An Ethnography Primer Response

Ethnography is a tool for better design. Designers help inspire and provide utility for people.  Designers must also have empathy for their audience and understand the relationship between what they are producing and the meaning that the product has for others.  Most designers should work towards creating outstanding products that satisfies the user. “A designer should care about ethnography because it can help produce more compelling, innovative design that really connects with the users-in a way that creates delight” (Rhea 2).

            Ethnography involves observing people in their natural environment rather than in a formal setting. “Ethnography is observing people’s behavior in their own environments so you can get a holistic understanding of their world” (Yu 5). Applying ethnography in design allows designers to create more compelling solutions. It allows us to see beyond our preconceptions and see patterns of behavior in the real world. We understand both rationally and intuitively.

            Ethnography observes visually compelling real and meaningful without being staged. It allows us to discover meaning.  It allows us to make communication more powerful. Ethnography enables s to create for the global marketplace.  A big part of it is also observing reality, what people say is not what they do. Identifying behaviors provide clues to where the problems exist or originate.

Ethnographers don’t just ask questions. They look into a small group of people rather than studying people as a whole.  All in all ethnographers combine solid social science training with business smarts.