Exploring the user experience through ethnography (Anna Wilkie, cxpartners)
1. Exploring the
user experience
through ethnography
!
I have a background in Anthropology,
which shares some similarities with UX
in that it studies people and their
patterns of behaviour. So I thought I’d
share a bit of background on
ethnography, as well as some of the
things that I picked up that are relevant
to UX, in the shape of 5 tips from
ethnographic best practice.
10. !
3. Use what ethnographers refer to as
'thick description’.
This involves taking note of everything,
even if it seems 'unremarkable' at the time.
This is most likely to involve reading the
user’s ‘non-verbals' - their inflections,
gestures, posture and facial expression - as
well as the sights and sounds of the
environment in which they’re using the
product.