RESEARCH METHOD

27 Design EthnographyImage

Design ethnography approximates the immersion methods of traditional ethnography, to deeply experience and understand the user’s world for design empathy and insight.1

The intent of exploratory user research in design is clearly exemplified in this definition of ethnography: “The study of people in their natural settings; a descriptive account of social life and culture in a defined social system, based on qualitative methods (e.g., detailed observations, unstructured interviews, analysis of documents).”2

While every aspect of the above definition holds true for the motivations of design research, ethnography ...

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