Fan Culture Research:
What makes KPop fans feel like they “belong” to this particular genre and fandom?
UC Berkeley, 2024
Collaborators: Joseline Chang, Hanna Khoury, Shanna Finnigan
Skills: User interviews, synthesizing insights, creating personas, visual design
Tools: Figma, FigJam, Excel
Imagine that you’re a Kpop record label executive trying to understand what fans love and what gives them pause…
This is exactly what I did as part of a dedicated user research module in my Master of Design program!
Our work focused on the Discover and Define phase of the design double diamond, focusing on the following question:
What physical and digital spaces do Kpop fans occupy and how do those interactions impact an individual’s sense of belonging?
User Interviews and Synthesis
We crafted an interview guide based on our research question above, and found three different Kpop fans with varying involvement in the fandom to interview.
After conducting user interviews on Zoom, we summarized our findings for each one and tried to find common themes in the answers.
Based on our interviews and synthesis process, we formed insights and identified potential opportunity areas (remember, we’re executives at a Kpop record label!)
Putting it all together: Personas, Archetypes, Opportunity Areas, Next Steps
We created a teenage-style magazine, aiming to inform others in the “record label” about the research question, helpful user personas and archetypes, and identifying next steps.
Outcomes/Reflections
This was my first experience conducting formal user interviews and going through the creative process of formulating insights, creating frameworks to tell a story, and creating a zine. Along the way, I found a genuine love for storytelling and connecting with people as an interviewer.