Ethnography
A design anthropology technique used for capturing participant’s Practice (recurring activities), Episodes (something that occurs out of the ordinary), Encounters(rarer than an episode), Roles people play and Interpersonal relationships.
“It’s literal meaning is “description of people”… It is a structured process for going into depth of the everyday lives and experiences of the people a design is for. The intention is to enable the design team to identify with these people, to buildup an empathic understanding of their practices and routines and what they care about.”
Nature & context
Design Anthropology, User Research
Resources
Camera, video camera, recorder, notes, questions to be asked, tool kits, object probes, a second researcher (If required for observation).
Procedure
Before: Understand the context and identify the ethnographic method to be used. If the method is a form of inquiry, prepare questions/artifacts to probe the participant. Recruit participants relevant to the context (as many as needed). Have a set of back up participants to make sure there are enough participants available for the session. Prepare notes, by deciding on the note taking format so that it is easier for analysis. If needed, prepare a consent form.
During: Record extensive notes giving attention to details, especially the non-verbal cues. Take ample photographs relevant to the context.
After: Quickly conduct an analysis, right after, of the notes, and pictures as well as other records generated like maps and voice notes and record/annotate your insights. Send out a thank you note to the participant.
Use Case
Throughout the waste management project various ethnographic methods were used, ranging from participatory mapping, while the contextual inquiry to participant/non-participant observation in order to understand participants and their context from different perspectives. For instance, during participatory mapping, while the participant enjoyed physically mapping out, participant observation showed her varying emotions i.e., while she was excited to draw out a recreational area like the Monroe lake, I observed a longing to be included when she described about the 2-mile fringe issue.
Sense Making Data
Being an anthropological technique, key data of focus is the nature of the people that will help make an emotional connection with them. For instance, understanding Cheryl’s emotions towards the 2-mile fringe helped me empathize with her which in turn allowed us to connect with her more and seek her assistance for more methods.