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