How can we use ChatGPT to help us qualitatively analyse images?
Ray Poynter, 1 June 2025
Currently, I am spending four weeks in Japan, a mix of work, including workshops and presentations, and leisure activities (such as hiking and running). Today I checked into an AirBNB in central Tokyo and washed some clothes, after spending the weekend running a marathon on the West coast of Japan. The apartment is tiny, so I hung the clothes in the combined bedroom and living room. I have some standard photos I use to demonstrate using ChatGPT for qual, but I thought I would add a new one, so I took the photo below and asked ChatGPT to analyse it.
The prompt I used with ChatGPT o3 was “Describe this photo? Where might it have been taken? What is the story behind this photo? Who might the owner be?”
Here is its reply in full (after 21 seconds of reasoning):
“What’s in the frame
- An indoor laundry set-up: a square, white plastic hanger with dozens of little spring pegs clipped to a curtain rail.
- Clothes on the pegs: orange hiking socks, pink running/gym shorts, dark and patterned boxer-briefs, a quick-dry camo-print singlet, navy and royal-blue T-shirts and a pair of greyish trousers.
- On separate hangers, to the sides: a pair of olive trekking trousers (left) and two short-sleeved shirts – one light blue, one sage-green (right).
- Room details: taupe blackout curtains, a white split-type air-conditioning unit with the condensate pipe running along the wall, cream-coloured textured walls, a double two-pin wall socket with a phone-style plug adaptor, and what looks like a soft kit-bag on the floor.
Where might it have been taken?
Several little clues point to a modern, compact flat – most plausibly in Japan (or another part of East Asia):
| Clue | Why it suggests Japan / East Asia |
| White square peg-hanger | Ubiquitous in Japanese homes and 100-yen shops; less common elsewhere. |
| Curtain rail & rail-mounted hanger | Typical of Japanese apartments where balconies are small or absent. |
| Two-pin, non-earthed sockets | Matches Japanese (Type A) fittings. |
| Compact wall AC with visible condensate pipe | Common sight in Japanese rental flats. |
Raining season or limited balcony space often sends laundry indoors, so the photo was likely taken in a small Tokyo-style flat or hotel room.
Possible back-story
- The owner has just washed a lightweight travel wardrobe and hung it up overnight.
- The mix is all quick-dry, wrinkle-resistant kit (trekking trousers, synthetic sportswear, travel shirts) – classic for someone who packs light, washes in the sink or laundrette, and re-wears next day.
- The kit-bag on the floor hints at a visitor rather than a settled resident – perhaps a business/research trip dovetailing with active weekends.
Who might the owner be?
Impossible to know for certain, but the evidence suggests:
| Aspect | What it hints |
| Colour palette & sizing | Looks like men’s medium/large sportwear. |
| Garment types | Outdoor-minded traveller or sporty consultant: running socks, hiking trousers, moisture-wicking tops. |
| Dry-inside habit | Someone in a rental or hotel, possibly staying short-term or travelling during Japan’s tsuyu (rainy season). |
So: probably a lone male traveller who values functional kit, travelling light, and making the most of a small urban flat – perhaps pausing between meetings to get his laundry dry before the next leg of the trip.”
What does this mean for Research and Insights
This is not going to replace human interpretation of image, but it gives us an extra dimension, it can process large amounts of these to spot patterns and ask us to interpret them. I would describe the AI as much better than me at getting all of the practical, factual material. For example, picking up on the fact it is the rainy season in Japan and noticing the classic indoor clothes hanger from a 100 yen-store. (However, it does not get everything right; those are not orange running socks, but rather Hugging Bear knee sleeves.)
But AI is not as good at getting into the why is this person here, what the colour choices indicate about the way this person prefers to present themselves.
Want to Learn More about using ChatGPT for Qual?
I am running a course on 18 June ‘Using ChatGPT for Qualitative Research and Insights’. I will be covering how to leverage ChatGPT to design research, to communicate with clients and suppliers, and how to use ChatGPT in the qualitative analysis of information. Check it out by clicking here.