Chris Diming

Currently in the Richmond, VA area, I am an applied anthropologist and design researcher with a people-centered outlook and expertise in the urban built environment. As part of this, I am fascinated by social spaces, our everyday behaviors within them, and the cultures we form through our daily activities. I strive to improve the user experience of technology, the built environment, and the workplace, as this intersection is where we spend much of our lives. An applied anthropologist, I am driven by a desire to spark and sustain social impact.

I come equipped to derive insights with both qualitative and quantitative methods. My work as Chief Research Officer with Javelyn Technologies (the UK-based umbrella company of Ognio, Pidge, and Lyfeline) entailed the execution of primary research and user research techniques, particularly semi-structured interviews, digital ethnography, quantitative surveys, and remote interviews. I also conducted secondary research on topics related to the built environment and technology, including the development of white papers and the start-up’s innovative theoretical direction. I collaborated frequently with our internal design and creative teams to create our products, and I also established relationships with external parties, thereby driving our business development. As I went about these tasks, I supervised a dispersed team of user experience (UX) researchers and market researchers, developed our research operations, and consulted with business leaders to design our research strategy.

Furthermore, I also possess expertise in mixed-methods research and analysis, with urban fieldwork experience gained from my prior PhD research on inter-personal relationships, cultural concepts, and public spaces in Pristina, Kosovo. Obtained from Durham University’s Department of Anthropology, I have delivered a research project that combines ethnographic participant observation, semi-structured interviewing and unstructured interviewing with Social Network Analysis, card sorts, and free lists.

Through my research chops and entrepreneurial ethos, I seek to drive innovation, create profound user experiences, and spark social value.