cross-border ethnographic research

About

RI is a London based studio that provides sociocultural and ethnographic research services around the world.

We are an eclectic network of third culture ethnographers, journalists, designers and strategists interested in sparking curiosity and introducing new narratives to explain the whys of the human experiences around us.

We believe we have the responsibility to constantly search new tools, frameworks and methods to unlock differing perspectives in order to better understand the complex system in which we live in.

We support and work with start-ups and multinationals, individuals and teams on international research projects that impact new market strategies, product design, communication and engagement.

Origin

Rì is an abbreviation of Research and Ideate, a straightforward description of what we do. It is also the Mandarin pronunciation of 日, a pictograph that depicts the sun and our circular research approach.

Character variations include:

Source: History of the character rì, http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org

Rì’s (日) earliest form was a circle with a dot in the centre and four rays extending the circle. 日 can mean sun, day, date. It can be an independent character as well as a radical i.e. a component of other characters related to the sun or the day.

Yuebai Liu

I work at the intersection of culture, tech and policy, you’ll often find me leading ethnographic research studies somewhere around the world. I grew up transiting airports and stations, but currently call Hackney home. More about me here.