Name: Zhang Anding
Tag: Research & Youth; Innovative market research; Media and the Internet practitioner
Intro: Zhang’s experience was a living example of what Steve Jobs described as ‘collecting the dots’. Each different experience and trial in his life later becomes his treasure. The rock spirit makes him brave in pioneering, and the scholar’s attitude makes him incisive.
Project: Youthology aims at younger consumers. The team uses anthropology and sociology method, instead of the prevailing psychology method, to perform qualitative market research. Youthology was founded in Beijing, now it also has office in Shanghai. 
Background: Zhang studied political philosophy back in college, where he also played guitar in his rock band. His interest towards anthropology was inspired when he pursued master degree. In 2003, Zhang left to SOAS to study political sociology. His first job was a journalist for 21 Century Business Herald. Two years later he was invited to a 3D Virtual World start-up, HiPiHi, to do strategic research. When he and his wife found that qualitative research could be done in another way, they both quitted their jobs and devoted to Youthology. Now Youthology not only performs high quality research, but it is also impacting young people through its public community, OpenYouthology.
Read Zhang Anding’s story in Chinese at china30s.com: http://www.china30s.com/portfolio/a-三明治访谈-story/张安定的青年志：摇滚青年的互联网人类学
If you want to contact him, welcome to email us at: kol@china30s.com.