ethnography for design

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Ethnography (for design) John Payne

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Introductions

As a proven way to reveal the shared values, beliefs and practices that inform �the decisions we make and the actions �we take as social beings, we are poised �for a resurgence of interest in ethnography for experience design. This new interest is being driven by the designer’s increasing concerns for:

§  Context – as computing expands beyond the desktop,

§  Emotion – as we seek new ways of evaluating satisfaction and �engagement, and

§  Behavior – as the explicit goal of behavior change becomes more critical to design practice.

Ethnography and Experience Design: A Workshop

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Introductions

§  Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Design from Ulm school-style product design program with methodology focus

§  Began Design career as Environmental Designer / Design Engineer (Facility, �Retail and Exhibit)

§  Master’s Degree in Design from Human-Centered Design Planning program with methodology focus

§  First “Customer Experience Strategist” at my pre-bubble Tech Consulting firm

§  Co-managed group of Researchers and Designers (XMod) in Tech Consulting firm

§  Co-founded Interaction Design firm where I am responsible for the Experience Strategy, Research and Design practices

§  Developed and taught courses to graduates, undergraduates and corporate groups

§  Co-chair for international “applied ethnography” conference (EPIC 2012)

About me

...come to Savannah next October!

Why should I care?

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Ethnography (for design)

“Designers should care about ethnography because it can help produce more compelling, innovative design that really connects with users—in a way that creates delight.”�– Darrel Rhea

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The current landscape of human-centered design research as practiced in the design and development of products and services - Sanders 2008

Design-led

Research-led

Expert mindset User seen as “subjects”

Participatory mindset User seen as “partners”

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“Design ethnography focuses on the broad patterns of everyday life that are important and relevant specifically for the conception, design, and development of new products and services.” �– Salvador, Bell, Anderson

What is ethnography?

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• ἔθνος (ethnos) = group of people: tribe, family • γράφω (grapho) = I draw, sketch, write, carve

From Greek

Ok, so it’s “writing” about “groups of people” then, right?

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• You go to them

• You talk to them

• You write things down

– Rick Robinson

3 step process

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“…qualitative methods aimed to learn and understand cultural phenomena which reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group.” – Clifford Geertz

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…investigates the why and how of decision making, not just what, where, and when.

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“…a qualitative method aimed to learn and understand cultural phenomena which reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group.” – Clifford Geertz

…set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterize an institution, organization, or group.

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“…a qualitative method aimed to learn and understand cultural phenomena which reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group.” – Clifford Geertz

…a system of inherited conceptions by means of which we make sense of our world.

Exercise: QUICK! Think of a pencil…

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“While ethnography often includes a description of the activities and practices of those studied, it is more importantly an attempt to interpret and give meaning to those activities.” – Jeanette Blomberg

What do you mean?

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“As much of America surfaces in a ball park, on a �golf links, at a race track, or around a poker table…”

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“As much of America surfaces in a ball park, on a golf links, at a race track, or around a poker table, much of Bali surfaces in a cock ring.”

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��“For it is only apparently cocks that are fighting � there. Actually, it is men.” – Clifford Geertz

Can I apply this to my work?

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Can I apply this to my work?

Guiding principles of Ethnography

Natural settings�A commitment to study the activities of people in their everyday settings, where values, beliefs and practices manifest.

Members point-of-view�Any understanding of the world must be developed from the perspective of those studied

Holistic description�Behaviors can only be fully understood in concert with the values, practices, and beliefs that influence them.

Context Emotion & Psychology

Behavior & Motivation

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References

Geertz, C. (1973). “Thick description: Toward an interpretive theory of culture,” in The Interpretation of Cultures: Selected Essays (pp 3-30). New York, NY: Basic Books, Inc., Publishers Geertz, C. (1973). ”Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight,” in The Interpretation of Cultures: Selected Essays (pp 115-149). New York, NY: Basic Books, Inc., Publishers Zeisel, J. (1981). “Observing physical traces” and “Observing environmental behavior” In Inquiry by design: Tools for environment-behavior research (pp. 89-110). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Kumar, V. & Whitney, P. (2003). Faster, Cheaper, Deeper User Research. Design Management Journal, Spring 2003, 50-57. Design Management Institute Blomberg, J, et. al. (1993) "Ethnographic Field Methods and Their Relation to Design," Participatory Design: Principles and Practices (pp. 123-155), Schuler, Douglas, ed. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Salvador, T., Bell, G., & Anderson, K. (1999) “Design ethnography.” Design Management Journal 10, pp. 35-41. Sanders, L. (2008). “An Evolving Map of Design Practice and Design Research.” Interactions (November – December), pp. 13-17. Morris, M., & Lund, A. M. (2001). Experience models: How are they made and what do they offer? Loop, 3, �http://loop.aiga.org/

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