Knowing the consumption habits of a certain public is fundamental to lead any design development. Proposing changes to achieve these habits is a challenge for new design projects. This study reports the experience learned with the application of a preliminary research framework oriented towards designers. From this study it was possible to identify the consumption habits of low-income families living in Social Housing. This research assisted in establishing a proposal for an innovation agenda to promote changes in consumption habits regarding the optimized use of water and energy in domestic activities. This experience allowed us to learn about the importance of research methods, especially ethnographic instruments, as tools to support the development of new products and public policies. After the results were applied, improvements were identified in the framework and the possibility of including new instruments to evolve in a theoretical research model based on qualitative methods and ethnography. With this refinement, it is expected to guide designers in the elaboration of broader requirements, but closer to consumer demands, directing the development of solutions in industry and in actions of public administration.