Travel anywhere, make sense of the world, and make a difference.
I run Studio D, a San Francisco-based design consultancy that specialises in immersive research. If you want to understand what motivates Tokyo teens or Afghan arms dealers, I can put a team on the ground and figure it out. My work has taken me to the four corners of the earth from trend-setting cities to remote mountain villages. I’m fortunate to have worked on projects that have had an impact worldwide.
The Handbook is for anyone that needs to understand people across cultures, to impact design, product, strategy, brand and marketing.
The book is written, proofed and ready to print. It ships four weeks after the campaign completes.
With your help, I’d like to offer a whole lot more.
UPDATE!
See new reward an intimate three-day retreat, hosted by the author, deep in Sichuan, China, to discuss, learn and be inspired by the how-to and why-to of international field research. See Field / Sichuan, below.
STRETCH GOALS!
65k A trip for Lee to visit Studio D in San Francisco or Tokyo. We’ve never met in person, and he deserves some love.
88k The Education edition of The Field Study Template Kit is offered for free to colleges/universities.
100k I’ll invite a writer-in-residence to join the Borderlands Expedition.
120k A month-long mentorship by the author, for one person (we often run these remotely). I’ll email details after the close of the Kickstarter.
150k I’ll run a mountain retreat, somewhere interesting. >> See new rewards – Field / Yoshino, and Field / Sichuan below!
250k Up to $8k Studio D grant + mentorship to run a month-long immersive research project somewhere interesting. I’ll announce this within a month of the close of the Kickstarter.
300k I’ll offer my services gratis on a month-long project for a non-profit anywhere in the world.
1. THE FIELD STUDY HANDBOOK
The comprehensive how-to, why-to guide to running international field research projects. Browse the Table of Contents.
But it’s not just for professionals. It’s for anyone who has travelled and has felt missed opportunities—
In understanding what is going on.
Experiences that didn’t sit right.
Conversations that fell short of their potential.
Questions left unanswered.
I wanted to create an artefact. A beautiful thing that takes up space in your life, and nudges you with its presence.
To travel, and experience the world with an open mind, and fresh eyes. So that when you return you too are ready to shape the world.
The specs:
It’s printed by our friends at Oddi, Iceland, using a Heidelberg Offset with materials sourced from responsible forestry.
The Kickstarter is priced to make the book as accessible as possible. It includes free shipping in the US, and similarly subsidised shipping overseas.
Once funding is met The Field Study Handbook will ship in June.
Update: we’ve committed to a second print run, which is on target to ship end of June.
1.5 THE FIELD STUDY HANDBOOK, STUDIO D EDITION
Studio D Edition, for those that appreciate the value of craft, culture and travel. With a sturdy clothbound cover, in saffron yellow with black deboss, and bookmark ribbon.
We’d planned to do these for in-house us but will now make a limited number available for this Kickstarter.
Why a yellow cover? Its inspired by an artefact of our work: frequent travellers to off-beat destinations require vaccinations, which are logged in their Yellow Book. It’s occasionally asked for at borders, officially to ensure you’re protected, but sometimes to hustle a bribe.
2. A LIMITED EDITION ILLUSTRATED BOOKLET – SUSTAINABLE DATA
A little book about a big idea: that there’s a better way to source, think about and apply data. It’s written for designers, data scientists, researchers, technologists, and engineers, in fact, anyone that is using data to shape the world out there.
The only book that can be filed under data, ethics, gardening or cooking.
It’s pocketable, 46 pages, with a debossed softcover, and is beautifully illustrated by Lee John Phillips. Also printed by Oddi in Iceland, and ready to ship in June. (Available as PDF for the Digital Pack).
3. KASHMIR TRAVEL FOLIO BUNDLE
Studio D manufactures our own line of field equipment, some of which we make available to the public through SDR Traveller.
The Kashmir Travel Folio is a travel wallet + notebook that is designed to fit your travel essentials. It is prefilled with a blank notebook. Features an interior passport pocket, notebook/document sleeves, zipped pockets, card slots and a SIM pocket.
The outer shell is made from Dyneema Composite Fabric, about twice the strength of Kevlar, it comes in Slate Black. Designed to fit your travel essentials (Final details and colors may vary slightly.)
Made in California.
4. 1M HAULY HEIST BUNDLE
Our field teams are heavily dependent on wireless technologies for day-to-day work. We also operate in environments where, sometimes, we prefer to remain anonymous.
The SDR Traveller 1M Hauly Heist is ideal for the discreet, comfortable carry of up to US$1 Million in new or used bank notes while minimising the risk of radio frequency tracking.
It includes a 1M Hauly + Heist RF/EMI shielding pouch that is made in the USA by an ITAR registered manufacturer.
5. EPIC CONFERENCE BUNDLE
For professional field researchers or those who want to become one. Our friends at EPIC, whose mission is to advance the value of ethnography in industry, are offering 10 tickets to their annual conference, on October 22 – 25th 2017, in Montreal. Tickets provided at a considerable discount (a ticket is normally $750, and includes a one-year membership).
6. SDR TRAVELLER BUNDLE
This reward includes tried and tested field gear from SDR Traveller (see individual product pages for details). Ultra light, ultra strong and discreet, these are designed for check-ins and checkpoints.
Please note, the D3 Raw, takes 6 months of travel to wear in and reach a matte state.
Made in California.
7. FIELD STUDY ILLUSTRATOR BUNDLE
The original, Kickstarter artwork (couple on motorbike), signed by Lee John Phillips. A perfect compliment to any studio that runs international projects. Check out Lee’s other artwork and projects, it’s seriously good.
8. PROFESSIONAL FIELD KIT BUNDLE
The essential collection of field templates for professionals. These will help you cross borders, navigate officialdom, collect data and do the right thing by your clients, colleagues and participants.
Can pay for itself from a single field study.
9. BORDERLANDS FIELD EXPEDITION
Join me and my Russian speaking guide for a two-week field 4WD expedition along the Pamir Highway from Bishkek, to the borderlands of Tajikistan, next to Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan and Western China. Stunning scenery, high altitudes, dubious border crossings, fascinating cultures in some of the world’s most remote communities. Apply field study methods from the Handbook first hand. The reward does not include flights into Kyrgyzstan or insurance.
If you are wondering what this kind of trip involves, my most recent journey to this region was written up in 61 Glimpses of the Future.
To be undertaken within a year of the Kickstarter closing.
10. 10 x 10 WORKSHOP
An engaging workshop on running international field projects, for up to 10 people + 10 Handbooks is offered anywhere in the world. Reach out to discuss larger groups.
Does not include travel expenses.
11. A SHORT WALK IN THE HINDU KUSH, EXPEDITION
Join me and my local fixer on an expedition in Afghanistan’s Wakham Corridor to the Big Pamir, bounded in the South by the Hindu Kush. The journey will start and end in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, crossing the border into Afghanistan close to Khorog. Transport will be appropriate to the route and will likely include trekking, pack mules and 4WD. Accommodation will be a mix of guest houses, camping and where available, local homes. You will need to be trekking-level fit. The reward does not include flights into Tajikistan or insurance.
The name of this reward is based the 1958 book of the same name, by Eric Newby, arguably the first modern travelogue. Border crossings hold up a mirror to the soul.
Journey to be undertaken within a year of the Kickstarter closing.
Suggest you read the risks and challenges section.
FIELD / SICHUAN
What
An exploratory three-day retreat, deep in Sichuan, China, to discuss and learn the how-to and why-to of running international field research. For anyone that wants to inform and inspire design, product, brand and strategy.
When
26th, 27th and 28th September 2017 / 3 nights
How & Who
Space is limited to 12 attendees. We’re offering limited invitations through Kickstarter, and the remainder via Studio D.
The books are only included in the Kickstarter rewards.
Where
The retreat takes place a traditional alpine style lodge, situated in the foothills of the Qionglai Mountain Range, two hours from Chengdu.
Budget
The retreat costs $3,600 per person. This includes:
Books will be shipped in June. Free shipping in the US.
Excludes: travel to Chengdu, visa, lunch, alcohol, & overseas shipping for books.
Getting There
Fly to Chengdu airport (CTU). We’ll take care of the transport from Chengdu.
For most nationalities, travel to China requires a visa. The process is efficient, and it requires a week or so obtain from your local Chinese consulate.
We suggest arriving in Chengdu on the 25th September and staying the night in the city. Transport leaves from Chengdu on the morning of 26th. The journey to the lodge takes three hours. Return transport is available on the 28th or we can help you prepare for your next destination in China.
Nearby+
The Wolong National Nature Reserve is 90 minutes away. If you extend your trip by a few days, we highly recommend visiting Tibetan villages such as Danba, and the monastery town of Larung Gar.
Details
Sleeping arrangements will be mountain lodge style, with mostly single and some shared rooms.First to sign-up are offered single rooms.
Our hosts, the Dong family, are excellent cooks and will provide home-cooked meals. In keeping with the spirit of popup studios, we will help out in the kitchen, if you want to learn how to cook Sichuan food. There is a good supply of quality caffeine.
Sessions will be in English. Two Chinese speaking guides will also be available.
We don’t offer refunds. You can transfer your ticket to another individual (someone you know) free of charge.
—–
FIELD / YOSHINO [SOLD OUT]
What
An intimate three-day retreat, deep in the Japanese mountains, to discuss and learn the how-to and why-to of running international field research. For anyone that wants to inform and inspire design, product, brand and strategy.
Many of the experiences that shape who we become are drawn from deep conversations, long walks in the forest, and activities that are conducive to reflection and understanding. Late autumn in Yoshino is nature at its best.
When
16th – 19th October 2017 / 3 nights
Who
Space is limited to 9 attendees.
Where
The retreat takes place in Yoshino old town in Nara Prefecture, Japan, two hours by train from Kyoto and deep in timber country. The town is surrounded by lush forests and has over twenty working timber mills.
Two venues are booked for the sole use of attendees: Our main accommodation is a traditional ryokan, that sits by the Yoshino river. Working sessions will be run out of a nearby atelier.
There is also the old town of Yoshino, nearby communities and of course miles of countryside, temples, hiking and more.
How
Sign-up to the reward.
Getting There
Yoshino is less than two hours by train from Kyoto (Kansai is the nearest airport) and less than five hours from Tokyo. The journey provides enough time to get into the right head-space to make the most of the event.
Cost
The retreat costs $2,000 per person. This includes:
Books will be shipped in June. Free shipping in the US.
Excluded: travel to the event, lunch, alcohol & overseas shipping for books.
Details
i’ll reach out to attendees before calibrating the final schedule. See the handbook, table of contents for the kinds of topics we’ll cover.
We’ll operate popup studio style accommodation. This means we’ll take in in turns to cook breakfast and dinner, except for the banquet on the second night.
Sleeping arrangements are ryokan style, with the attendees sharing three large tatami rooms, and futons. There’s also a large deck overlooking the river if you prefer to sleep under the stars. Two rooms will be gender split.
Sessions will be in English, with some Japanese translation, if required. For newcomers to Japan, we’ll provide ample instructions on how to get there.
Tickets are non-refundable. If you have a booking and can’t make it, we’ll be happy to help you find someone to buy your ticket.
Reach out if you have any questions.
SUMMARY OF REWARDS
PATRONS
All patrons are listed on The Field Study Handbook site.
ABOUT JAN
Jan is an award-winning researcher, designer, author and the founder of Studio D. He also founded field equipment brand SDR Traveller. He was previously Principal Scientist at Nokia’s Tokyo research lab, and Executive Creative Director of Global Insights at design consultancy, frog and works frequently with commercial, nonprofit and government clients. With home bases in San Francisco and Tokyo, he specialises in understanding edge-of-grid communities and working in challenging environments. He’s also a little camera shy.
Follow Jan on instagram/janchip and on twitter/janchip.
ABOUT LEE JOHN PHILLIPS
Lee is a technical illustrator based out of Narbeth Wales. He spent a year illustrating the Handbook, and Sustainable Data. Lee isn’t camera shy.
Follow Lee on Instagram/leejohnphillips.
ADVANCED PRAISE FOR THE HANDBOOK
“This remarkable book is so detailed, well-organized and intellectually exotic that I could easily make Jan Chipchase the action hero of a science fiction novel. It would be a suave Patrick Leigh Fermor travelogue, where a cosmopolitan guy of well-nigh supernatural insight unravels cultural riddles in the world’s oddest by-ways… oh well, don’t get me started.”—Bruce Sterling, Sci-Fi Writer
“TFSH is a book about respecting the world and engendering curiosity. A curiosity to go deeper into cultures, cities, communities. And to do so respectfully, with an awareness of how and why the machinery of society works as it does. TFSH teaches you how to be a global citizen of the highest order.” —Craig Mod, Designer, Author
“Whether you are a novice or experienced, in-house or consulting, Jan provides an inspiring and actionable framework to figure out what users need and how this translates to design. For anyone designing for an international audience.”—Raphael Grignani, Design @ Facebook
“I had the pleasure of working with Jan for several years at frog. He has an intense curiosity, a love of people and culture, and a thirst for knowledge everywhere he goes. He has translated all of that into a replicable framework in The Field Study Handbook. His unique style has allowed him to transcend borders. A skill truly needed today.” —Doreen Lorenzo Exec Director, Center for Integrated Design, University of Texas
“Jan goes to the places we are too-often afraid to visit, talks to the people we don’t always see, and asks the kind of questions that most of us had long forgot to ask.”—Mark Rolston, Argo Design, ex-Chief Creative Officer, frog
“When I think of Jan’s work (and that of the teams he has led) I think of a very specific form of fearlessness. That doesn’t ignore risk (far from it) but minimises missed opportunity or insight by being rigorously prepared and attuned to context. I also think of a fearlessness of communication – an emphasis on the raw and the human – in order to build a platform for understanding and invention across cultures.”—Matt Jones, Design Director, Google Research and Machine Intelligence.
“Through Jan’s example, collaboration and support, I’ve honed my approaches, tightened up my ability to call my own bullshit, and learned how to find flow in the hustle. The work is hard, and not everyone is cut out for it; but fieldwork with him makes long days feel like days spent the way they ought to be, and the act of tackling tough challenges feel instantly corollary to personal and professional growth. I was leading teams and fieldwork before working with Jan; Now I do so differently.” —Lauren Serota, Designer
“I suspect this massive heavy-duty tome will become the canonical classic reference for cross-cultural research. The crisp design and typography shine in timeless elegance.”—Kevin Kelly, Author, The Inevitable
THANKS
To Lee John Phillips for committing to this project long before we knew what it really entailed. For informing and inspiring this process Keiko Mori, Ben Barry, Kevin Kelly, Craig Mod, Dan Rubin and Frank Chimero. See also the comprehensive acknowledgements in the Handbook. Timo Arnall for the movie, and soundtrack Through The Dead Wood, by Songs of Water.
Thanks to the Kickstarter community for your support. I look forward to seeing how you take this and make it your own.
—Jan
p.s. we have some lovely stretch goals lined up.
I manage complex, cross-cultural projects for a living and have timed this Kickstarter with all the pieces in place.
BOOKS
– Minimal risk –
Both books are written, proofed and designed, press and colour checks are done. Once we’re funded we’ll complete the logistics. We expect the books to be shipped out in June. Perfect reading for your summer travels.
FIELD / YOSHINO & FIELD / SICHUAN
– Minimal risk –
Make sure you have a valid passport and the necessary visas.
KASHMIR TRAVEL FOLIO
– Minimal risk –
Production quality prototypes are complete, the materials are ordered and the lead-in times are accounted for. I’ve have a close relationship with our California factory that makes our SDR Traveller field equipment.
FIELD STUDY TEMPLATE KIT
– Minimal risk –
The digital templates are on track to be proofed by end May, and will be available ready for download in late June.
FIELD METHODS WORKSHOP
– Minimal risk –
It’s a matter of coordinating on dates to schedule training for your organisation. To be delivered within a year of the Kickstarter closing.
BORDERLANDS FIELD EXPEDITION
– Low risk to happen, moderate risk when you’re there-
Part of the enjoyment of these kinds of expeditions is that they expose the traveller to uncertainty, from closed border crossings, being hustled for bribes at checkpoints to helping locals deal with emergencies. I’ve been doing this kind of travel for many years—reading the situation, understanding and mitigating risks as they arise (there’s also a chapter on managing these kinds of risks in the Handbook).
Portions of the Pamir Highway lie above 4,500m, and the journey includes an appropriate time spent acclimatising. We’ll have a sturdy 4WD, a Russian speaking guide, and the right attitude to overcome obstacles to make the most of the journey. You should be reasonably fit. Due to the altitude, not suitable for pregnant women.
A SHORT WALK IN THE HINDU KUSH
– Low risk to happen, moderate to high risk when you’re there –
There are perceived and actual risks associated with travel to Afghanistan. How you frame, process and mitigate these risks is an integral part of the reward.
We can coordinate on the best time to travel. The most likely route-in to the Wakham Corridor is through the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border crossing near Khorog, that is sometimes shut at short notice due to increased Taliban activity. Being at high altitude, the weather can impact the route and day-to-day progress. It is generally considered a low-risk region in Afghanistan, though of course, risk is relative. Risk assessment is carried out prior to and during travel, based on recent events, and reports from my contacts on the ground, and the journey is adjusted as required. I will have the final say on whether to proceed, based on current conditions. (The Field Study Handbook includes a section on the psychology of travelling and working in higher risk environments, which I suggest you read prior to departure.) For all that you might imagine can go wrong, the bigger risk lies looking back on a life half-lived.