A phenomenological research design is a study that attempts to understand people’s perceptions and understanding of a particular phenomenon. Lived experience of a group around a specific phenomenon is the central research question in a phenomenological study.

Phenomenological research design is especially useful for topics in which the researcher needs to go deep into the audience’s thoughts, feelings, and experiences. It’s a valuable tool to gain audience insights, generate awareness about the item being studied, and develop new theories about audience experience in a specific, controlled situation.

The two common forms of phenomenology research designs used to reach this fundamental understanding are hermeneutical and empirical (Davidsen, 2013). Hermeneutics interprets the “texts” of life and phenomenology orientates toward the lived experience (Creswell & Poth, 2018, p. 77).