1. * Ethnograpy and
Field Research to Better
Understand the People and
the City

2. FIELD RESEARCH
Understanding the context to
PLACE + PEOPLE
MAPPING PSICOGEOGRAPHY ETHNOGRAPHY ERGONOMY

3. * Life is complex

4. explicit
tacit
culture as an
iceberg

5. So asking questions and
make interviews is not the
best way to understand a
culture
ethnography
Observing behaviour in
natural settings.
Literally means “writing about
people groups”. It has been
formulated in 1800s as a
method to study “native cul-
tures”.

6. In order to understand
unspoken and not measur-
able information, the inves-
tigator should live and live
like those who are studied.
(Van Maanen, 1996).
“If you want to understand
Living in the context allows us to what motivates a guy to pick
understand patterns of behav- up skateboarding, you could
bring him into a sterile labo-
iours in a real context, ad under- ratory and interrogate him…
stand them both rationally and or you could spend a week in
intuitively a skatepark observing him
interacting with his friends,
practicing new skills and hav-
ing fun. Ethnography is ob-
serving people’s behavior in
their own environments so you
can get a holistic understand-
ing of their world—one that
you can intuit on a deeply per-
sonal level.”
—LiAnne Yu, cultural anthropologist

7. ethnography
Characteristics.
Takes place in the field
Observation is primary
data collection technique
Interviews are used to
clarify observations
Attention is paid to con-
text and artifacts
Field notes coded and
analised for themes and vari-
ables
And the most important tip:
be the foreigner

8. When to use ethnography
Ethnography prduces fresh insights for design strategy
Launch
Concept
Initiation
Discovery Design
Formulation Evaluation
ETHNOGRAPHY SURVEY DEPHT FORMATIVE EVALUATIVE
INTERVIEWS USABILITY USABILITY

9. The Process of Field
Research
Research Planning Get stuff
Determine the research
focus
Determine location and
context Think about
Data collection
Visual data:
Determine and design
data capture method it
-videotaping
-photography
-passive observation.. Transform it
Verbal
-conversations
-stories collection
-questionnaires ..
Material organization Output stuff
Design a format
Select useful data
Explain data in an under-
standable way

10. Methodology
Data collection
Investigate people in their
context
sampling
VISUAL
Photo
Video
Artifacts
Observations
QUANTITATIVE QUALITATIVE
Confrontation
Survey of material
Questionnaire
Interviews
VERBAL

11. Have a look
at this...
http://www.flickr.com/groups/
probes/

12. Data collection
Cultural probes
Probes kit are envelopes con-
taining:
Probes artifacts: cameras,
albums, cards, post-it
Probes tasks: filling maps,
picture taking, filling-in dia-
ries...
Inspiration probes
Investigation probes
Participatory probes
Dialogue probes

13. ..
Ora
Methodology
Material organization
,M
nese
Mila ,e
liano ecorato
Ethnography is a systematic process.
n Giu d co
e (Sa amente mischia a
ldon cc si rd
i Vibo iesa è ri anico o’ azza e
zia d ch om np u
A bba o della coli: il R sono u come q
rn se nti scosti,
L’inte i diversi ostame
d iù na
stili e gli acc icolari p
lt
A vo re i part
ri
scop le.
While useful ideas can emerge during cas-
ce
capis latera
; lo si sa.
ntata ella chie
que
o fre terno d
molt ’in
a zia è atue all
l’Abb lest
no) rno, o sotto
(Mila ’inte n
alle e c’è all si trova
iarav e
i Ch lenzio ch tivi ch
ual observation, the most powerful insights
zia d si vo
Abba ante il lumini
ost lti
Non e dai mo
anch
come from a rigorous analysis of system-
atically collected data. ...et labora.
Design your own A
L
format (Mila
no) e
mbra li, cre
piu
ssere a dei gio
om
rna),
ode che va
ttost i di luce
ch
tto u
n
va so l cors
si tro ano ne
ri
o
- Title
valle a (che se ei fede
hiara n d
di C Madon e ai ceri
azia
Abb tua della e, assiem
La sta o, ch
rnari . i
luce giornata i Se
rviz
della n de
esig
D
a in
listic
- Keywords (not THAT
ecia
a Sp a
aure anz
di L 7 Bug
ors o . 2006/0 mas o
– C a.a om
sign tto - ni, T
l De o rapa
olt à de o Prod aola T
Fac lupp eroni, P
. Svi
Lab Anna M
.
Proff
many...) Abbazia di Chiaravalle
Se all’interno la sensaz
che passa ogni ora.
(Milano).
ione predominante
all’Abbazia, si può vedere è quella di pace, nei
l’attività nei campi, e territori intorno
qualche traccia di città,
come il treno
Abbazia di Viboldone
La presenza delle mona
attività è testimoniata
(San Giuliano Milane
se, MI)
che che abitano l’abba
zia, e la rendono viva
- Descriptions
da alcune tracce che con le loro
legata al cancello vicino si trovano in giro, come
al chiostro. questa bicicletta
- Highlights (what sounds
more inspiring)
- Moodboard
- Maps
- Diagrams
Abbazia di Mirasole
(Opera,
L’Antica vocazione agrico MI)
la dell’Abbazia ha lasciat
circostanti, che sono o tracce indelebili sui Abbazia di Mirasole
tuttora composti da territori (Opera, MI)
una vasta serie ordina Il portale di ingresso
ta di campi. conferisce un’immagine
era una vera e propri imponente all’Abbazia,
a costruzione forti cata. che un tempo
Facoltà del Design
– Corso di Laurea
Lab. Sviluppo Prodo Specialistica in Desig
tto - a.a. 2006/07 n dei Servizi
Proff. Anna Meron
i, Paola Trapani, Tomm
aso Buganza PRIMA ESERCITAZ
IONE
13 aprile 2007

14. Ethnography allows us to
Discover meaning

15. Ethnography allows us to
Understand norms

16. Ethnography allows us to
Make communication
powerful

17. Ethnography allows us to
Be worldly

18. Ethnography allows us to
Observe reality

19. Ethnography allows us to
Identify barriers

20. exploration
Quarto Oggiaro
An example of field research
focus on one activity
(comoprare)
find the “extreme
user” (association)

22. * Life is complex
(but understandable)

23. 谢谢你们 - thank you - grazie
Serena Pollastri
sere.miru@gmail.com