Over time, innovations change the way life gets lived and the ways work gets done. Even in just our fifteen-year study of GoodWork it has become clear that rapid advances in technology have changed the ways that individuals manage their time, complete their tasks, and engage with one another. These changes quicken the speed and broaden the available resources with which people are able to work, shop, and research. However, it is important to consider whether the care, precision, and ultimate quality of the work being produced are at risk of being altered or diminished.

The Quality Project seeks to understand how our daily experiences and the objects available to us are impacted (positively and negatively) by such changes. What does quality look like in a fast-paced world where goods and experiences are readily available and accessible to so many individuals? What factors shape how people judge quality? Does quality matter and if so, what are the kinds of objects, services, and experiences individuals will “go out of their way” for, and when are they willing to compromise?

During the first phase of this project we conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with approximately 80 individuals of varying ages and backgrounds to understand how they gauge the quality of objects, experiences, and work, why quality is important to them, and when quality matters to them most. Themes that emerged in these interviews were used to develop a detailed, online survey that investigates issues and questions related to quality judgments in contemporary life. Responses from almost one thousand participants in the United States will be compared with surveys administered in several other countries.