About Us
Joe Bonnell and Rachel Lewis are the team behind Open Questions Ltd. Both are experienced researchers, ethnographers and filmmakers who specialise in using visual methods (including video ethnography and documentary photography) to understand culture and explore people’s lived experiences.
Our Team
Joe Bonnell
DirectorJoe is an award-winning qualitative researcher and ethnographer with over 20 years’ experience, working with brands, media agencies, broadcasters, charities, NGOs and public bodies in both the UK and internationally. Joe has an MA (Distinction) in Visual Anthropology from The University of Manchester and specialises in ethnographic interviewing, observational filmmaking, documentary photography and participatory methods, to explore peoples lived experience.
Through a process of skilled looking, and the creation of engaging visual material, Joe works with clients to ask new questions and co-create new knowledge and understanding about the people and issues that matter to them.
In 2006 Joe designed and launched MediaCom’s Real World Street, winning Best Use of Research in both the Campaign and Media Week awards 2007/2008. Since then, Joe has specialised in context-rich qualitative research and ethnography for a wide range of brands, charities, and agencies.
He has conducted and overseen research projects in over 15 countries from the UK to Nigeria, Pakistan to Papua New Guinea and many places in between.
DirectorRachel Lewis
Rachel is an ethnographer and filmmaker who has extensive experience of working on both documentary and qualitative research projects since 2011, when she graduated with a 1st Class honours degree in Digital Film Production. Throughout her career Rachel has worked with research agencies, charities, and non-profits, including Fire Fish, Ipsos Ethnography Centre of Excellence, Carbon Co-op, The British Red Cross, and Plan International UK.
Rachel specialises in using visual research methods to understand people’s lived experiences and inform the development of services, products and policies.
Rachel is also an alumni of Year Here, a social innovation, postgraduate programme. Through immersive, frontline placements Rachel trained in service design, community engagement, and co-production techniques. Following Year Here, Rachel founded the cooperative Plastic Shed, a community-led plastic recycling project aimed at strengthening community resilience in Stockport. A crucial aspect of her role at Plastic Shed was creating a space where individuals from different walks of life could open up, share their stories, and foster greater understanding of each other.