Point Forward Inc. is a deep immersion research firm in the San Francisco Bay Area. We draw on the tools of anthropology and social psychology to observe and understand how consumers really live. What we find guides us in creating products and services that elevate human experience.

Featured Cases

How Dogs Live with American Families

Our immersive ethnographic research with pet owners found that while pets have gained greater membership in families, pet food packaging has not reflected this shift. MORE

UNDERSTANDING THE RESTAURANT EXPERIENCE

For Chick-fil-A, it all starts with service. We worked with the Atlanta-based company to go beyond a customer service philosophy to create a customer experience strategy that reflected their values. MORE  

the Symbolism of the Pick-up Truck  

An automotive company approached us with an interesting question: what is the future of pick-up trucks as the US becomes more urban and reliant on services? MORE

Nurses need patient time

Kaiser Permanente conducted a time and motion study of inpatient nurses and found a concerning statistic: during each 8-hour shift, they spend only 90 minutes actually caring for patients. MORE

The shape of Real estate inside the fridge

Point Forward’s study of family beverage habits led to a big innovation for the packaging industry. MORE

THE Technology OF SHOPPING

New technologies have fundamentally changed the landscape of the retail industry. For Intel, the new era offers huge opportunities, but also important challenges. MORE

Founded in 2001, Point Forward is a pioneer in helping companies understand the texture of human experience and why it matters to their business. 

We like to begin our projects with big questions that cut to the heart of an organization's challenge. 

Our Clients